Project

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Name of Applicant : ASIER SAEZ-CIRION
Date of application : 24-11-2020
Unit : HIV, Inflammation and Persistence
Location : BFJ 26 03
Phone : 0631034720
@ Mail : asiersc@pasteur.fr

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Project context and summary :

The key role of CD8+ T-cells in controlling HIV replication has been particularly well established. Functional and metabolic properties of HIV specific CD8+ T cells appear to be essential for an effective control of the virus, as shown in HIV-1 and HIV-2 controllers. Mounting of functional CD8+ T cell responses is dependent on the effective priming of optimal antigen specific memory like CD8+ T-cells. However, factors that may dampen or promote effective priming of CD8+ T-cell responses during HIV infection remain largely unknown. Our aim is to investigate potential factors that may help us improving the induction or reprogramming of robust CD8+ T cells against HIV. We propose to study functional and metabolic attributes of HIV specific CD8+ T cells from HIV controllers and non controllers and determine if defects in CD8+ T cells form non controllers can be corrected with small molecules targeting the molecular program of the cells; de novo priming of HIV specific CD8+ T cells can be altered by antigen presenting cell-derived factors. The results of this project will have direct implications for our understanding of natural immune control of HIV, as well as the optimization of vaccine strategies or immune therapies against HIV.

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