Sumathi Sankaran

TL;DR: It is demonstrated that near-complete restoration of mucosal immune system can be achieved by initiating HAART early in HIV-1 infection and monitoring of the restoration and/or maintenance of CD4+ T cells in GALT provides a more accurate assessment of the efficacy of antiviral host immune responses as well as HAART.

TL;DR: It is shown that simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) infection results in depletion of T helper type 17 (TH17) cells in the ileal mucosa of rhesus macaques, thereby impairing mucosal barrier functions to S. typhimurium dissemination.

TL;DR: The findings suggest that the discordance in CD4+ T-cell restoration between GALT and peripheral blood during therapy can be attributed to the incomplete viral suppression and increased immune activation and inflammation that may prevent restoration of CD4- T cells and the gut microenvironment.

TL;DR: It is indicated that HIV-induced pathogenesis in GALT emerges at both the molecular and cellular levels prior to seroconversion in primary HIV infection, potentially setting the stage for disease progression by impairing the ability to control viral replication and repair and regenerate intestinal mucosal tissues.

TL;DR: It is suggested that a threshold of>50% CD4+ T-cell restoration may be sufficient for polyfunctional HIV-specific T cells with implications in the evaluation of vaccines and therapeutics.