Satish Pillai, PhD

Headshot of Satish Pillai
User Profile Photo

Satish Pillai, PhD

User Profile Name
Senior Investigator, Viral Pathogenesis, Vitalant Research Institute
Professor, School of Medicine
User Profile Title
User Profile Email
Visit CTSI Profile

Biography

My laboratory uses a systems biology approach to decipher the antiretroviral effects of IFN-α in vivo, by studying host gene expression, viral production and viral evolution in HIV-1-infected individuals undergoing IFN-α therapy. Recent data generated by our group strongly suggest that IFN-α suppresses HIV-1 replication in chronically-infected individuals by inducing intrinsic cellular inhibitors of retroviral replication known as host restriction factors. One of these factors, the cytidine deaminase APOBEC3G, blocks HIV-1 infection by hyper-mutating the viral genome such that it no longer encodes functional proteins that are necessary for viral replication. Another factor, the type 2 integral membrane protein BST-2/tetherin, blocks HIV-1 infection by restricting the release of fully formed progeny virions from infected cells. Our data warrant investigation into therapeutic strategies that specifically enhance the expression of these intrinsic immune factors in HIV-1-infected individuals.

In addition to my principal research projects involving IFN-α and cell-intrinsic immunity, I participate as a bioinformaticist and phylogeneticist in a number of HIV/AIDS collaborations with researchers at the San Francisco VA Medical Center (SFVAMC), San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) and the Gladstone Institute of Virology and Immunology (GIVI).

