Investigation of the Role of Host Proteins in the HIV-1 Envelope

While efficacious treatments are available for HIV, they require lifelong adherence and can have harmful effects over time. Therefore, developing novel treatments and a preventative vaccine remain critical. While most vaccine attempts to date have been largely unsuccessful, identifying new targets on the virus, may provide novel avenues for HIV vaccines and therapies. Integrin alpha 4 beta 7 (?4?7) is a cellular protein that is highly abundant within the external HIV envelope that has been shown to facilitate trafficking of virus to their target cells in an animal model. This protein is also known to play several roles in HIV infection. My projects aims to determine what mechanisms are in place that allow ?4?7 and (other cellular proteins) to partition into the HIV envelope which may in turn provide new information on how the virus is able to hijack other human proteins to increase its infectivity.

Faculty Supervisor:

Christina Guzzo

Student:

Partner:

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Health and Related Sciences & Technology; Life Sciences (not health)

University:

University of Toronto

Program: