Location:
The Kirby Institute Level 6 Seminar Room Wallace Wurth Building UNSW Australia Sydney NSW 2052
Open to
All
Contact for enquiries
Rata Joseph +61 (0)2 9385 0900 rjoseph@kirby.unsw.edu.au
The Kirby Institute is pleased to present:
Mr William Hey-Cunningham - PhD Student, Kirby Institute
"HIV reservoirs during suppressive ART"
Abstract:
HIV reservoirs that persist indefinitely despite suppressive ART are considered the main barrier to a cure. How and where such reservoirs are established and maintained during therapy is therefore of great interest to cure research. Also characteristic of virologically controlled HIV infection are chronically increased levels of immune activation and an elevated rate of non AIDS related complications. HIV reservoirs are a potential contributing cause of chronic immune activation through the production of virus or viral proteins.
We conducted several clinical studies aimed at; 1) delineating the memory CD4+ T cell subsets that contribute to persistent HIV reservoirs; 2) assessing the decay dynamics of CD4+ T cell HIV reservoirs and the contribution HIV reservoirs provide towards chronic T cell activation; 3) evaluating the potential of fine needle biopsies as a technique for accessing lymph node resident cells as a source of HIV reservoirs; and 4) investigating the potential link between HIV reservoirs and non-AIDS related neurological complications.
Bio:
William Hey-Cunningham is completing his PhD thesis under the supervision of Professor Anthony Kelleher, Dr Kersten Koelsch and Dr. John Zaunders, in the HIV Immunovirology Pathogenesis Program at the Kirby Institute.