Molecular Characterization Of Hiv Tat Protein Functional Properties
The HIV-1 Tat protein plays an essential role in HIV replication and has successfully pased phase II clinical trials as therapeutic vaccine in HIV-infected subjects. Besides possessing important antigenic features, the Tat protein exerts immunomodulatory activities and plays a role in immune dysregulation during HIV infection. Accordingly, the main goal of the project is the functional and molecular characterization of Tat activity on T cells. The expected results will lead to new knowledge on the role of Tat in the immune dysregulation of HIV+ subjects and provide new insights into the possibility of employing Tat as a general effective immune modulator.
Goals
- Characterization of Tat activity on T cells functions
- Molecular characterization of Tat effects in T cells
- Characterization of Tat as an immune modulator of immune responses against other antigens
Instruments and Methods
Biochemical, immunological and microbiological methods including purification and cultivation of peripheral blood human cells, cytofluorimetry, analysis of cytokines production/release, analysis of fatty acid and sugar metabolism, analysis of RNA and protein expression. Instruments used in this study are standard instruments for cellular and molecular biology, virology and immunology.
Main Subjects
Biochemistry; immunology; microbiology and molecular biology.
Research Group
- Riccardo Gavioli
- Peggy Carla Raffaella Marconi
- Antonella Caputo
Collaborations
Barbara Ensoli, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Roma
