Back to fellows
Profile Background
profile

Dr
Sabelle Jallow

Related fellows

Dr Moses Egesa

Dr Mercy Karoney

Assistant Lecturer

View
Dr Moses Egesa

Dr Olaposi Olatoregun

Deputy Project Director

View
Dr Moses Egesa

Dr Aida Sivro

Scientist

View
Show more
Profile EDCTP Fellowship 1

Project Title

Functional characteristics of effector and memory NK cellular responses and their comparison with adaptive T cell responses in HIV-vaccinated subjects and risk populations

EDCTP Project

TA.2011.40200.053

EDCTP Program

EDCTP1

EDCTP Project Call

Senior Fellowship (SF)

Project Objectives

1. To determine if NK cell recall responses are elicited in HIV uninfected infants and infected adults who received HIV vaccine candidates 2. To determine if NK cell recall responses are present in HIVexposed but uninfected adults and in HIV sero-discordant couples. If present, we will characterise these responses (both the effector recall NK responses) 3. To determine the relationship between NK cell responses and the frequency and quality of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses in at-risk populations

Host Organisation

Department Institution Country
Medical Research Council (MRC) Laboratories Gambia

Sites

Results & Outcomes

A preliminary analysis or a pilot study has been performed on some of the samples from the discordant couples cohort in Senegal. This data shows that HIV peptides can activate NK functional responses in HIV-positive individuals; and that HIV exposed but uninfected subjects elicit higher NK functional responses (as measured by higher degranulation and higher interferon –gamma production); and less NK activation (lower CD25) as compared to those who are HIV-infected. These results have been presented nationally, regionally and internationally. In a recent international scientific meeting, the 17th Annual meeting of the International Conference on AIDS and STIs in Africa (ICASA), in Cape town, South Africa, the abstract on results from this preliminary study won one of the five best abstract awards; the “Best Young Investigators award for basic science.