RESEARCH PROJECT IN THE FUNCTION OF CD8 VIRUS-SPECIFIC T CELLS

The aim of this research project is to examined the role of CD8 T cells in the control of Flu, EBV, CMV or HIV infections. We observed that a loss of IL-2 secretion and CD8 T cell proliferation is associated with progressive HIV infection.

2012: Swiss TB Award 2012. Please click here to have more information 2010: CAVD Young/Early Career Investigator Honoree. Please click here to have more information 2010: Privat-docent (lecturer) 2009: BMS HIV Research AWARD 2009. Please click here to have more information 2003: Post-Doctoral fellow. 2002: Ph.D. thesis entitled: "Investigation of HIV-1 immunopathogenesis in animal models and in humans". 1997: Bachelor of Science, section Biology.

Cristina Cellerai, M.D. Medical Assistant   2005 - present: Medical Assistant in the Vaccine and Immunotherapy Center, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne.

2003 - present: Research fellow in the Laboratory of AIDS immunopathogenesis, Division of Immunology and Allergy, CHUV, Lausanne. 2003: Recipient of a scholarship from the Swiss-Italian Scholarship Foundation. 2002: Diploma and Thesis in Medicine, University of Siena, Italy.

Selected publications:

• Cellerai C., Harari A., Stauss H., -Yerly S., Geretti  A.-M., Carroll A., Yee T., Ainsworth J., Williams I., Sweeney J., Freedman A., Johnson M., Pan taleo G. and Kinloch-de Loes S. Early and Prolonged Antiretroviral Therapy is Associated with an HIV-1-specific T-cell Profile Comparable to that of Long-term Non-progressors. PLoS One 2011. In press.
   
• Harari A., Rozot V., Bellutti Enders F., Perreau M., Mazza Stalder J., Nicod L.P., Cavassini M., Calandra T., Lazor Blanchet C., Jaton C., Faouzi M., Day C.L., Hanekom W.A., Bart P.-A. and Pantaleo G. Dominant TNF-⁺ Mycobacterium tuberculosis–specific CD4⁺ T cell responses discriminate between latent infection and active disease. Nat. Med. 2011, 17:372-376.
   
• Quakkelaar E.D., Redeker A., Haddad E.K., Harari A., McCaughey S.M., Duhen T., Filali-Mouhim A., Goulet J.P., Loof N.M., Ossendorp F., Perdiguero B., Heinen P., Gomez C.E., Kibler K.V., Koelle D.M., Sékaly R.P., Sallusto F., Lanzavecchia A., Pantaleo G., Esteban M., Tartaglia J., Jacobs B.L. and Melief C.J. Improved innate and adaptive immunostimulation by genetically modified HIV-1 protein expressing NYVAC vectors. PLoS One 2011, 6:e16819.
   
• Cellerai C., Perreau M., Rozot V., Enders F.B., Pantaleo G. and Harari A. Proliferation capacity and cytotoxic activity are mediated by functionally and phenotypically distinct virus-specific CD8 T cells defined by interleukin-7R (CD127) and perforin expression. J. Virol. 2010, 84:3868-3878.
   
• Mooij P., Balla-Jhagjhoorsingh S.S., Beenhakker N., van Haaften P., Baak I., Nieuwenhuis I.G., Heidari S., Wolf H., Frachette M.J., Bieler K., Sheppard N., Harari A., Bart P.-A., Liljeström P., Wagner R., Pantaleo G. and Heeney JL. Comparison of human and rhesus macaque T-cell responses elicited by boosting with NYVAC encoding HIV-1 clade C immunogens. J. Virol. 2009, 83:5881-5889.
   
• Harari A., Bellutti Enders F., Cellerai C., Bart P.-A. and Pantaleo G. Distinct profiles of cytotoxic granules in memory CD8 T-cells correlate with function, differentiation stage and antigen exposure. J. Virol. 2009, 83:2862-2871.
   
