Dr. Sekaly's Lab Research Interests
Dr. Sékaly’s group has been at the forefront of systems biology approaches that use high resolution genomic, proteomic, and immune-phenotype analyses to discover mechanism of disease pathogenesis and vaccine efficacy. The goal is to accelerate the translation of new discoveries and insights into the most effective personalized treatment options. Dr. Sekaly’s laboratory has developed technologies and novel assays which have revealed both qualitative and quantitative features of the immune response at the single cell level. He is now fully focused on applying systems biology to unravelling defects in different cells (innate and adaptive) of the immune response. These have led to seminal papers identifying PD-1 as a major factor in the HIV induced dysfunction of CD8 and CD4 cells. More recently his group has identified the transcription factor FOXO3a as a critical target in the survival of memory T cells in HIV infection. His group also recently unravelled where HIV hides dormant in patients receiving effective anti-retroviral therapy. Based upon this information, new opportunities and challenges have opened up for new interventions that could lead to eradication of virus reservoirs and drug –free control of HIV In infected individuals.
Contact Information
Dr. Rafick Sekaly PhD
Full Member, Assistant Director and Chief Scientific Officer
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida
9801 SW Discovery Way
Port St Lucie Fl 34987
Tel: (772) 345-5668
Fax: (772) 345-5754
email: [email protected]
Full Member, Assistant Director and Chief Scientific Officer
Vaccine and Gene Therapy Institute of Florida
9801 SW Discovery Way
Port St Lucie Fl 34987
Tel: (772) 345-5668
Fax: (772) 345-5754
email: [email protected]
Lab Members
Francesco Procopio - Senior Research Associate
Cheryl Cameron - Senior Research Associate
Rebeka Bordi - Coordinator of Clinical Resources
Anthony Cooper- Staff Scientist
Colleen Cooper- Staff Scientist
Deanna Kulpa- Staff Scientist
Frank Dupuy – Staff Scientist
Hiroshi Takata- Postdoctoral Fellow
Glenda Canderan - Postdoctoral Fellow
Joumana Zeidan - Postdoctoral Fellow
Jessica Brehm- Postdoctoral Fellow
Alessandra Noto - Graduate Research Assistant
Yuwei Zhang - Graduate Research Assistant
Miriam Lawani- Research Assistant
Cheryl Cameron - Senior Research Associate
Rebeka Bordi - Coordinator of Clinical Resources
Anthony Cooper- Staff Scientist
Colleen Cooper- Staff Scientist
Deanna Kulpa- Staff Scientist
Frank Dupuy – Staff Scientist
Hiroshi Takata- Postdoctoral Fellow
Glenda Canderan - Postdoctoral Fellow
Joumana Zeidan - Postdoctoral Fellow
Jessica Brehm- Postdoctoral Fellow
Alessandra Noto - Graduate Research Assistant
Yuwei Zhang - Graduate Research Assistant
Miriam Lawani- Research Assistant
Recent Publications
1. Trautmann L, Sékaly RP “Solving vaccine mysteries: a systems biology perspective” Nat Immunol. 2011 Jul 19; 12(8):729-31. doi: 10.1038/ni.2078.
2. Johnson MJ, Petrovas C, Yamamoto T, Lindsay RW, Loré K, Gall JG, Gostick E, Lefebvre F, Cameron MJ, Price DA, Haddad E, Sékaly RP, Seder RA, Koup RA." Type I IFN Induced by Adenovirus Serotypes 28 and 35 Has Multiple Effects on T Cell Immunogenicity" J Immunol. 2012 May 14.
