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The Trafficking Avenir Group is integrated within the U941 “Genetics and Pathogenesis of viral diseases” unit directed by Professor François Clavel. The main interest of our research group is focused on the early steps of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) replication, from entry into the target cell to integration in the host chromatin.
 

Trafficking Avenir Group

 

The hallmark of all retroviral infections is integration of the viral genome into host cell chromatin. For most retroviruses, this requires nuclear envelope breakdown at the onset of mitosis. By contrast, lentiviruses such as HIV are actively imported to the nucleus via nuclear pore complexes, which allows them to infect both dividing and non-dividing cells. Active nuclear import via nuclear pores implies that incoming HIV has evolved the mechanisms to traffic specifically to nuclear pores and to translocate into the nucleus through nuclear pores. Our research is directed at understanding how HIV interacts with and usurps the cellular machinery for trafficking through the cytoplasm, docking at the nuclear pore, and passage into the nucleus. We focus both on cellular factors that mediate or facilitate these early steps as well as the transformations that HIV undergoes during these steps.

 

UMR-S 941: Genetics and Pathogenesis of viral diseases

 

The INSERM unit Genetics and Pathogenesis of viral diseases (UMR-S 941), Directed by Pr François CLAVEL, has extensive experience in studying evolution, diversity and phenotypic changes affecting HIV populations in vivo. This experience has mainly been acquired while studying HIV drug resistance in treated patients. We are now widening our research focus to the study of HIV evolution under selective pressure by adaptive immunity, innate immunity and intrinsic immunity. A distinctive feature of our research activity is its positioning at the interface between fundamental virology and physiopathology. We have developed dedicated experimental approaches that allow the phenotypic characterization of patient-derived viruses. By comparing the genotypic and phenotypic characteristics of virus isolates issued from clinical cohorts, we evaluate the nature and the potency of different selective pressures acting on the virus populations. In parallel, we study the impact of virus evolution on the physiopathology of HIV infection.

In the infected host, retroviruses are subjected to a variety of selective pressures that lead to constant viral evolution. Retroviral evolution in vivo, however, is far from being linear, as it involves complex populations of competing viral quasi-species that fluctuate over time and across infected compartments. The diversity of these populations changes over time as a function of changes in selective pressure but also through extensive genetic exchanges by recombination between viral species.

 

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Institut Universitaire d'Hématologie, Hôpital Saint-Louis

 

The University Institute of Hematology (IUH) was created 50 years ago by two medical university professors Jean Bernard and Jean Dausset (Nobel Prize). Their goal was to to develop medical education centre that would unite graduate academic training and research to improve the management of patients at the Hospital Saint-Louis and beyond. Training at the IUH is carried out in the context of a graduate school (Hematology Oncology Biotherapeutics of the University Paris Diderot - Paris 7 and Paris Descartes), the European School of Haematology (ESH) and masters level programmes. Key themes of the IUH are Haematology, Oncology and Histocompatibility. The IUH is a statutory component of the University Paris Diderot - Paris 7, Paris Sorbonne member of the City PRES and is associated with INSERM, CNRS and CEA. The IUH is a founding member Canceropôle Ile-de-France. The IUH is one of the first European leader in Onco-hematology and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

 

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