• Harari A., Bart P.-A., Stöhr W., Tapia G., Garcia M., Medjitna-Rais E., Burnet S., Cellerai C., Erlwein O., Barber T., Moog C., Liljestrom P., Wagner R., Wolf H., Kraehenbuhl J.-P., Esteban M., Heeney J., Frachette M.J., Tartaglia J., McCormack S., Babiker A., Weber J. and Pantaleo G. An HIV-1 clade C DNA prime, NYVAC boost vaccine regimen induces reliable, polyfunctional, and long-lasting T cell responses. J. Exp. Med. 2008, 205:63-77.
   
• Bart P.-A., Goodall R., Barber T., Harari A., Guimaraes-Walker A., Khonkarly M., Sheppard N.C., Bangala Y., Frachette M.J., Wagner R., Liljeström P., Kraehenbuhl J.-P., Girard M., Goudsmit J., Esteban M., Heeney J., Sattentau Q., McCormack S., Babiker A., Pantaleo G. and Weber J.; EuroVacc Consortium. EV01: A phase I trial in healthy HIV negative volunteers to evaluate a clade C HIV vaccine, NYVAC-C undertaken by the EuroVacc Consortium. Vaccine 2008, 26:3153-3161.
   
• McCormack S., Stöhr W., Barber T., Bart P.-A., Harari A., Moog C., Ciuffreda D., Cellerai C., Cowen M., Gamboni R., Burnet S., Legg K., Brodnicki E., Wolf H., Wagner R., Heeney J., Frachette M.J., Tartaglia J., Babiker A., Pantaleo G. and Weber J. EV02: A Phase I trial to compare the safety and immunogenicity of HIV DNA-C prime-NYVAC-C boost to NYVAC-C alone. Vaccine 2008, 26:3162-3174.
   
• Betts M.R. and Harari A. Phenotype and function of protective T cell immune rsponses in HIV. Curr. Opin. HIV AIDS 2008, 3:349-355.
   
• Harari A., Bellutti Enders F., Garcia M. and Pantaleo G. Insight in the factors associated with the presence of protective antiviral T-cell response. Cytometry B. Clin. Cytom. 2008, 1:47.
   
• Harari A. and Pantaleo G. HIV-1-specific immune response. Adv. Pharmacol. 2008, 56:75-92.
   
• Harari A., Cellerai C., Bellutti Enders F., Köstler J., Codarri L., Tapia G., Boyman O., Castro E., Gaudieri S., James I., John M., Wagner R., Mallal S. and Pantaleo G. Skewed association of polyfunctional antigen-specific CD8 T cell populations with HLA-B genotype. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 2007, 104:16233-16238.
   
• Precopio M.L., Betts M.R., Parrino J., Price D.A., Gostick E., Ambrozak D.R., Asher T.E., Douek D.C., Harari A., Pantaleo G., Bailer R., Graham B.S., Roederer M. and Koup R.A. Immunization with vaccinia virus induces polyfunctional and phenotypically distinctive CD8+ T cell responses. J. Exp. Med. 2007, 204:1405-1416.
   
• Cellerai C., Harari A., Vallelian F., Boyman O. and Pantaleo G. Functional and phenotypic characterization of tetanus toxoid-specific human CD4(+) T cells following re-immunization. Eur. J. Immunol. 2007, 37:1129-1138.
   
• Correa R., Harari A., Vallelian F., Resino S., Munoz-Fernandez M.A. and Pantaleo G. Functional patterns of HIV-1-specific CD4 T-cell responses in children are influenced by the extent of virus suppression and exposure. AIDS 2007, 21:23-30.
   
• Pantaleo G. and Harari A. Functional signatures in antiviral T-cell immunity for monitoring virus-associated diseases. Nat. Rev. Immunol. 2006, 6:417-423.
   
• Bart P.-A., Harari A. and Pantaleo G. Clinical studies of experimental vaccines. Curr. Opin. HIV AIDS 2006, 1:286-294.
   
• Harari A., Dutoit V., Cellerai C., Bart P.-A., Du Pasquier R.A. and Pantaleo G. Functional signatures of protective antiviral T-cell immunity in human virus infections. Immunol. Rev. 2006, 211:236-254.
   
• Lurati Ruiz F., Audran R., Harari A. and Spertini F. Specific interferon-gamma assays: a modern tool for tuberculosis diagnosis. Rev. Med. Suisse 2006, 2:1042, 1044-1047.
   
