Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

Over the course of our lifetime, we are exposed to many different types of virus infections. Though many viruses linger briefly, some viruses, including human cytomegalovirus (CMV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis, cause lifelong infection. Our natural killer (NK) cells are immune cells that fight virus infections and become specialized killers after prolonged exposure to the common herpesvirus, CMV. This work explores how the pressures of CMV and HIV co-infection affect the formation of these specialized NK cells, whether they are better able to target virus-infected cells and whether we can harness their potential against HIV-infected cells. One way in which NK cells recognize and kill infected cells is by recognizing the stem of antibodies that specifically attach to virus-infected cells. Unfortunately, in many instances of viral infection, our immune cells become exhausted and are less capable of controlling viral infection. We hope to not only guide specialized NK cells toward HIV-infected targets using specific antibody therapy, but also ameliorate exhaustion by blocking the NK cell receptors conveying messages that mute this important response. These specialized NK cells could provide a novel platform for broad immune protection and could set the stage for a new iteration of immunotherapy for HIV, other chronic viral infections and cancer.