Projects
Innate immune sensing and replication of HIV & other viruses
We study the principle and regulation that enable the innate immune system to sense viral replication and launch immune responses, and the mechanisms that viruses have evolved to escape from these responses. HIV-1 is highly pathogenic and the immune response generally fails at controlling this virus. To understand this, we study HIV-2, a virus that causes AIDS in less than 25% of infected individuals in the absence of treatment and induces a potent immune response. Beyond HIV, we also study the replication and innate immune sensing mechanisms of other viruses and viral vaccines.
Activation of the cGAS-STING pathway by self & non-self
The cGAS-STING pathway plays a critical role in host defence against microbial infections and cancer. Unchecked induction of this pathway induces diseases such as cancer and auto-inflammation. We study the mechanisms that regulate activation of the cGAS-STING pathway and than enable faithful discrimination of non-self from self.
Functions of the nuclear envelope in viral replication and host defense
The nuclear envelope is an essential barrier that protects the cellular DNA, and that viruses such as HIV must cross to establish infection. The nuclear envelope proteins play essential roles in HIV replication. Migrating immune cells also rupture their nuclear envelope in interphase as a result of cell migration (see movie below). We investigate the functions of nuclear envelope proteins in immune cell development and in the regulation of HIV replication.
Application and translational research
Manipulation of the innate immune system is a promising avenue to develop new therapeutics and new vaccines to fight infections and cancers. To this end, we apply the results and knowledge of our research in the development of innovative drugs and approaches, in collaboration with the private biotech sector.
Collaboration with: