HIV Services

The Intact Proviral DNA Assay (IPDA) uses duplex droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) to quantify genomically intact HIV-1 proviruses. Dual-target detection (packaging signal and env RRE) distinguishes intact from defective genomes, enabling accurate HIV reservoir quantification.

• Detects intact proviruses capable of reactivation.
  Provides both intact and total proviral load in one assay.
• Applicable to HIV-1, SIV, and SHIV for preclinical models.
• Limit of detection: single intact provirus per million cells (dependent on input).

Applications: Longitudinal monitoring of intact reservoir size during latency-reversing agent studies, immune-based interventions, or functional cure trials.

Accurate, precise, and sensitive monitoring of therapeutic product during your clinical trials and in long-term follow-up is critical to evaluating efficacy and long-term safety risks.  Accelevir has supported dozens of clinical trials with scalable and automated dPCR assays under an externally audited quality and document control system. Our capabilities extend to include routine blood processing, cell subset isolation, and flow cytometry characterization, ensuring a single sample-to-answer laboratory partner for your study.

With over a decade of experience in digital PCR across multiple platforms, the Accelevir team can provide expert support for comparability and bridging studies. Accelevir routinely operates three of the most widely used digital PCR platforms today: Bio-Rad’s QX200 droplet digital PCR system, Bio-Rad’s QX600 droplet digital PCR system, and QIAGEN’s QIAcuity nanoplate-based digital PCR system. With access to and experience with other dPCR platforms, Accelevir can perform comparability studies between different platforms or between dPCR and qPCR methods. If you are considering switching platforms, Accelevir offers a range of bridging studies to test and optimize current assays for the new platform even before new equipment is installed in your laboratories.

Total HIV DNA qPCR quantifies all integrated HIV proviruses, intact or defective.

• Conserved gene targeting for broad subtype coverage.
• Suitable for PBMCs or tissue samples.
• High-throughput, low sample volume requirement.

Applications: Surrogate reservoir measurement in large-scale studies, vaccine trials, and early-treated cohorts. Often paired with IPDA or QVOA for comprehensive analysis.

The Cell-Associated HIV RNA assay measures HIV transcription within infected cells.

• Detects unspliced and/or multiply-spliced HIV RNA transcripts.
• DNase treatment ensures RNA-specific signal.
  Highly sensitive for ART-suppressed samples.

Applications: Evaluating latency reversal efficiency, monitoring transcriptional activity in block-and-lock strategies, and assessing pharmacodynamic effects of LRAs.

QVOA measures the frequency of resting CD4⁺ T cells harboring inducible, replication-competent HIV. Cells are stimulated in limiting dilution and monitored for viral outgrowth (p24 or HIV RNA detection) over 2–3 weeks.

• Reports infectious units per million cells (IUPM).
• Remains the gold standard for replication-competent reservoir detection.
• Can be paired with ultrasensitive p24 digital ELISA for improved sensitivity.

Applications: Baseline reservoir measurement in cure trials, verification of reservoir reduction, and confirmation of residual replication-competent virus post-intervention.

Bulk outgrowth assays stimulate large CD4⁺ T cell populations to recover replication-competent virus without limiting dilution.

• Provides isolates for phenotypic analysis (neutralization sensitivity, drug susceptibility).
• Useful for sequencing and resistance profiling.
• Not quantitative but effective for qualitative detection of replication-competent virus.

Applications: Characterizing latent viruses, evaluating bNAb sensitivity, and generating patient-derived isolates for therapeutic testing.

The Single Copy Assay detects plasma HIV RNA down to <1 copy/mL, enabling measurement of residual viremia below clinical detection limits.

• Requires large plasma input with ultracentrifugation.
• Targets conserved HIV regions for subtype-independent detection.
• Performed under GLP-like conditions to minimize contamination.

Applications: Monitoring residual viremia during suppressive ART, assessing antiviral effects of new therapies, and early detection of rebound during ATI.

Accelevir’s NGS platforms provide in-depth sequence analysis of HIV reservoirs and circulating virus.

• Near full-length proviral sequencing: Distinguishes intact from defective proviruses and maps clonal expansions.
• HIV-1 Env Long-Read Sequencing (EnvLRS): Profiles viral env diversity to predict broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) susceptibility.
• Supports drug resistance genotyping, integration site mapping, and longitudinal viral evolution studies.

Applications: Validating IPDA results, guiding bNAb therapy selection, identifying reservoir persistence mechanisms, and informing vaccine design.

Accelevir offers immunology assays to profile HIV-specific cellular and humoral responses.

• ELISpot / FluoroSpot: Quantifies antigen-specific T cell cytokine production (e.g., IFN-γ) in response to HIV peptides.
• Intracellular Cytokine Staining (ICS) by flow cytometry: Measures polyfunctional T cell responses and phenotypes.
• Neutralizing antibody assays: Evaluates breadth and potency of vaccine- or therapy-induced antibodies.
• Phenotyping: Identifies immune activation, exhaustion, and memory subsets.

Applications: Monitoring immune correlates of protection in vaccine trials, evaluating “kill” efficiency in kick-and-kill strategies, and tracking immune restoration post-intervention.