Dendritic cell-based vaccines and innate immunity in HIV

Understanding the biology of dendritic cells (DCs) in the HIV infection and their role as the initiator of the HIV-specific adaptive immune response is crucial for understanding the mechanisms involved in the susceptibility/ resistance and the progression of the HIV disease. Moreover, the functional complexity of the HIV-specific immune response and the lack of an unique and reliable correlate of protection in front of the infection or the disease progression constitute serious obstacles for the development of an effective vaccine. Nowadays, there is strong evidences supporting the hypothesis that dendritic cells have and important role in orchestrating a efficient and sustained immune response against HIV-1, both helper (CD4 o Th) and cytotoxic (CD8 o CTL) for allowing the control of viral replication. To enhance and optimize this heterogeneous response is therefore a fundamental goal to control infection and improve new HIV preventive and therapeutic vaccines. In that context we have found that Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) and alpha-defensines have an important role on dendritic cells, improving the HIV-specific immunoresponses and being potential adjuvant of HIV-vaccines.

Research topics of interest and ongoing projects

Development of a HIV vaccine: Study of changes in human dendritic cells (DCs) biology induced after being pulsed with a number of immunogens

Development of an ex vivo model to investigate the interaction of a number of HIV immunogens, in pre-clinical phase,  with dendritic cells and their capacity to induce HIV-specific immune .

Design of multifunctional nanoparticles targeting TLR or Nod receptors for dendritic cell immune therapy.

Role of alpha-defensins secreted by dendritic cells and APOBEC3G as innate molecules that regulated an efficient immune response in HIV-1-infected individuals who control infection and in exposed but uninfected individuals.

Effect of Adenosine Deaminase (ADA) as a HIV-specific co-stimulator in a HIV-therapeutic vaccine.

Phase II clinical trial of an HIV-1 DC-based therapeutic vaccine in HIV infected patients.