Biography

Dr. Gabriel Duette is a researcher specializing in HIV persistence and immune response mechanisms at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, where he is part of the HIV Reservoir Research Group. He also serves as an Adjunct Lecturer at the University of Sydney’s Faculty of Medicine and Health.

His research focuses on the interplay between HIV latency, immune evasion, and how coinfections, such as tuberculosis, impact viral control. Dr. Duette’s recent work explores the potential of CD8+ T cell enhancement through structured antiretroviral treatment interruptions, with the goal of informing future strategies for a functional HIV cure.

Adjunct roles

Recent publications

The immunosuppressive tuberculosis-associated microenvironment inhibits viral replication and promotes HIV-1 latency in CD4+ T cells

July 2024

Summary

• Tuberculous pleural effusion (TB-PE) inhibits HIV-1 replication in CD4⁺ T cells
• This TB-associated microenvironment promotes HIV-1 latency
• TB-PE inhibits HIV-1 reactivation in CD4⁺ T cells from people living with HIV-1

Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), is the most common coinfection among people living with HIV-1. This coinfection is associated with accelerated HIV-1 disease progression and reduced survival. However, the impact of the HIV-1/TB coinfection on HIV-1 replication and latency in CD4⁺ T cells remains poorly studied.

Using the acellular fraction of tuberculous pleural effusion (TB-PE), we investigated whether viral replication and HIV-1 latency in CD4⁺ T cells are affected by a TB-associated microenvironment. Our results revealed that TB-PE impaired T cell receptor-dependent cell activation and decreased HIV-1 replication in CD4⁺ T cells. Moreover, this immunosuppressive TB microenvironment promoted viral latency and inhibited HIV-1 reactivation.

This study indicates that the TB-induced immune response may contribute to the persistence of the viral reservoir by silencing HIV-1 expression, allowing the virus to persist undetected by the immune system, and increasing the size of the latent HIV-1 reservoir.

Samantha Cronin, Anneke de Vries-Egan, Zoı Vahlas, Alejandro Czernikier, Claudia Melucci,Pehue´n Pereyra Gerber, Thomas O’Neil, Brian Gloss, Mayssa Sharabas, Gabriela Turk, Christel Verollet,Luciana Balboa, Sarah Palmer,and Gabriel Duette

The immunosuppressive tuberculosis-associated microenvironment inhibits viral replication and promotes HIV-1 latency in CD4+ T cells. iScience, 27(7).

July 2024

Summary

Cronin, S., de Vries-Egan, A., Vahlas, Z., Czernikier, A., Melucci, C., Pereyra Gerber, P., O’Neil, T., Gloss, B., Sharabas, M., Turk, G., Palmer, S., Duette, G., et al (2024). The immunosuppressive tuberculosis-associated microenvironment inhibits viral replication and promotes HIV-1 latency in CD4+ T cells. iScience, 27(7).

Highly Networked SARS-CoV-2 Peptides Elicit T Cell Responses with Enhanced Specificity. ImmunoHorizons

June 2023

Summary

Duette, G., Lee, E., Gomes, G., Tungatt, K., Doyle, C., Stylianou, V., Lee, A., Maddocks, S., Taylor, J., Khanna, R., Sandgren, K., Cunningham, A., Palmer, S., et al (2023). Highly Networked SARS-CoV-2 Peptides Elicit T Cell Responses with Enhanced Specificity. ImmunoHorizons, 7(6), 508-527.

Additional information

University of Sydney: https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/about/our-people/academic-staff/gabriel.duette

Related News

May 8, 2024 WIMR researcher receives prestigious HIV/AIDS Fellowship

Congratulations to Dr Gabriel Duette, a postdoctoral fellow from WIMR’s Centre for Virus Research, who was recently one of only three people globally to be...

Current grants

Affiliations

University of Sydney

Professional Associations and Organisations

Awards and recognition