Research areas
Interactions of HIV with coinfections
The HIV epidemic remains a significant global health challenge, with approximately 40 million people living with HIV worldwide. In Germany, an estimated 97,000 people are living with HIV, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.12% of the population. While the introduction of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has dramatically improved the life expectancy of people living with HIV, coinfections play a crucial role in the clinical course and management of HIV infection. Among these, latent cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection has emerged as a critical factor influencing long-term outcomes in people living with HIV, even with effective ART. CMV coinfection contributes to persistent T-cell activation and inflammation in ART-treated HIV patients and may increase the risk of severe non-AIDS events.
Our research addresses these challenges by examining clinical and immunological interactions between HIV and coinfections, focusing on latent CMV's impact on T-cell differentiation and HIV reservoir in people living with HIV on ART, alongside studies on cryptococcal antigenemia and schistosomiasis influence on HIV progression.
Cohort Studies
The Freiburg HIV Cohort, comprising approximately 800 patients with HIV, serves as a research platform that provides low-threshold access to data and biomaterials for our research purposes and for our collaboration partners both within and outside the University Hospital Freiburg. Current cooperation partners include the Translational Experimental Immunology Lab and the University Heart Center at the University Hospital Freiburg, as well as the Leibniz Institute for Virology in Hamburg. We also participate in cohort studies conducted by the Robert Koch Institute (ClinSurv and Serokonverter) and the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF/TP-HIV).
Clinical Study Center
As a highly active clinical study center for many years, we participate in international multicenter studies for novel therapeutic approaches to HIV infection. This allows us to consistently provide our patients with access to the most modern treatment strategies.
Currently in planning, in collaboration with the Institute for Transfusion Medicine and Gene Therapy and the Department of Medicine I, is a Phase I/II trial on the safety of TALEN CCR5-edited hematopoietic stem cells in patients with HIV and lymphoma.