Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal Publishes Ashma Chakrawarti's, PhD, Gut Microbiome & HIV Immunotherapy Study

Klatt Lab researcher and Postdoctoral Associate, Ashma Chakrawarti, PhD, recently had her study, "Pre-treatment Gut Microbiome Diversity and Function Linked to Cytotoxic and Natural Killer Cell Immune Responses after N-803 Treatment in People with HIV," published in the Clinical Infectious Diseases Journal.

Dr. Chakrawarti's research focuses on the gut and how the bacteria that it houses interact with the immune system. In this study, Dr. Chakrawarti and team looked at how those gut bacteria relate to how people with HIV respond to N-803, an experimental immune-based therapy. The team wanted to answer two questions: do the bacteria in a person's gut shape how their body responds to the treatment, and does the treatment itself change those gut bacteria?

The team would come to find that people who started with a more diverse gut microbiome tended to show stronger activation of key infection-fighting immune cells after N-803, along with lower levels of HIV activity in the gut. The treatment itself didn't noticeably change the overall makeup of the gut microbiome, though they did see small increases in certain beneficial bacteria. They also found that bacteria that produce short-chain fatty acids, compounds known to support mucosal health, were linked to stronger immune activity.

"Although these are early findings from a small study, they raise the possibility that the gut microbiome could one day help explain why people respond so differently to immune-based HIV treatments. With confirmation in larger studies, a person's gut bacteria might eventually help identify who is most likely to benefit, or point toward ways to support better responses to immunotherapy," said Ashma Chakrawarti, PhD.

This study is a starting point for larger investigations into how the gut microbiome shapes responses to HIV immunotherapy, with the next steps being to confirm these associations in bigger studies and to explore whether the microbiome can reliably predict treatment response, or even be targeted to support HIV cure strategies.

"This work came together through the efforts of clinical researchers, immunologists, and microbiome researchers, along with the study participants who made it possible. It reflects how much we can learn by studying the microbiome alongside immune and clinical outcomes when evaluating new therapies for HIV," said Ashma Chakrawarti, PhD.

Congratulations, Dr. Chakrawarti, and fellow Klatt Lab collaborators Chris Basting, Ty Schroeder, Robert Langat, PhD, Erik Swanson, PhD, and Nichole Klatt, PhD!