Roberto F. Speck, MD, Division of Infectious Diseases and Hospital Epidemiology, University Hospital Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland
Dr. Speck is an expert on both HIV and HCV with more than 80 scientific papers in the field. One of the limitations of HIV/AIDS research is the lack of a suitable animal model to conveniently study many of the biological phenomena associated with the disease. Dr. Speck has designed genetically engineered mice with an immune system that mimics that of humans, allowing him to study rectal transmission of HIV. He also plans to use the animals to discern whether virus-infected cells or virus particles alone are better suited for sexual HIV transmission, which cells are first infected and how, and whether damage to the rectum or colon is necessary for infection to occur.
Selected & Recent publications:
Bochud PY, Hersberger M, Taffé P, Bochud M, Stein CM, Rodrigues SD, Calandra T, Francioli P, Telenti A, Speck RF, Aderem A. 2007. The Swiss HIV Cohort Study. Polymorphisms in Toll-like receptor 9 influence the clinical course of HIV-1 infection. AIDS. Feb; 19;21(4):441-6
Audigé A, Urosevic M, Schlaepfer E, Walker R, Powell D, Hallenberger S, Joller H, Simon HU, Dummer R, Speck RF. 2006. Anti-HIV state but not apoptosis depends on IFN signature in CD4+ T cells. J Immunol. Nov; 1;177(9):6227-37
Audigé A, Schlaepfer E, Joller H, Speck RF. 2005. Uncoupled anti-HIV and immune-enhancing effects when combining IFN-alpha and IL-7. J Immunol. Sep; 15;175(6):3724-36.