Sekaly Lab
Principal Investigator: Rafick Pierre Sekaly
Institution: Emory University (Atlanta, GA)
Primary Subfield: Immunology
Recruitment Status: ✅ Hiring Postdocs
Research Focus
The overall objective of this Program project application is to generate a comprehensive understanding of the complex host-pathogen interactions critical for HIV reservoir persistence and decay post-PD-1/PD-L1 signaling blockade by monoclonal antibodies in HIV-cancer participants. The knowledge gap we address in Project 2 is how the maintenance of HIV reservoirs by different systemic inflammatory mediators (circulating microbiome, host/non-host metabolites and cytokines/chemokines) in the participants can modulate HIV reservoir persistence and its susceptibility to the immune intervention (decay vs non-decay). We will also address how this initial virological and inflammatory milieu can lead to a broad impact of the intervention in the immune responses. In yet unpublished data we demonstrate that metabolites downstream of commensal bacteria can impact on the magnitude of the HIV reservoir, and HIV integration dynamics and by modulating cell fate (innate and adaptive, importantly CD4 T cells, the major HIV reservoir), this milieu can influence the responsiveness to the immune intervention. We have recruited 3 cohorts of PWH also affected by cancers to help us to address these knowle…
Active NIH Awards
- 5P01AI178376-04: MultiOMICS mechanistic identification of predictors of HIV DNA decay, restoration of immune homeostasis and HIV specific immunity in PWH with cancer receiving Immune check point therapy (2026)
- 5R37AI141258-10: Harnessing IL-10 in cART treated SIV infected macaques to restore immunity and to eradicate HIV (2026)
- 5P01AI178376-04: MOIR - Administrative Core (2026)
- 5P01AI186819-02: Innate and adaptive immune factors in the acquisition, expulsion and transmission of influenza virus infection (2026)
- 5P01AI178376-04: Multi-OMICS identification and validation of mechanisms triggered by Immune interventions aimed at reducing the size of the replication competent Reservoir (2026)
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