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, conducted in close collaboration with the Department of Infection Medicine at MVZ Clotten, comprises approximately 800 individuals living with HIV. This cohort serves as a highly valuable research platform, providing streamlined access to comprehensive clinical data and biomaterials for both our own research projects and those of our partners—within and beyond the University Hospital Freiburg.
Our current collaborators include the Translational Experimental Immunology Laboratory and the University Heart Center at the University Hospital Freiburg, as well as the Leibniz Institute for Virology in Hamburg. We are also actively involved in national cohort studies led by the Robert Koch Institute (ClinSurv and Seroconverter) 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.
The unique cross-sectoral structure of the Freiburg HIV Cohort, which combines an academically managed cohort within a primary care setting, offers significant advantages for clinical research. Our highly experienced study team ensures excellent study conduct, while strong patient-physician relationships lead to outstanding recruitment and retention rates. Additionally, access to the comprehensive infrastructure of a university hospital enables us to conduct complex trials with sophisticated diagnostics.
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