• Harari A., Cellerai C. and Pantaleo G. Role of HIV-1-specific CD4 T cells. Curr. Opin. HIV AIDS 2006, 1:22-27.
   
• Harari A. and Pantaleo G. Understanding what makes a good versus a bad vaccine. Eur. J. Immunol. 2005, 35:2528-2531.
   
• Zimmerli S.C., Harari A., Cellerai C., Vallelian F., Bart P.-A. and Pantaleo G. HIV-1-specific IFN-gamma/IL-2-secreting CD8 T cells support CD4-independent proliferation of HIV-1-specific CD8 T cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2005, 102:7239-7244.
   
• Maecker H.T., Rinfret A., D'Souza P., Darden J., Roig E., Landry C., Hayes P., Birungi J., Anzala O., Garcia M., Harari A., Frank I., Baydo R., Baker M., Holbrook J., Ottinger J., Lamoreaux L., Epling C.L., Sinclair E., Suni M.A., Punt K., Calarota S., El-Bahi S., Alter G., Maila H., Kuta E., Cox J., Gray C., Altfeld M., Nougarede N., Boyer J., Tussey L., Tobery T., Bredt B., Roederer M., Koup R., Maino V.C., Weinhold K., Pantaleo G., Gilmour J., Horton H. and Sekaly R.P. Standardization of cytokine flow cytometry assays. BMC Immunol. 2005, 6:13.
   
• Harari A., Vallelian F., Meylan P. and Pantaleo G. Functional heterogeneity of memory CD4 T cell responses in different conditions of antigen exposure and persistence. J. Immunol. 2005, 174:1037-1045.
   
• Harari A. and Pantaleo G. Functional characterization of HIV-1-specific CD4 T cells. EPHIS book 2004.
   
• Harari A., Vallelian F. and Pantaleo G. Phenotypic heterogeneity of antigen-specific CD4 T cells under different conditions of antigen persistence and antigen load. Eur. J. Immunol. 2004, 34:3525-3533.
   
• Harari A., Zimmerli S. and Pantaleo G. Cytomegalovirus (CMV)-specific cellular immune responses. Hum. Immunol. 2004, 65:500-506.
   
• Harari A., Petitpierre F., Vallelian F. and Pantaleo G. Skewed representation of functionally distinct populations of virus-specific CD4 T cells in HIV-1-infected subjects with progressive disease: changes after antiretroviral therapy. Blood 2004, 103:966-972.
   
• Harari A., Ellefsen K., Champagne P., Nobile M. and Pantaleo G. Antiviral memory T cell responses: correlation with protective immunity and implication for vaccine development. Adv. Exp. Med. Biol. 2002, 512:155-164.
   
• Ellefsen K., Harari A., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Sékaly R.P. and Pantaleo G. Distribution and functional analysis of memory antiviral CD8 T cell responses in HIV-1 and cytomegalovirus infections. Eur. J. Immunol. 2002, 32:3756-3764.
   
• Fotopoulos G., Harari A., Michetti P., Trono D., Pantaleo G. and Kraehenbuhl J.-P. Transepithelial transport of HIV-1 by M cells is receptor-mediated. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 2002, 99:9410-9414.
   
• Harari A., Rizzardi G.P., Ellfesen K., Ciuffreda D., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Kaufmann D., Telenti A., Sahli R., Tambussi G., Kaiser L., Lazzarin A., Perrin L. and Pantaleo G. Analysis of HIV-1- and CMV-specific memory CD4 T-cell responses during primary and chronic infection. Blood 2002, 100:1381-1387.
   
• Rizzardi G.P., Harari A., Capiluppi B., Tambussi G., Ellefsen K., Ciuffreda D., Champagne P., Bart P.-A., Chave J.P., Lazzarin A. and Pantaleo G. Treatment of primary HIV-1 infection with cyclosporin A coupled with highly active antiretroviral therapy. J. Clin. Invest. 2002, 109:681-688.
   
• Harari A. and Pantaleo G. New insights in the immune control of HIV-1 infection. AIDS Rev. 2001, 3:201.