Our research activities are centered on the discovery of novel mechanisms of viral control, with a focus on HIV replication and HIV-induced chronic inflammation
Since the discovery of HIV at the Institut Pasteur, tremendous progress has been made in prevention and treatment of HIV infection. However, a vaccine and a cure are still missing. Our laboratory aims to discover mechanisms that control HIV infection and HIV-associated disease. Our original approach consists in learning from the efficient control of HIV/AIDS that exists in HIV-infected individuals who control HIV replication, either spontaneously or after an antiretroviral treatment (HIV remission) and in some very rare animal models of spontaneous protection against AIDS. We aim to discover immunological and genetic factors that are responsible for such a protection in vivo. We focus in particular on:
– the early phases of HIV/SIV infection
– the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity
– the regulation of viral infection through metabolic factors
Such insights will allow a better understanding of how these protective mechanisms are induced. Such insights could be helpful for the fight of other viral infections. These results might also contribute to a better understanding of the factors regulating the critical balance between helpful inflammation (leading to efficient antiviral immune responses) and harmful inflammation (enhancing infection and disease). On the longer term, the studies shall help to define scalable approaches for a durable HIV remission and contribute to the development of efficient vaccine against HIV. In addition, the studies are designed to allow the identification of potential biomarkers of inflammation and HIV remission. Finally, the tools developed are applied for the analysis of other infections, such as SARS-Cov2.