User Profile Bio

Displaying 26 - 50 of 78

  1. Battivelli E, Dahabieh MS, Abdel-Mohsen M, Svensson JP, Tojal Da Silva I, Cohn LB, Gramatica A, Deeks S, Greene WC, Pillai SK, Verdin E. Distinct chromatin functional states correlate with HIV latency reactivation in infected primary CD4+ T cells. Elife. 2018 05 01; 7.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28766555
  2. Kwarisiima D, Kamya MR, Owaraganise A, Mwangwa F, Byonanebye DM, Ayieko J, Plenty A, Black D, Clark TD, Nzarubara B, Snyman K, Brown L, Bukusi E, Cohen CR, Geng EH, Charlebois ED, Ruel TD, Petersen ML, Havlir D, Jain V. High rates of viral suppression in adults and children with high CD4+ counts using a streamlined ART delivery model in the SEARCH trial in rural Uganda and Kenya. J Int AIDS Soc. 2017 07 21; 20(Suppl 4):21673.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28498985
  3. I. Munoz-Arias, E. Hanhauser, L. Hogan, M.A. Mohsen, Kristen Hobbs, C. Thanh, E. Gibson, S.G. Deeks, S.K. Pillai, T.J. Henrich. OA2-3 Small-molecule chemotherapeutic drugs reactivate HIV-1 via non-canonical pathways and modulate CD8 T cell response. Journal of virus eradication. 2017 Jul 1; 3:2-3.
  4. Bangirana P, Ruel TD, Boivin MJ, Pillai SK, Giron LB, Sikorskii A, Banik A, Achan J. Absence of neurocognitive disadvantage associated with paediatric HIV subtype A infection in children on antiretroviral therapy. J Int AIDS Soc. 2017 10; 20(2).
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28329286
  5. Krarup AR, Abdel-Mohsen M, Schleimann MH, Vibholm L, Engen PA, Dige A, Wittig B, Schmidt M, Green SJ, Naqib A, Keshavarzian A, Deng X, Olesen R, Petersen AM, Benfield T, Østergaard L, Rasmussen TA, Agnholt J, Nyengaard JR, Landay A, Søgaard OS, Pillai SK, Tolstrup M, Denton PW. The TLR9 agonist MGN1703 triggers a potent type I interferon response in the sigmoid colon. Mucosal Immunol. 2018 03; 11(2):449-461.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28615711
  6. Keating SM, Pilcher CD, Jain V, Lebedeva M, Hampton D, Abdel-Mohsen M, Deng X, Murphy G, Welte A, Facente SN, Hecht F, Deeks SG, Pillai SK, Busch MP. HIV Antibody Level as a Marker of HIV Persistence and Low-Level Viral Replication. J Infect Dis. 2017 07 01; 216(1):72-81.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28511815
  7. I. Munoz-Arias, E. Hanhauser, L. Hogan, M.A. Mohsen, Kristen Hobbs, C. Thanh, E. Gibson, S.G. Deeks, S.K. Pillai, T.J. Henrich. OA2-3 Small-molecule chemotherapeutic drugs reactivate HIV-1 via non-canonical pathways and modulate CD8 T cell response. Journal of virus eradication. 2017 Jul 1; 3:2-3.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28520968
  8. Jacobs ES, Keating SM, Abdel-Mohsen M, Gibb SL, Heitman JW, Inglis HC, Martin JN, Zhang J, Kaidarova Z, Deng X, Wu S, Anastos K, Crystal H, Villacres MC, Young M, Greenblatt RM, Landay AL, Gange SJ, Deeks SG, Golub ET, Pillai SK, Norris PJ. Cytokines Elevated in HIV Elite Controllers Reduce HIV Replication In Vitro and Modulate HIV Restriction Factor Expression. J Virol. 2017 03 15; 91(6).
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28053103
  9. Abdel-Mohsen M, Chavez L, Tandon R, Chew GM, Deng X, Danesh A, Keating S, Lanteri M, Samuels ML, Hoh R, Sacha JB, Norris PJ, Niki T, Shikuma CM, Hirashima M, Deeks SG, Ndhlovu LC, Pillai SK. Human Galectin-9 Is a Potent Mediator of HIV Transcription and Reactivation. PLoS Pathog. 2016 Jun; 12(6):e1005677.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27253379
  10. M. Abdel-Mohsen, L. Chavez, G.M. Chew, X. Deng, A. Danesh, S. Keating, R. Hoh, S.G. Deeks, L.C. Ndhlovu, S.K. Pillai. Human galectin-9 is a potent mediator of HIV transcription and reactivation. Journal of virus eradication. 2015 Dec 1; 1:18.
  11. L. Bertoni Giron, S. Tenore, M.C. Araripe Sucupira, L.M. Janini, S. Pillai, R. Sobhie Diaz. PP 3.19 Evidence of ongoing HIV replication during suppressive antiretroviral therapy. Journal of virus eradication. 2015 Dec 1; 1:29-30.
  12. Gibb SL, Zhao Y, Potter D, Hylin MJ, Bruhn R, Baimukanova G, Zhao J, Xue H, Abdel-Mohsen M, Pillai SK, Moore AN, Johnson EM, Cox CS, Dash PK, Pati S. TIMP3 Attenuates the Loss of Neural Stem Cells, Mature Neurons and Neurocognitive Dysfunction in Traumatic Brain Injury. Stem Cells. 2015 Dec; 33(12):3530-44.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26299440
