%A Subramanian Thothathri
%T Transfer of DC instruction to T Cells via Extracellular Vesicles
%X An overwhelming push in HIV research has been made towards developing a ?functional cure?, with the overarching goal being to eliminate or control the virus without the need for continued antiretroviral drug therapy. Successful immunotherapeutic strategies are now mainstream as anti-cancer treatments have encouraged exploration into the development of novel immunotherapies to treat HIV. Importantly in public health, new insights into the complexities of how the immune system functions in both health and disease continue to provide room for developing novel and improved therapies. Because dendritic cells (DC) play a central role in the crosstalk between the innate and adaptive branches of the immune response, they have been widely considered for their therapeutic potential for both HIV and cancer. Yet in order to capitalize on their strengths in this regard, there is still a need to better understand the basics of how they function and communicate with other immune cells. In this study, we explore the basic role DC-derived extracellular vesicles play in the immune crosstalk between DC and T cells, characterizing mechanisms of their release, their transfer to T cells, their phenotype, and their functional impact on cellular immune responses to viral antigens. It is our position that information gained from this work may contribute to the development of novel and improved therapies to treat chronic diseases such as HIV-1 infection
%D 2020
%K NA
%I University of Pittsburgh
%L pittir39035