3. Levy Y, Sereti I, Tambussi G, Routy JP, Lelievre JD, Delfraissy JF, Molina JM, Fischl M, Goujard C, Rodriguez B, Rouzioux C, Avettand-Fenoel V, Croughs T, Beq S, Morre M, Poulin JF, Sékaly RP, Thiebaut R, Lederman MM. “Effects of rhIL-7 on T Cell Recovery and Thymic Output in HIV-infected Patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: results of a Phase I/IIa Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Multicenter Study” Clin Infect Dis. 2012 May 1
4. Gómez CE, Perdiguero B, Jiménez V, Filali-Mouhim A, Ghneim K, Haddad EK, Quakkerlaar ED, Delaloye J, Harari A, Roger T, Dunhen T, Sékaly RP, Melief CJ, Calandra T, Sallusto F, Lanzavecchia A, Wagner R, Pantaleo G, Esteban M.” Systems Analysis of MVA-C Induced Immune Response Reveals Its Significance as a Vaccine Candidate against HIV/AIDS of Clade C” PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e35485. Epub 2012 Apr 19.
5. Ananworanich J, Schuetz A, Vandergeeten C, Sereti I, de Souza M, Rerknimitr R, Dewar R, Marovich M, van Griensven F, Sékaly RP, Pinyakorn S, Phanuphak N, Trichavaroj R, Rutvisuttinunt W, Chomchey N, Paris R, Peel S, Valcour V, Maldarelli F, Chomont N, Michael N, Phanuphak P, Kim JH; on behalf of the RV254/SEARCH 010 Study Group “Impact of Multi-Targeted Antiretroviral Treatment on Gut T Cell Depletion and HIV Reservoir Seeding during Acute HIV Infection” PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33948. Epub 2012 Mar 30.
6. Songok EM, Luo M, Liang B, Mclaren P, Kaefer N, Apidi W, Boucher G, Kimani J, Wachihi C, Sékaly RP, Fowke K, Ball BT, Plummer FA. Microarray analysis of HIV resistant female sex workers reveal a gene expression signature pattern reminiscent of a lowered immune activation state PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30048. Epub 2012 Jan 26.
7. Routy JP, Tremblay CL, Angel JB, Trottier B, Rouleau D, Baril JG, Harris M, Trottier S, Singer J, Chomont N, Sékaly RP, Boulassel MR Valproic acid in association with highly active antiretroviral therapy for reducing systemic HIV-1 reservoirs: results from a multicentre randomized clinical study HIV Med. 2012 May; 13(5):291-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2011.00975.x. Epub 2012 Jan 26.
8. Janbazian L, Price DA, Canderan G, Filali-Mouhim A, Asher TE, Ambrozak DR Scheinberg P, Boulassel MR, Routy JP, Koup RA, Douek DC, Sékaly RP, Trautmann L. “Clonotype and repertoire changes drive the functional improvement of HIV-specific CD8 T cell populations under conditions of limited antigenic stimulation” J Immunol. 2012 Feb 1;188(3):1156-67. Epub 2011 Dec 30.
9. Wilkinson P, Filali-Mouhim A, Li S, Ahlers J, Schatzle J, Pulendran B, Sékaly RP, Cameron MJ. “An open-ended plea for the development of a global database of HIV vaccine responses.” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan; 7(1):10-6. Review.
10. Sékaly RP, Pulendran B. “Systems biology in understanding HIV pathogenesis and guiding vaccine development.” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan;7(1):1-3
11. Peretz Y, Cameron C, Sékaly RP. “Dissecting the HIV-specific immune response: a systems biology approach” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan;7(1):17-23.
12.Abdel Kibler KV, Gomez CE, Perdiguero B, Wong S, Huynh T, Holechek S, Arndt W, Jimenez V, Gonzalez-Sanz R, Denzler K, Haddad EK, Wagner R, Sékaly RP, Tartaglia J, Pantaleo G, Jacobs BL, Esteban M. “Improved NYVAC-based vaccine vectors” J Exp Med. 2011 Nov 21;208(12):2347-9.
13.Caskey M, Lefebvre F, Filali-Mouhim A, Cameron MJ, Goulet JP, Haddad EK, Breton G, Trumpfheller C, Pollak S, Shimeliovich I, Duque-Alarcon A, Pan L, Nelkenbaum A, Salazar AM, Schlesinger SJ, Steinman RM, Sékaly RP “Synthetic double-stranded RNA induces innate immune responses similar to a live viral vaccine in humans” J Exp Med. 2011 Nov 21;208(12):2357-66. Epub 2011 Nov 7.
