Dr. Routy and Dr. Ancuta co-publish in Retrovirology
CanCURE Principal Investigator Dr. Petronela Ancuta (Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal Research Centre) has published a study in Retrovirology with participation of Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy (CanCURE Principal Investigator at the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre). Th17 cells represent an important type of CD4+ T-cell that play a role in host defense against microbial pathogens in the gut mucosa. However, progressive HIV infection leads to a loss of mucosal Th17 cells. Through their study, the investigators demonstrate that a shortage of the CD4+ T-cell subsets which are likely to gain Th17 functions is caused, at least in part, by their higher permissiveness to HIV infection. This represents a newly identified mechanism contributing to Th17 deficiency in chronically HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy.
(*classified by the journal as Highly Accessed article)
Dr. Petronela Ancuta (corresponding author) and Dr. Jean-Pierre Routy