The ANRS RHIViera consortium

What are the objectives of the Rhiviera consortium?

The objectives of ANRS Rhiviera are to :

1. understand the mechanisms underlying control of infection without treatment,
2. identify predictive markers of control or viral relapse after treatment interruption,
3. develop strategies allowing a large majority of HIV-infected patients to achieve HIV remission.

To fulfil these goals and objectives ANRS Rhiviera is conducting ambitious translational projects, through public and private partnerships, to gain knowledge on the establishment of cellular HIV reservoirs and body sanctuaries, to develop technologies and markers to identify and evaluate the reservoirs, as well as to characterize immune responses able to control or eliminate the infected cells. ANRS RHIVIERA focuses on the benefits achieved through early cART initiation, and also tries to identify optimal drug combinations ensuring optimal diffusion in tissues that may further limit the establishment and replenishment of the reservoir and preserve immune responses. These studies rely on the combination of basic and clinical research and the access to unique cohorts of HIV-infected individuals and equivalent models on non-human primates.

ANRS Rhiviera is now engaging in pre-clinical and clinical proof of principle studies to explore some of the potential clues arising from the overall research program.

Latest project news

The Rhiviera consortium’s objectives achieved by 2024 :

• Publication of the princeps manuscript of the primate-VISCONTI study showing the benefit of two years of ART initiated 4 weeks vs 6 months after infection in promoting post-treatment SIV control in SIVmac251 infected macaques  (Passaes et al Nat Com, 2024). To find out more, read the press release.
• Start of inclusion in the ANRS 176 RHIVIERA 02 trial in April 2024.

The Rhiviera consortium’s objectives achieved by 2023:

• Identification of a new family of broadly neutralizing antibodies in a post-treatment controller from the ANRS VISCONTI study (Molinos-Albert et al, Cell Host&Microbe 2023 ; Nat Com 2022).
• IInitiation of the ANRS 175 RHIVIERA 01 trial in March 2023: 16 participants have been enrolled ed. The primary objective of the trial is to evaluate the probability of control of HIV infection, defined as a viral load (VL) < 400 cp/mL, following an analytical interruption of antiretroviral treatment (IAT) in early-treated participants from the ANRS CO6 PRIMO cohort with the MHC B35/53 Bw4TTC2 genotype.
• Funding obtained for the project Development of an adjuvanted mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine platform to induce effective anti-HIV immunity. The development of innovative approaches to combat HIV infection, including prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines, remains a priority if the HIV/AIDS pandemic is to be brought to an end. The mRNA lipid nanoparticle (LNP) platform shows very promising potential for vaccination. However, there is evidence that its immunogenicity and long-term efficacy need to be enhanced, which is usually achieved through the effects of adjuvants. The aim here is to develop and evaluate the reactogenicity and potential for inducing effective HIV/SIV-specific immunity of a vaccine platform combining mRNA-LNP and a STING agonist as adjuvant (principal investigator: Victor Appay) (ANRS MIE funding evaluated by CSS11 “Basic research on HIV/AIDS: from virus to host”).

Find out more about Rhiviera Read the press release on the p-VISCONTI study

Members of the consortium

Latest scientific publications

Early antiretroviral therapy favors post-treatment SIV control associated with the expansion of enhanced memory CD8⁺ T-cells. Passaes C, Desjardins D, Chapel A, Monceaux V, Lemaitre J, Mélard A, Perdomo-Celis F, Planchais C, Gourvès M, Dimant N, David A, Dereuddre-Bosquet N, Barrail-Tran A, Gouget H, Guillaume C, Relouzat F, Lambotte O, Guedj J, Müller-Trutwin M, Mouquet H, Rouzioux C, Avettand-Fenoël V, Le Grand R, Sáez-Cirión A.Nat Commun. 2024 Jan 11;15(1):178. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-44389-3.

Anti-V1/V3-glycan broadly HIV-1 neutralizing antibodies in a post-treatment controller. Molinos-Albert LM, Baquero E, Bouvin-Pley M, Lorin V, Charre C, Planchais C, Dimitrov JD, Monceaux V, Vos M; ANRS VISCONTI Study Group; Hocqueloux L, Berger JL, Seaman MS, Braibant M, Avettand-Fenoël V, Sáez-Cirión A, Mouquet H. Cell Host Microbe. 2023 Aug 9;31(8):1275-1287.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.06.006.

In-Depth Characterization of Full-Length Archived Viral Genomes after Nine Years of Posttreatment HIV Control. Trémeaux P, Lemoine F, Mélard A, Gousset M, Boufassa F, Orr S, Monceaux V, Gascuel O, Lambotte O, Hocqueloux L, Saez-Cirion A, Rouzioux C, Avettand-Fenoel V. Microbiol Spectr. 2023 Feb 14;11(1):e0326722. doi: 10.1128/spectrum.03267-22.

Prolonged Antiretroviral Treatment Induces Adipose Tissue Remodelling Associated with Mild Inflammation in SIV-Infected Macaques. Mausoléo A, Olivo A, Desjardins D, Sáez-Cirión A, Barrail-Tran A, Avettand-Fenoel V, Noël N, Lagathu C, Béréziat V, Le Grand R, Lambotte O, Bourgeois C. Cells. 2022 Oct 2;11(19):3104. doi: 10.3390/cells11193104.