  13. Raposo RA, Gupta R, Abdel-Mohsen M, Dimon M, Debbaneh M, Jiang W, York VA, Leadabrand KS, Brown G, Malakouti M, Arron S, Kuebler PJ, Wu JJ, Pillai SK, Nixon DF, Liao W. Antiviral gene expression in psoriasis. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2015 Oct; 29(10):1951-7.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25809693
  14. Abdel-Mohsen M, Wang C, Strain MC, Lada SM, Deng X, Cockerham LR, Pilcher CD, Hecht FM, Liegler T, Richman DD, Deeks SG, Pillai SK. Select host restriction factors are associated with HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy. AIDS. 2015 Feb 20; 29(4):411-20.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25602681
  15. Abdel-Mohsen M, Deng X, Danesh A, Liegler T, Jacobs ES, Rauch A, Ledergerber B, Norris PJ, Günthard HF, Wong JK, Pillai SK. Role of microRNA modulation in the interferon-a/ribavirin suppression of HIV-1 in vivo. PLoS One. 2014; 9(10):e109220.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25275557
  16. Keith E Garrison, Douglas F Nixon, Satish K Pillai, Aashish R Jha. Evolutionary History of the Proviruses HERV-K 113 and HERV-K 115. eLS. 2014 Sep 15.
  17. Raposo RA, Abdel-Mohsen M, Deng X, Hecht FM, Pilcher CD, Pillai SK, Nixon DF. Dynamic regulation of host restriction factor expression over the course of HIV-1 infection in vivo. J Virol. 2014 Oct; 88(19):11624-9.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25031350
  18. Wang C, Abdel-Mohsen M, Strain MC, Lada SM, Yukl S, Cockerham LR, Pilcher CD, Hecht FM, Sinclair E, Liegler T, Richman DD, Deeks SG, Pillai SK. Decreased HIV type 1 transcription in CCR5-?32 heterozygotes during suppressive antiretroviral therapy. J Infect Dis. 2014 Dec 01; 210(11):1838-43.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21701594
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24935955
  19. Abdel-Mohsen M, Deng X, Liegler T, Guatelli JC, Salama MS, Ghanem Hel-D, Rauch A, Ledergerber B, Deeks SG, Günthard HF, Wong JK, Pillai SK. Effects of alpha interferon treatment on intrinsic anti-HIV-1 immunity in vivo. J Virol. 2014 Jan; 88(1):763-7.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24155399
  20. Abdel-Mohsen M, Raposo RA, Deng X, Li M, Liegler T, Sinclair E, Salama MS, Ghanem Hel-D, Hoh R, Wong JK, David M, Nixon DF, Deeks SG, Pillai SK. Expression profile of host restriction factors in HIV-1 elite controllers. Retrovirology. 2013 Oct 16; 10:106.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21189271
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24131498
  21. Abdel-Mohsen M, Wang C, Strain MC, Lada SM, Deng X, Cockerham LR, Pilcher CD, Hecht FM, Liegler T, Richman DD, Deeks SG, Pillai SK. Select host restriction factors are associated with HIV persistence during antiretroviral therapy. AIDS. 2015 Feb 20; 29(4):411-20.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24009230
  22. Raposo RA, Abdel-Mohsen M, Bilska M, Montefiori DC, Nixon DF, Pillai SK. Effects of cellular activation on anti-HIV-1 restriction factor expression profile in primary cells. J Virol. 2013 Nov; 87(21):11924-9.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23966394
  23. Raposo RA, Abdel-Mohsen M, Holditch SJ, Kuebler PJ, Cheng RG, Eriksson EM, Liao W, Pillai SK, Nixon DF. Increased expression of intrinsic antiviral genes in HLA-B*57-positive individuals. J Leukoc Biol. 2013 Nov; 94(5):1051-9.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23929683
  24. Yukl SA, Boritz E, Busch M, Bentsen C, Chun TW, Douek D, Eisele E, Haase A, Ho YC, Hütter G, Justement JS, Keating S, Lee TH, Li P, Murray D, Palmer S, Pilcher C, Pillai S, Price RW, Rothenberger M, Schacker T, Siliciano J, Siliciano R, Sinclair E, Strain M, Wong J, Richman D, Deeks SG. Challenges in detecting HIV persistence during potentially curative interventions: a study of the Berlin patient. PLoS Pathog. 2013; 9(5):e1003347.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19265479
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23671416
  25. Pillai SK, Abdel-Mohsen M, Guatelli J, Skasko M, Monto A, Fujimoto K, Yukl S, Greene WC, Kovari H, Rauch A, Fellay J, Battegay M, Hirschel B, Witteck A, Bernasconi E, Ledergerber B, Günthard HF, Wong JK. Role of retroviral restriction factors in the interferon-a-mediated suppression of HIV-1 in vivo. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Feb 21; 109(8):3035-40.
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22315404