Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals
Open Access

Alfredo Garzino-Demo

Biography

Dr. Garzino-Demo received his PhD at the University of Torino, Italy in 1988. Between 1989 and 1991 he conducted research, examining the effect of co-factors such as HHV6 on the progression of HIV infection. From 1991 until 1996 Dr. Garzino-Demo worked with Dr. Robert C Gallo at the Laboratory of Tumor Cell Biology at NCI, NIH. Continuing his studies on cofactors in HIV infection and on HIV gene expression Dr. Garzino-Demo joined the Institute of Human Virology in January 1996 to further his studies on HIV suppressive factors produced by the immune system. He was a member of the team that originally identified RANTES MIP1a and MIP1ß as suppressive HIV suppressive factors in 1995. Subsequently he participated in the characterization of another chemokine MDC with broad HIV suppressive activity. In addition he has been the key investigator in a large study of antigen induced chemokine release in a well characterized adult cohort MACS cohort. He is also the author of several other scientific publications and reviews on chemokines their role in HIV infection and their regulation. The main focus of his research is on the role of host factors in controlling HIV infection. Recently he and his laboratory have described the HIV inhibitory activity of betadefensins demonstrating that hBD2 inhibits HIV through a novel antiviral mechanism mediated by a chemokine receptor CCR6 that induces increased expression of the antiviral protein APOBEC3G. These findings are of importance in mucosal immunity and HIV infection.

Research Interest

HIV, AIDS pathogenesis, Host factor that limit HIV infection, Innate immunity, Mucosal immunity, Chemokines, Defensins, Intracellular signaling, Viral oncology.