Immunotherapy-based approaches to cure HIV
HIV remains a global health priority. Approximately 39 million people currently live with HIV and 28 million of these are on life-long anti-HIV therapy. Despite suppressive anti-HIV therapy, HIV currently cannot be cured due to the persistence of latently-infected cells in people with HIV.
Novel immunotherapy approaches represent an exciting new avenue for HIV cure. These approaches combine potent anti-HIV antibodies with enhancement of natural immune responses against HIV-infected cells.
This project is focussed on developing an immunotherapy approach harnessing the potential of innate natural killer (NK) cells to eliminate HIV-infected cells.
Student opportunities
Open to students
We're developing immunotherapy-based strategies to target residual HIV-infected cells that persist in the body despite anti-HIV therapy as part of an approach to cure HIV. The objectives of this project include identifying the relevant NK subset which is the most potent killer of HIV-infected cells and developing anti-HIV antibodies with enhanced function which can help mediate antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by NK cells.
Discoveries made in this project may be applicable not only to HIV cure approaches, but also more broadly to immunotherapies to target a range of chronic viral infections and cancer.
This project involves laboratory techniques including cell culture with primary human cells, immunophenotyping/flow cytometry, HIV infection (under PC3 conditions), and biostatistical analysis.
Open to
- Honours
- Masters by research
- PhD
Vacancies
1
Supervisors
Contact
Project contacts
Associate Professor Anna Hearps
Deputy Program Director, Disease Elimination; Head, Infection, Inflammation and Innate Immunity
Project team
Associate Professor Anna Hearps
Deputy Program Director, Disease Elimination; Head, Infection, Inflammation and Innate Immunity
Why study at Burnet
When you study with us, you broaden your impact working across our 3 institute-wide programs:
- Disease Elimination
- Health Security and Pandemic Preparedness
- Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health.
Train with internationally recognised experts in a structured student support system.
Gain a holistic research experience along the way.