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Structural Diversity in Antibody Interactions with HIV-1 Env Immunogens
Due to the impressive diversity of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), control of the HIV-1 pandemic will likely depend on the design of a vaccine that can elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) that can prevent transmission of diverse HIV-1 isolates. Although bNAbs have been observed in HIV-infected ...
The Kinetics of Myeloid Derived Suppressor Cell Frequency and Function in Chronic Retroviral Infections
During chronic retroviral infection, poor clinical outcomes correlate both with systemic inflammation and poor proliferative ability of HIV-specific T cells, however the connection between the two is not clear. Myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSC), suppressive cells of myeloid origin that accumulate during states of elevated ...
Infant Feeding Practices, Food-Borne Toxins and Immune Activation in HIV-Endemic South Africa
Over 250,000 new mother to child transmission (MTCT) events occur each year, and at least 40% of these HIV infections are acquired through breastfeeding. Despite the risk of HIV acquisition via breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding of infants born to HIV-infected mothers is recommended by the WHO, since, even in the presence ...
Humoral Immune Responses in HIV Mother-to-Child Transmission and Disease
Although significant progress has been made in combating HIV/AIDS, a safe and effective vaccine is still of high priority. Considering that data from HIV vaccine trials are limited, information from other settings can help elucidate what types of immune responses provide protection. Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) provides ...
Developing improved challenge viruses for macaque models of HIV-1 infection
Infection of macaques with SIV/HIV chimeric viruses (SHIVs) is often used as a model of HIV-1 infection for pre-clinical vaccine studies. Although SHIV infection of macaques serves as the gatekeeper of promising vaccine candidates, it is limited by the fact there are a very small number of SHIVs available, and they do not ...
Regulatory T cell contributions to mucosal antiviral immunity
Regulatory T cells (Tregs) prevent autoimmunity and limit immunopathology using a variety of suppressive mechanisms, yet their roles during an immune response against pathogens remains unclear. Following intravaginal herpes simplex virus (HSV) type 2 infection, mice lacking Tregs fail to control viral replication within the ...
Mechanisms of Group B Streptococcus Colonization and Ascending Infection
Group B Streptococcus (GBS), also known as Streptococcus agalactiae, are bacteria that commonly reside in the vagina of healthy women. GBS is not a major cause of infection in normal adults. However, newborns can acquire GBS from colonized mothers during birth leading to neonatal infections. Alternatively, GBS can migrate ...
Induction and Regulation of CXCL10 in Hepatocytes During Hepatitis C Virus Infection
(2013-07-25)
Chronic Hepatitis C affects an estimated 170 million people worldwide and 4 million in the United States. The pro-inflammatory chemokine CXCL10 is induced by hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection <italic>in vitro</italic> and <italic>in vivo</italic>, and is associated with the outcome of interferon (IFN)-based therapies. Since ...
Control of Innate Antiviral Immunity by HIV-1
(2013-11-14)
Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) infection continues to be a major public health problem, with 34 million people infected worldwide. Cell-intrinsic innate immune defenses are essential for the control of HIV-1 infection but are subverted by the virus to establish successful infection. Interferon regulatory factor 3 ...
Immune Correlates of Cross-Reactive Neutralizing Antibodies in HIV-1 Infection
(2014-02-24)
In spite of more than three decades of rigorous investigation, there remains no licensed vaccine against HIV-1. A major challenge in developing an effective vaccine is the extensive diversity in HIV-1, varying by as much as 35% amino acid sequence in the HIV-1 envelope protein (Env), which is the sole target of neutralizing ...