Basic Science Award

Publications:

• PubMed# 18692772
• PubMed# 19416841

Mucosal epithelia are the first tissue sites of contact of HIV with the human body during the course of infection, and these play a critical role in determining its success in establishing systemic infection. We have shown that experimental disruption of tight junctions of mucosal epithelium may facilitate HIV transmission across mucosal epithelia by paracellular penetration, which requires no viral replication and, therefore, antiretroviral therapy would not be expected to block such transmission.

Mucosal epithelia are the first tissue sites of contact of HIV with the human body during the course of infection, and these play a critical role in determining its success in establishing systemic infection. We have shown that experimental disruption of tight junctions of mucosal epithelium may facilitate HIV transmission across mucosal epithelia by paracellular penetration, which requires no viral replication and, therefore, antiretroviral therapy would not be expected to block such transmission.

Publications:

• PubMed# 19136668
• PubMed# 18692772
• PubMed# 18692180

Publications:

• PubMed# 19136668
• PubMed# 18692772
• PubMed# 18692180

Natural killer (NK) cells have traditionally been considered members of the innate immune system. Recently, in a mouse model of cytomegalovirus, our lab has demonstrated that NK cells undergo clonal expansion during acute viral infection, the population contracts when virus is controlled, but remarkably infection induces a population of "memory" NK cells. These cells are long-lived, respond more robustly when re-challenged, and provide enhanced host protection against re-infection.

Natural killer (NK) cells have traditionally been considered members of the innate immune system. Recently, in a mouse model of cytomegalovirus, our lab has demonstrated that NK cells undergo clonal expansion during acute viral infection, the population contracts when virus is controlled, but remarkably infection induces a population of "memory" NK cells. These cells are long-lived, respond more robustly when re-challenged, and provide enhanced host protection against re-infection.

Regulatory T cells (Tregs), defined by expression of FoxP3 and the IL-2 receptor CD25, play a critical role in self-tolerance and suppressing immune responses elicited against infectious agents such as HIV. As it is now recognized that some of the immunopathology wrought by HIV infection may be due to aberrant immune activation, much focus is centered on the role of Tregs and how they may decrease immune activation and slow disease progression.

Publications:

• PubMed# 18945778