The social life of HIV: How networks help researchers understand the virus
By Cam Buchan
Hiding behind numerous disguises, HIV has been evading researchers for years, leaving the search for a vaccine as elusive as the virus itself.
Once believed to exist as pure strains or subtypes, new research shows the virus evolves constantly, combining dangerous elements that complicate treatment.
As part of its evasive techniques, the virus can lie dormant in cells, avoiding treatments and the body’s own immune system. Meanwhile, the virus continues to exact a heavy global toll. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that, as of 2023, approximately 40-million people globally are living with HIV, 65 per cent of them in the WHO’s African Region.
Abayomi Olabode, PhD
Schulich Medicine & Dentistry researcher and bioinformatician Abayomi Olabode, PhD, is using data science and network analysis tools to tackle these challenges.
“Accurately defining HIV subtypes is key to developing effective vaccines,” said Olabode, who is working on an algorithm to help researchers better classify the virus’s constantly changing strains.
“For years, vaccine development has been based on the idea the virus consists of pure strains. However, recent research shows that many of these strains are actually a mix of different ones. This recombination of strains can lead to new variants that become drug-resistant, making them harder to treat.”
Olabode is working alongside some of the world’s top scientists in the fields of HIV treatment, drug resistance and precision medicine at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, including Art Poon, PhD, Eric Arts, PhD, Richard Gibson and Miguel E. Quiñones-Mateu, PhD.
Exploiting the social life of HIV
Olabode gained international recognition through his groundbreaking research published in PNAS, where he brought machine learning techniques and social networking to the study of HIV genomes.
Social networks, originally developed in the social sciences to study human connections and influence, are now helping researchers decode the virus’s complex interactions – offering new hope in the fight against HIV.
“Understanding these patterns could provide insights into designing a more effective vaccine,” said Olabode, who combines an MSc in medical molecular biology with genetics, a master’s in public health with a PhD in bioinformatics.
ON THE TRAIL OF HIV
This network diagram shows HIV-1 genome sequences as points, with lines connecting sequences that are genetically similar.
Olabode and Arts are exploring methods to “wake up” dormant viruses within cells, making them vulnerable to the immune system and treatments. Olabode’s algorithm compares genetic sequences from HIV-infected individuals with a vast database to pinpoint common epitopes – viral fragments that trigger immune responses.
“Finding the most prevalent epitopes is key to developing an effective, affordable vaccine,” he noted.
While personalized treatments remain costly, Olabode’s analysis aims to identify broad solutions that could be applied across diverse populations, ultimately making HIV treatment and prevention more accessible.
“Until precision medicine becomes more affordable, we need general approaches that work for most people,” he said. “The goal is to eventually tailor treatments by combining an individual’s genetic and immunologic information with the infecting virus’s genetic profile.”
Born in Nigeria, Olabode was introduced to the world of infectious diseases at an early age by his father, a virologist and vaccinologist, who became both an inspiration and driving force in his career.
“My passion to study HIV came from being around a huge number of people who were suffering from the disease,” Olabode said. “Until drugs became cheaper and available, many died.”
Drawn to the analytics side of the research during his molecular biology program, Olabode did his PhD in bioinformatics, where he focused on drug resistance in HIV and evolution of viruses of public health importance. Brought to Western by Poon, who also mentors him, Olabode aims to contribute to research that advances our understanding of the virus and brings us closer to a cure.
“Knowing that we’re making progress toward a cure, or more effective treatments is incredibly exciting. Every step brings us closer to improving the lives of those affected by HIV.”
