Dr Guido Ferrari

Country: United States of America

Institution: Duke University Medical Center

Research Areas: HIV-1 Vaccine and Immunotherapy

Lab Website: https://cfar.duke.edu/cores/cellular-cytotoxicity-laboratory

Our Cellular Cytotoxicity Laboratory has developed, optimized, and validated assays that can quantify the cytotoxic T and NK cellular subsets in regard to their ability to eliminate the HIV-1 infected cells.  Moreover, we have implemented the  several assay to detect the presence of anitbodies responses that can recruit Fc-gamma-receptor-bearing cells to kill the infected cells as part of the antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) and to detect the cytotoxic HIV-1-specific CD8+ T cells. We are currently investigating these cytotoxic immune responses induced by HIV-1 natural infection as well as those induced by candidate vaccines in both pre-clinical non-human primate studies and human clinical trials. For the latter, we serve as core laboratory for the NIH-sponsored HIV Vaccine Trial Network and Primate AIDS Vaccine Evaluation Group, and the Gates Foundation-sponsored Comprehensive Antibody – Vaccine Immune Monitoring Core. Our laboratory is also investigating monoclonal antibody-based molecules that can be used to eliminate the HIV-1 latent reservoir to achieve a regimen that can cure from HIV-1 infection. Lastly, we are part of the Immunology Core for the Duke Center for AIDS Research (Duke CFAR) where we offer Duke collaborators the opportunity to study T and NK cells mediated responses.