Publications by authors named "Ann Marie K Weideman"

Tumors are comprised of a mixture of distinct cell populations that differ in terms of genetic makeup and function. Such heterogeneity plays a role in the development of drug resistance and the ineffectiveness of targeted cancer therapies. Insight into this complexity can be obtained through the construction of a phylogenetic tree, which illustrates the evolutionary lineage of tumor cells as they acquire mutations over time.

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CD8 T cells recognize infected and cancerous cells via their T-cell receptor (TCR), which binds peptide-MHC complexes on the target cell. The affinity of the interaction between the TCR and peptide-MHC contributes to the antigen sensitivity, or functional avidity, of the CD8 T cell. In response to peptide-MHC stimulation, the TCR-CD3 complex and CD8 co-receptor are downmodulated.

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In people with HIV (PWH), the post-antiretroviral therapy (ART) window is critical for immune restoration and HIV reservoir stabilization. We employ deep immune profiling and T cell receptor (TCR) sequencing and examine proliferation to assess how ART impacts T cell homeostasis. In PWH on long-term ART, lymphocyte frequencies and phenotypes are mostly stable.

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Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not curative due to the existence of cellular reservoirs of latent HIV-1 that persist during therapy. Current research efforts to cure HIV-1 infection include "shock and kill" strategies to disrupt latency using small molecules or latency-reversing agents (LRAs) to induce expression of HIV-1 enabling cytotoxic immune cells to eliminate infected cells. The modest success of current LRAs urges the field to identify novel drugs with increased clinical efficacy.

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Background: To meet global targets for the elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission, tailored approaches to HIV testing strategies need prioritizing. Herein, we sought to identify individual-level factors associated with male partner HIV testing.

Methods: We conducted a secondary analysis of data from two parallel randomized trials of pregnant women living with HIV and those HIV-negative in Lusaka, Zambia.

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Article Synopsis
  • Antiretroviral therapy (ART) does not cure HIV-1 due to persistent latent reservoirs; current research focuses on "shock and kill" strategies to reactivate the virus for immune elimination.
  • Aminobisphosphonates (N-BPs), commonly used for bone diseases, have been shown in recent studies to effectively reactivate latent HIV-1, achieving results similar to established T cell activators.
  • Preliminary findings suggest that N-BPs activate immune responses and induce HIV-1 expression, warranting further research in controlled clinical trials, potentially alongside therapeutic vaccination.
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HIV-associated Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), which is caused by Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, usually arises in the context of uncontrolled HIV replication and immunosuppression. However, disease occasionally occurs in individuals with durable HIV viral suppression and CD4 T cell recovery under antiretroviral therapy (ART). The underlying mechanisms associated with this phenomenon are unclear.

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