Research Project: HIV-1 group O integrase: impact of genetic polymorphisms on Integrase Inhibitors resistance (lls) and on enzymatic activity
Year(s): 2013-2015
Dr. Depatureaux is a French researcher who now lives and works in Montreal, Quebec. Her CTN postdoctoral fellow research project looked at the impact of HIV-specific polymorphism variant HIV-1 group O on integrase inhibitor resistance and enzymatic activity.
HIV-1 group O is one of the 4 groups described for the HIV-1 subtype. The majority of HIV-O infections are diagnosed in Cameroon, and the overall scarcity of this HIV subtype makes it difficult to generate biological and clinical data.
“HIV-O shows high genetic diversity and contains an important natural polymorphism in the target regions for current antiretrovirals, in particular integrase inhibitors”, says Dr. Depatureaux. Integrase inhibitors are the latest class of antiretroviral drugs, characterized by their powerful and rapid effect, which has made them a popular treatment choice for HIV. As such, Dr. Depatureaux aims to test how the HIV-O strain responds to II-based therapy, as well as to analyze the enzymatic activity of integrase from this specific strain.
She hopes that her research will improve the treatment of the HIV-O strain, as well as advance the general study of HIV drug resistance.
Dr. Depatureaux began her studies in France, working at several universities and hospitals, like CHU Rennes and Rouen. She moved to Montreal, Quebec in 2012 to continue her training as a researcher and post doctoral fellow at McGill University’s AIDS centre at Jewish General Hospital. Her supervisor is Mark Wainberg, a CTN investigator and internationally-recognized HIV researcher.