# VIRUSES, ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY, AND KAPOSI'S SARCOMA

> **NIH NIH R01** · MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL · 1990 · $272,403

## Abstract

The goals are (1) to define the natural history of HTLV-III infection (2)
to identify cofactors that, together with HTLV-III, are necessary for the
development of AIDS (3) to clarify the role of HTLV-III neutralizing
antibody in the pathogenesis of AIDS (4) to elucidate factors important in
the pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma.

A cohort of homosexual men already followed for two years will be monitored
at three month intervals for virological and immunological factors related
to AIDS.  Quantitative HTLV-III virology and serology studies will be
performed and correlated with clinical status and T lymphocyte function.
HTLV-III antigen detection techniques will be evaluated together with
moleuclar hybridization procedures for viral genome detection.  Qualitative
differences among viral isolates in different study groups (healthy, ARC,
AIDS) will also be studied.  We will evaluate interactions between HTLV-III
and other viruses (CMV, EBV) in this study population by hybridization
techniques.  The role of HTLV-III in the pathogenesis of central nervous
system manifestations of AIDS will be expolored by virologic and
immunohistochemical techniques.

Our group and others have described the presence of neutralizing antibodies
in subjects infected with HTLV-III.  Antigens involved in the
neutralization process will be evaluated by blocking experiments, and
strain variation among virus isolates in neutralization patterns will be
studied.  The pathogenetic role of virus neutralizing antibodies in immune
modulation of HTLV-III will be analyzed in vitro and in vivo.

The pathogenesis of Kaposi's sarcoma in AIDS is unclear.  The roles of
HTLV-III, CMV and other cofactors in the transformation of putative target
cells (endothelial, Schwann, and dendritic cells) will be evaluated.
Kaposi's sarcoma DNA will be evaluated for endogenous oncogene expression
by transfection of NIH 3T3 cells.  Transfectants will be studied for human
repetitive sequenc;es, as well as both known oncogenes and viral genes.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3172780
- **Project number:** 5R01CA035020-08
- **Recipient organization:** MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL
- **SAM.gov UEI:** FLJ7DQKLL226
- **Principal Investigator:** Martin S. Hirsch
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $272,403
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1983-05-01 → 1991-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3172780

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3172780, VIRUSES, ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY, AND KAPOSI'S SARCOMA (5R01CA035020-08). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3172780. Licensed CC0.

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