CDI Seminar: “The Interplay Between T Cell Immune Activation and Endothelial Inflammation in HIV Infection: Mechanisms and Implications”
Title: “The Interplay Between T Cell Immune Activation and Endothelial Inflammation in HIV Infection: Mechanisms and Implications”
Speaker:
Marta Catalfamo, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology
Georgetown University School of Medicine
Location:
Via Zoom (Meeting ID: 831 3799 2943)
About the Speaker:
Trained as a basic immunologist with a strong interest in human diseases, my research has been focused in understanding the mechanisms driving immune activation in HIV infection, the main player in the immunopathogenesis of the disease. My work has delineated clear differences in the activation pathways of CD4 and CD8 T cells in patients with HIV infection (Catalfamo et al. 2008). We identified the molecular pathways (STAT1 transcription) linking interactions between IL-7 and Type I IFNs cytokines associated with CD4 T cell depletion and HIV replication respectively (Le Saout et al, 2014, Le Saout 2017). These studies led to a novel observation that there is an increased proportion of CD8 T cells from HIV infected patients that express the thrombin receptor (PAR-1). This novel observation linking coagulation and inflammation and T cells have important implications in immune surveillance, inflammation, tissue repair and cardiovascular risk. My expertise in T cell biology combined with an extensive experience in translational science from working with HIV infected patients to developing experimental protocols in SIV infection model give me a unique set of skills for the development and translation of new immunotherapeutic approaches to treat HIV infection.
Host:
Dr. David Perlin