{
  "abstract": "Background: HIV-1 cure strategies aim to eradicate viral reservoirs that persist despite effective antiretroviral therapy (ART). Low Viral Reservoir Treated (LoViReT) individuals—characterized by exceptionally low proviral DNA levels during ART—offer a unique model to investigate mechanisms underlying reservoir restriction. This study characterizes the genetic features of HIV-1 populations within blood-derived reservoirs of LoViReT individuals.\n\nMethods: We sequenced regions of gag , pol , and env genes from 19 LoViReTs and 21 matched ART-treated controls, defined by proviral DNA levels of <100 and >100 HIV-1-DNA copies/10 ⁶ CD4 ⁺ T-cells, respectively. Paired pre-ART samples from 7 LoViReTs and 8 controls were also analyzed. Genetic diversity was assessed using Shannon entropy and intra-quasispecies weighted genetic distance. Phylogenetic analyses and statistical modeling were performed to compare viral populations and explore viral-host associations between groups.\n\nFindings: LoViReT individuals exhibited significantly lower intra-host Shannon entropy under ART than controls, with env gene contributing most to this difference. Reconstructed quasispecies haplotypes confirmed reduced viral diversity in LoViReT participants, particularly in env . A subset of LoViReTs also showed increased APOBEC-mediated hypermutation in pol , suggesting greater accumulation of deleterious mutations. Matched pre- and post-ART sequences indicated a similar trend toward reduced diversity before treatment initiation in LoViReTs with increased genetic frequencies of matched HLA-restricted epitopes.\n\nInterpretation: These findings indicate that LoViReT individuals maintain a less diverse viral reservoir, potentially reflecting differential immune patterns before therapy and explaining their reduced reservoir size during ART.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "IrsiCaixa",
    "Department of Cellular Biology, Physiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona",
    "Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University",
    "Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Northwestern University Havey Institute for Global Health",
    "CIBERINFEC, Carlos III Health Institute",
    "University of Vic – Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC)",
    "Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies (ICREA)",
    "Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP)"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 7,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Irene González-Navarro"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Cristina Gálvez"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Victor Urrea"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Lidia Garrido-Sanz"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Javier Martinez-Picado"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        4,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Maria Salgado"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9h3sy56redf8m.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455/full",
  "id": "9h3sy56redf8m",
  "issns": [
    "1664-3224"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455/full",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "lcc",
      "RC581-607"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-30",
  "publisher": "Frontiers Media SA",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9h3sy56redf8m.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:19:19Z",
      "native_id": "10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455",
      "source": "crossref",
      "url": "https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455/full"
    },
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-31T14:22:48Z",
      "native_id": "069e4e75436f42fc97aee5ac92ccfe68",
      "source": "doaj",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2026.1904455"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "issn:1664-3224",
      "subfield": "immunology"
    },
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "lcc:RC581-607",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Restricted HIV-1 diversity in people with HIV and exceptionally low viral reservoirs",
  "title_text": "Restricted HIV-1 diversity in people with HIV and exceptionally low viral reservoirs",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T14:20:46Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/9h3sy56redf8m",
  "venue": "Frontiers in Immunology",
  "versions": []
}