14 Boulassel MR, Chomont N, Pai NP, Gilmore N, Sékaly RP, Routy JP “CD4 T cell nadir independently predicts the magnitude of the HIV reservoir after prolonged suppressive antiretroviral therapy” J Clin Virol. 2012 Jan; 53(1):29-32. Epub 2011 Oct 22.
15.Mbitikon-Kobo FM, Bonneville M, Sékaly RP, Trautmann L. “Ex vivo measurement of the cytotoxic capacity of human primary antigen-specific CD8 T cells” J Immunol Methods. 2012 Jan 31;375(1-2):252-7. Epub 2011 Oct 5.
16. van Grevenynghe J, Cubas RA, Noto A, DaFonseca S, He Z, Peretz Y, Filali-Mouhim A, Dupuy FP, Procopio FA, Chomont N, Balderas RS, Said EA, Boulassel MR, Tremblay CL, Routy JP, Sékaly RP, Haddad EK. “Loss of memory B cells during chronic HIV infection is driven by Foxo3a- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis” J Clin Invest. 2011 Oct; 121(10):3877-88. doi: 10.1172/JCI59211. Epub 2011 Sep 19.
17. Trautmann L, Sekaly RP. “Solving vaccine mysteries: a systems biology perspective.”
Nat Immunol. 2011 Jul 19; 12(8):729-31. doi: 10.1038/ni.2078.
2. Johnson MJ, Petrovas C, Yamamoto T, Lindsay RW, Loré K, Gall JG, Gostick E, Lefebvre F, Cameron MJ, Price DA, Haddad E, Sékaly RP, Seder RA, Koup RA." Type I IFN Induced by Adenovirus Serotypes 28 and 35 Has Multiple Effects on T Cell Immunogenicity" J Immunol. 2012 May 14.
3. Levy Y, Sereti I, Tambussi G, Routy JP, Lelievre JD, Delfraissy JF, Molina JM, Fischl M, Goujard C, Rodriguez B, Rouzioux C, Avettand-Fenoel V, Croughs T, Beq S, Morre M, Poulin JF, Sékaly RP, Thiebaut R, Lederman MM. “Effects of rhIL-7 on T Cell Recovery and Thymic Output in HIV-infected Patients receiving antiretroviral therapy: results of a Phase I/IIa Randomized, Placebo Controlled, Multicenter Study” Clin Infect Dis. 2012 May 1
4. Gómez CE, Perdiguero B, Jiménez V, Filali-Mouhim A, Ghneim K, Haddad EK, Quakkerlaar ED, Delaloye J, Harari A, Roger T, Dunhen T, Sékaly RP, Melief CJ, Calandra T, Sallusto F, Lanzavecchia A, Wagner R, Pantaleo G, Esteban M.” Systems Analysis of MVA-C Induced Immune Response Reveals Its Significance as a Vaccine Candidate against HIV/AIDS of Clade C” PLoS One. 2012;7(4):e35485. Epub 2012 Apr 19.
5. Ananworanich J, Schuetz A, Vandergeeten C, Sereti I, de Souza M, Rerknimitr R, Dewar R, Marovich M, van Griensven F, Sékaly RP, Pinyakorn S, Phanuphak N, Trichavaroj R, Rutvisuttinunt W, Chomchey N, Paris R, Peel S, Valcour V, Maldarelli F, Chomont N, Michael N, Phanuphak P, Kim JH; on behalf of the RV254/SEARCH 010 Study Group “Impact of Multi-Targeted Antiretroviral Treatment on Gut T Cell Depletion and HIV Reservoir Seeding during Acute HIV Infection” PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e33948. Epub 2012 Mar 30.
6. Songok EM, Luo M, Liang B, Mclaren P, Kaefer N, Apidi W, Boucher G, Kimani J, Wachihi C, Sékaly RP, Fowke K, Ball BT, Plummer FA. Microarray analysis of HIV resistant female sex workers reveal a gene expression signature pattern reminiscent of a lowered immune activation state PLoS One. 2012;7(1):e30048. Epub 2012 Jan 26.
