RESEARCH PROJECT IN HIV PRIMO INFECTION

The term Primary HIV Infection (PHI) refers to the period from initial infection with HIV to complete seroconversion. It is a period of extreme infectiousness and dynamic viral and immunologic activity. The diagnosis should be considered in all at-risk patients experiencing a primary infection-like illness, and they should be offered HIV antibody and HIV RNA testing as well as counseling. The occurrence and severity of symptoms during primary HIV infection correlate with the rapidity of clinical and immunologic decline. Treatment of patients during primary infection may improve immune preservation and reconstitution.

The research project is aimed to study and follow extensively patients diagnosed and treated during the acute phase of HIV infection. As the immune activation is massive in this early phase of HIV infection, we develop this pilot protocol called «CYCLO» in order to interfere with the CD4 activation needed by the virus for its replication.

Pierre-Alexandre Bart, M.D. Director 2001-present: Director of the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne. Research activities: HIV vaccines and HIV immunotherapies.

2009: BMS HIV Research AWARD 2009. Please click here to have more information 2004: Board certified in Clinical Immunology and Allergy. 2000: Boards certified in Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. 1996-1999: Fellow In Infectious Diseases. 1992-1996: Fellow In Internal Medicine.

Alexandre Harari, Ph.D. Laboratory scientific Leader   2003-present: Laboratory scientific leader at the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center (VIC), and research associate at the Laboratory of AIDS Immunopathogenesis, CHUV, Lausanne.

2009: BMS HIV Research AWARD 2009. Please click here to have more information 2003: Post-Doctoral fellow. 2002: Ph.D. thesis entitled: "Investigation of HIV-1 immunopathogenesis in animal models and in humans". 1997: Bachelor of Science, section Biology.

Prof. Giuseppe Pantaleo, M.D. Professor of Medicine Chief, Division of Immunology and Allergy Head, Laboratory of AIDS Immunopathogenesis, Department of Medicine, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois (CHUV) University of Lausanne, Switzerland   Short CV / Biography

Selected publications:

• Harari A., Dutoit V., Cellerai C., Bart P.-A., Du Pasquier R. and Pantaleo G. Functional signatures of protective antiviral T-cell immunity in human virus infections. Immunol. Rev. 2006, 211:236-254
   
• Bart P.-A. and Pantaleo G. Immune-based interventions in HIV infection: doing the right studies, getting the right answers. AIDS 2006, 20:617-618.
   
• Zimmerli S.C., Harari A., Cellerai C., Vallelian F., Bart P.-A. and Pantaleo G. HIV-1-specific IFN-gamma/IL-2-secreting CD8 T cells support CD4-independent proliferation of HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2005, 102:7239-7244.
   
• Ellefsen K., Harari A., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Sékaly R.-P. and Pantaleo G. Distribution and Functional Analysis of Memory Antiviral CD8 T Cell Responses in HIV-1 and Cytomegalovirus Infections. Eur. J. Immunol. 2002, 32:3756-3764.
   
• Harari A., Rizzardi G.P., Ellefsen K., Ciuffreda D., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Kaufmann D., Telenti A., Sahli R., Tambussi G., Kaiser L., Lazzarin A., Perrin L. and Pantaleo G. Analysis of HIV-1- and CMV- Specific Memory CD4 T Cell Responses during Primary and Chronic Infection. Blood 2002, 100:1381-1387.
   
• Rizzardi G.P., Harari A., Capiluppi B., Tambussi G., Ellefsen K., Ciuffreda D., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Chave J.-P., Lazzarin A. and Pantaleo G. Treatment of primary HIV-1 infection with cyclosporin A coupled with highly active antiretroviral therapy. J. Clin. Invest. 2002, 109:681-688.
   
• Bart P.-A., Rizzardi G.P., Tambussi G., Chave J.-P., Chapuis A.G., Graziosi C., Corpataux J.-M., Halkic N., Meuwly J.-Y., Munoz M., Meylan P.R.A., Spreen W., McDade H., Yerly S., Perrin L., Lazzarin A. and Pantaleo G. Immunological and virological responses in HIV-1-infected adults at early stage of established infection treated with highly active antiretroviral therapy. AIDS 2000, 14:1887-1897.
   
• Rizzardi G.P., Tambussi G., Bart P.-A., Chapuis A.G., Lazzarin A. and Pantaleo G. Virological and immunological responses to HAART in asymptomatic therapy-naive HIV-1-infected subjects according to CD4 cell count. AIDS 2000, 14:2257-2263.
   
• Rizzardi G.P., de Boer R.J., Hoover S., Tambussi G., Chapuis A., Halkic N., Bart P.-A., Miller V., Staszewski S., Notermans D.W., Perrin L., Fox C.H., Lange J.M.A., Lazzarin A. and Pantaleo G. Predicting the duration of antiviral treatment needed to suppress plasma HIV-1 RNA. J. Clin. Invest. 2000, 105:777-782.
   
• Bart P.-A., Meuwly J.Y., Yerly S, Rizzardi G.P., Fleury S., Munoz M., Knabenhans C., Welbon C., Pantaleo G., Meylan P.R.A. and the Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Sampling lymphoid tissue cells by ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration of lymph nodes in HIV-infected patients. AIDS 1999;13:1503-1509.
   
• Fleury S., de Boer R.J., Rizzardi G.P., Wolthers K.C., Otto S.A., Welbon C.C., Graziosi C., Knabenhans C., Soudeyns H., Bart P.-A., Gallant S., Corpataux J.M., Gillet M., Meylan P.R.A., Schnyder P., Meuwly J.Y., Spreen W., Glauser M.P., Miedema F. and Pantaleo G. Limited CD4⁺ T-cell renewal in early HIV-1 infection: Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy. Nat. Med. 1998, 4:794-801.