Business Wire

LAUSANNE-UNIVERSITY-HOSP

31.5.2016 13:01:09 CEST | Business Wire | Press release

Share
Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV): T Follicular Helper Cells – A Key to the Understanding of the Mechanisms of HIV Persistence

A study, published yesterday in Nature Medicine , has shown that T follicular helper (Tfh) cells serve as the dominant cell reservoir for HIV infection. The study was led by Professors Matthieu Perreau and Giuseppe Pantaleo from the Service of Immunology and Allergy, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland.

The researchers have investigated the HIV reservoir in aviremic individuals treated for several years (up to 14 years) with antiretroviral (ART) therapy. The study demonstrates that a population of CD4 T cells residing within the germinal centers of lymph nodes, known as Tfh cells, serves as the dominant cell reservoir for HIV infection. The Tfh cells which represent less than 1% of total CD4 T cells in long-term ART treated individuals, contained replication competent and infectious virus. Germinal centers are difficult to access to cytotoxic CD8 T cells and thus represent a privileged anatomic site, e.g. a sanctuary, for the persistence of HIV in Tfh cells in long-term ART treated individuals.

Despite the major advances in ART therapy and the effective suppression of HIV replication, ART is not capable of eliminating HIV. HIV invariably rebounds after ART interruption and therefore life-time ART therapy is currently required for controlling virus replication. The present study appeared in Nature Medicine shed light on a fundamental issue, i.e. the identification of the cells that may be responsible for the rapid rebound of virus replication following ART interruption.

“The identification of Tfh cells as the major cell compartment containing replication competent and infectious HIV represents a major advance in our understanding of the mechanisms of HIV persistence following many years of ART-mediated virus suppression”, says Prof. Matthieu Perreau.

“We are very excited of the identification of Tfh cells as the major cell reservoir for HIV in long-term treated individuals. These observations will promote the development of therapeutic immune-based interventions that can directly target the HIV cell reservoir and have substantial impact in accelerating research in the fields of HIV functional cure and eradication”, says Prof. Pantaleo.

Contact:

Lausanne University Hospital
Prof. Giuseppe Pantaleo
Giuseppe.Pantaleo@chuv.ch
or
Matthieu Perreau
Matthieu.Perreau@chuv.ch

About Business Wire

Business Wire
Business Wire
101 California Street, 20th Floor
CA 94111 San Francisco

http://businesswire.com

Subscribe to releases from Business Wire

Subscribe to all the latest releases from Business Wire by registering your e-mail address below. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Latest releases from Business Wire

Galderma Receives U.S. FDA Approval for Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel Prescription-to-OTC Switch22.5.2026 18:25:00 CEST | Press release

A unique Prescription-to-OTC switch in acne care, this approval expands access to a dermatologist-trusted, prescription-strength treatment for millions of acne sufferers ages 12 years and older Backed by more than 15 years of real-world dermatologist use and a robust clinical research program, this milestone demonstrates the depth of science behind the Differin® and Epiduo® heritage Adapalene plus benzoyl peroxide (0.1/2.5%) was the first FDA-approved, stable, fixed- dose prescription acne treatment to combine of benzoyl peroxide with a retinoid, and is now available over-the-counter The formulation is engineered to target multiple causes of acne more effectively than either of its individual active ingredients alone Galderma (SIX: GALD), the pure-play dermatology category leader, today announced that the United States (U.S.) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Differin® Epiduo® Acne Gel (Adapalene 0.1% and Benzoyl Peroxide 2.5% Acne Treatment) for over-the-counter (OTC) us

Avanzanite Bioscience’s Partner Agios Announces PYRUKYND® (mitapivat) Approval in the European Union for Adults with Thalassaemia22.5.2026 16:18:00 CEST | Press release

Avanzanite will commercialise and distribute PYRUKYND in Europe under its exclusive agreement with Agios Avanzanite is committed to collaborating with local authorities in the EU to enable access to PYRUKYND for adult patients with thalassaemia Avanzanite Bioscience B.V., a rapidly growing commercial-stage European specialty pharmaceutical company focused on rare diseases, today reported that its partner, Agios Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGIO), a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts focused on delivering innovative medicines for patients with rare diseases, announced that the European Commission has granted marketing authorisation for PYRUKYND® (mitapivat), an oral pyruvate kinase (PK) activator, in adults for the treatment of anaemia associated with transfusion-dependent and non-transfusion-dependent alpha- or beta-thalassaemia, with an orphan medicinal product designation. This press release features multimedia. View the full releas

ICE Brent and ICE WTI Perpetual Futures to Launch on OKX22.5.2026 14:30:00 CEST | Press release

OKX, a blockchain technology and trading company serving more than 120 million customers globally,and Intercontinental Exchange (NYSE: ICE), one of the world's leading providers of financial market technology and data powering global capital markets including the New York Stock Exchange, today announced plans for OKX to launch perpetual futures based on ICE's Brent Crude and WTI Crude energy benchmarks. The products are expected to be available to trade on OKX’s platform in jurisdictions where OKX is licensed to offer perpetual futures products. The new OKX contracts represent a major step forward in expanding regulated access to global commodity markets through digital asset infrastructure. This first product collaboration between OKX and ICE comes after the companies established a strategic relationship in March 2026. ICE operates some of the world’s leading exchanges, clearing houses and market data services across energy, commodities, fixed income and equities markets. ICE’s future

Enhertu® Recommended for Approval in the EU by CHMP for Patients with Previously Treated HER2 Positive Metastatic Solid Tumors22.5.2026 14:00:00 CEST | Press release

Enhertu® (trastuzumab deruxtecan) has been recommended for approval in the European Union (EU) as a monotherapy for the treatment of adult patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2 positive (immunohistochemistry [IHC] 3+) solid tumors who have received prior treatment and who have no satisfactory treatment options. Enhertu is a specifically engineered HER2 directed DXd antibody drug conjugate (ADC) discovered by Daiichi Sankyo (TSE: 4568) and being jointly developed and commercialized by Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca (LSE/STO/NYSE: AZN). The Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) based its positive opinion on results from patients with HER2 positive (IHC 3+) tumors in three phase 2 trials including DESTINY-PanTumor02,DESTINY-Lung01 andDESTINY-CRC02 where Enhertu demonstrated clinically meaningful responses across a broad range of tumors. The recommendation will now be reviewed by the European Commission, which has the authority

Future Health Challenge Awards USD 300,000 to Early Detection and Population Health Sensing Tools on Sidelines of World Health Assembly22.5.2026 13:45:00 CEST | Press release

Global teams recognised in the Future Health Challenge for solutions designed to detect health risks earlier and support faster health system decisions Future Health – A Global Initiative by Abu Dhabi and MIT Solve announce the winners of the inaugural Future Health ChallengeWinning solution equips frontline health workers in low-resource settings with mobile clinical decision-support tools, enabling earlier detection and more effective care deliveryTeams competed for a USD 200,000 grand prize and two USD 50,000 runner-up awards on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly in GenevaWinners recognised for solutions advancing anticipatory, data-driven health systems Three global teams developing early detection and real-time population health monitoring solutions have secured a total of USD 300,000 on the sidelines of the 79th World Health Assembly. The winning solutions address critical challenges in early detection, continuous population insight and more timely decision making, s

In our pressroom you can read all our latest releases, find our press contacts, images, documents and other relevant information about us.

Visit our pressroom
World GlobeA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.HiddenA line styled icon from Orion Icon Library.Eye