7. Routy JP, Tremblay CL, Angel JB, Trottier B, Rouleau D, Baril JG, Harris M, Trottier S, Singer J, Chomont N, Sékaly RP, Boulassel MR Valproic acid in association with highly active antiretroviral therapy for reducing systemic HIV-1 reservoirs: results from a multicentre randomized clinical study HIV Med. 2012 May; 13(5):291-6. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-1293.2011.00975.x. Epub 2012 Jan 26.
8. Janbazian L, Price DA, Canderan G, Filali-Mouhim A, Asher TE, Ambrozak DR Scheinberg P, Boulassel MR, Routy JP, Koup RA, Douek DC, Sékaly RP, Trautmann L. “Clonotype and repertoire changes drive the functional improvement of HIV-specific CD8 T cell populations under conditions of limited antigenic stimulation” J Immunol. 2012 Feb 1;188(3):1156-67. Epub 2011 Dec 30.
9. Wilkinson P, Filali-Mouhim A, Li S, Ahlers J, Schatzle J, Pulendran B, Sékaly RP, Cameron MJ. “An open-ended plea for the development of a global database of HIV vaccine responses.” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan; 7(1):10-6. Review.
10. Sékaly RP, Pulendran B. “Systems biology in understanding HIV pathogenesis and guiding vaccine development.” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan;7(1):1-3
11. Peretz Y, Cameron C, Sékaly RP. “Dissecting the HIV-specific immune response: a systems biology approach” Curr Opin HIV AIDS. 2012 Jan;7(1):17-23.
12.Abdel Kibler KV, Gomez CE, Perdiguero B, Wong S, Huynh T, Holechek S, Arndt W, Jimenez V, Gonzalez-Sanz R, Denzler K, Haddad EK, Wagner R, Sékaly RP, Tartaglia J, Pantaleo G, Jacobs BL, Esteban M. “Improved NYVAC-based vaccine vectors” J Exp Med. 2011 Nov 21;208(12):2347-9.
13.Caskey M, Lefebvre F, Filali-Mouhim A, Cameron MJ, Goulet JP, Haddad EK, Breton G, Trumpfheller C, Pollak S, Shimeliovich I, Duque-Alarcon A, Pan L, Nelkenbaum A, Salazar AM, Schlesinger SJ, Steinman RM, Sékaly RP “Synthetic double-stranded RNA induces innate immune responses similar to a live viral vaccine in humans” J Exp Med. 2011 Nov 21;208(12):2357-66. Epub 2011 Nov 7.
14 Boulassel MR, Chomont N, Pai NP, Gilmore N, Sékaly RP, Routy JP “CD4 T cell nadir independently predicts the magnitude of the HIV reservoir after prolonged suppressive antiretroviral therapy” J Clin Virol. 2012 Jan; 53(1):29-32. Epub 2011 Oct 22.
15.Mbitikon-Kobo FM, Bonneville M, Sékaly RP, Trautmann L. “Ex vivo measurement of the cytotoxic capacity of human primary antigen-specific CD8 T cells” J Immunol Methods. 2012 Jan 31;375(1-2):252-7. Epub 2011 Oct 5.
16. van Grevenynghe J, Cubas RA, Noto A, DaFonseca S, He Z, Peretz Y, Filali-Mouhim A, Dupuy FP, Procopio FA, Chomont N, Balderas RS, Said EA, Boulassel MR, Tremblay CL, Routy JP, Sékaly RP, Haddad EK. “Loss of memory B cells during chronic HIV infection is driven by Foxo3a- and TRAIL-mediated apoptosis” J Clin Invest. 2011 Oct; 121(10):3877-88. doi: 10.1172/JCI59211. Epub 2011 Sep 19.
17. Trautmann L, Sekaly RP. “Solving vaccine mysteries: a systems biology perspective.”
Nat Immunol. 2011 Jul 19; 12(8):729-31. doi: 10.1038/ni.2078.