Extracellular Vesicles, HIV-1, and Neurospheres: Touching a Nerve
December 02, 2021, at 12:00 PM ETAbstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) such as exosomes play major roles in intercellular communication, making them crucial for multiple physiological and pathological processes. Depending on the donor cells, these effects may be either beneficial or harmful to recipient cells. HIV-1 remains an incurable infection; despite the development of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART), HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) are still reported to affect at least 50% of HIV-1 infected individuals. In recent years, neurospheres derived from neural progenitor cells (NPCs) have been utilized to model the effects of different neurotropic viruses.
In this webinar we will examine the potential effects of stem cell-derived EVs on HIV-1-infected, NPC-originated neurospheres. We will present data suggesting that stem cell-originated EVs may modulate neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties in damaged cells. Moreover, these data will demonstrate the feasibility of NPC-derived neurospheres for modeling HIV-1 infection and the potential of stem cell EVs for rescuing cellular damage induced by HIV-1 infection. Finally, the webinar will close with a lively Q and A session where industry experts will discuss the audience’s questions.
Key Points
- An update on the most recent literature surrounding EV research in the context of viral infections.
- iPSC-derived NPCs have been utilized for the generation of 3D neurospheres.
- NPC-originated neurospheres are permissive to retroviral infection and may harbor latently infected cells.
- Stem cell EVs have demonstrated reparative properties in virally infected NPC-derived neurospheres.
Presenters
Fatah Kashanchi, PhD
Professor, George Mason University
Dr. Kashanchi is a tenured Professor at George Mason University (GMU) and the Director of the Laboratory of Molecular Virology. His research focuses on the mechanisms of viral gene expression and the dynamics of viral replication and host survival. He has published 220 peer reviewed manuscripts (h index = 59), served as an editorial board and reviewer for numerous scientific journals, and is a regular NIH study section member. Recently, Dr. Kashanchi's lab has concentrated on the roles of EVs and exosomes in viral infections. He received his Ph.D. in Microbiology at the University of Kansas and then moved to the National Cancer Institute prior to coming to GMU.
Heather Branscome, MS, PhD
Senior Scientist, ATCC
Dr. Heather Branscome is a Senior Scientist with ATCC. Throughout her 17-year career she has gained broad experience working in both academic and industry settings. She has extensive experience in cell and molecular biology and completed her graduate training in Biosciences from George Mason University. While at ATCC she has held positions in manufacturing, quality control, and technology transfer to support the production and qualification of cell lines and other critical biological reagents to support the scientific community. In her current role she manages a team of biologists to support the CDC’s International Reagent Resources (IRR) program, as well as other government contracts. Since 2018, she has played a key role in establishing and maintaining ATCC’s extracellular vesicle (EV) portfolio. In this role she was responsible for developing and validating large-scale EV manufacturing protocols and performing various EV biochemical and functional assays. Her current research is focused on advanced methods for EV purification, characterization of novel EV subtypes, and mechanistic studies of stem cell-derived EVs in different models of cellular repair. She currently serves as director and instructor for two local Bio-Trac® biotechnology training programs and maintains an active affiliation with George Mason University.
