Today’s HIV treatment allows people with HIV to live long and healthy lives by controlling the virus. Yet successful treatment does not restore the immune system equally in everyone. This research identified distinct immune fingerprints that help explain why people whose HIV is equally well controlled, experience different long-term health outcomes. By studying people who naturally control HIV without treatment alongside those whose immune system fails to recover despite successful therapy, the study uncovered biological patterns linked to different paths of immune recovery. It also identified biological markers associated with biological aging, helping explain why some people remain at greater risk of age-related diseases. These findings show that standard clinical markers do not fully reflect immune health. The results lay the foundation for more personalized monitoring and treatment by identifying people at greater risk of future complications, with the goal of improving long-term health and quality of life.
About the PhD candidate
Adriana Navas obtained her master’s degree in biomedical sciences at Universidad del Valle, Colombia, after graduating with honors as a Clinical Microbiologist. In 2020, she started her PhD at Radboud university medical center, investigating immune signatures in people with HIV. She currently works as a Project Manager in the Imaging Department at Radboud university medical center.