Description of Research Expertise

The cellular immune response is an important component in halting viral replication and in viral clearance. Research in the Boyer laboratory is focused on HIV-1 and investigating the profile of the cellular immune response that can suppress viral replication. Using the primate model we have found that antigen specific proliferation of CD8/CD4 lymphocytes can lead to suppressed SHIV89.6p replication. Studies further demonstrated the depletion of CD8 cells in SHIV89.6p infected primates resulted in disease progression. The research team then moved an improved SIV vaccine into a more stringent primate model. This later model included challenge with SIVmac239. Our studies demonstrated increased cellular immune responses. Higher levels of vaccine specific lymphocytes proliferation was observed. Higher numbers of vaccine specific effector cells able to secrete IFN-gamma were also observed. Yet, we did not observe better viral control. The laboratory has begun a project that will incorporate gene array analysis of vaccine specific T cells.


Importantly, many individuals in the developing world have ongoing parasitic infections. There is an intersection of the HIV-1 infection and parasitic infection. The interplay of a person’s basal immune response at the time of vaccination can potentially alter a vaccine profile. We have found in our laboratory that parasitic infections such as Leishmania major, malaria and schistosomaisis can lead to suppression of the vaccine response. We have found that Tregulatory cells play a role in the suppression of the immune response. A second set of studies in our laboratory involves the investigation of the impact of chronic parasitic infection on the vaccine response.