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Capturing Within Host Hiv-1 Evolution Dynamics Using Simulation Methods, Emmanuel Wong

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The persistent latent reservoir of long-lived cells carrying integrated HIV DNA is the source of reinfection upon treatment interruption, and a primary focus for cure research. The reservoir is difficult to study because these cells are relatively rare or located in tissues that are difficult to sample. Sequencing proviral DNA in the latent reservoir is an important source of information about reservoir establishment and persistence, especially from the presence of identical (clonal) sequences. I evaluated the relationship between select measures of these clonal sequences and drivers of reservoir persistence, e.g., clonal expansion, by implementing a simulation model of within-host HIV …