Ancuta Petronela
Associate Professor
Ìý
Research Interests
Our main interest is to study the role of chemokines (CK) and chemokine receptors (CKR) in the regulation of myeloid dendritic cell (DC) and CD4+ T cell trafficking, immunological synapse (IS) formation and CD4+ T cell differentiation in the context of Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection.Ìý
The major projects in our laboratory aim (1) to characterize the immunogenic potential of DC derived from CD16+ monocytes (Mo), a pro-inflammatory Mo subset dramatically expanded in the peripheral blood of HIV-infected patients; (2) to identify distinct signaling pathways triggered by dominant and subordinate CK with relevance for IS formation and CD4+ T cell co-stimulation (3) Ìýto determine the susceptibility to HIV replication of Th1, Th2, and Th17 CD4+ T cell subsets identified based on their differential expression of CKR (e.g., CCR4, CCR6, and CXCR3) in vitro and in vivo; and (4) to identify new post-entry HIV restriction mechanisms in primary CD4+ T cell subsets.Ìý
Multicolor flow cytometry analysis and sorting, confocal microscopy, DiGE, cDNA microarrays, and real time PCR technology, together with access to HIV-infected patient cohorts will ensure the success of these studies
Keywords
Monocytes, dendritic cells, and CD4+ T cells, chemokines, chemokine receptors, cell trafficking and T cell costimulation, immunological and virological synapse, HIV-1.
Appointments
Principal Investigator, Canadian HIV Cure Enterprise (CanCURE)Ìý
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