New thesis on mechanisms controlling the latent HIV-1 provirus
Luca Love from the Biosciences and Nutrition Unit at the Department of Medicine, Huddinge, is defending his thesis titled "Mechanisms controlling the latent HIV-1 provirus", on 12 September, 2024. Main supervisor is Peter Svensson (MedH).
What is the main focus of your thesis?
HIV-1 integrates into T cells and can stay transcriptionally inactive or latent, thus evading an HIV-1 cure. I’ve focused on a chemical change to histone proteins called citrullination and how it affects HIV-1 when it is integrated into the genome of T cells. Histones proteins help compact the DNA in the genome and control what genes are expressed. The combination of different histone marks controls if HIV-1 is latent or starts producing more viruses.
Which are the most important results?
Histone citrullination increases HIV-1 transcription, particularly in viremic people with HIV-1. This is because histone citrullination inhibits the mechanism that usually represses HIV transcription by compacting the chromatin around the integration site.
How can this new knowledge contribute to the improvement of people’s health?
This contributes to our understanding of the mechanisms of how HIV-1 can evade the immune system. This complex network of histone marks combines to make HIV-1 latent or transcriptionally active. Knowledge from this work helps direct future HIV-1 cure strategies.
What are your future ambitions?
I’m currently applying for jobs like Science Operations, Research Management, Research Coordination, Research Strategy, and Lab Management back home in the UK. I like the research setting but I’m better suited to supporting research rather than conducting it directly.
Dissertation
Thursday, 12 September, at 09:00, Gene in Neo, Blickagången 16, Flemingsberg.