The Immunology Core provides Duke HIV/AIDS scientists, clinicians, collaborators, and trainees access to an innovative, state-of-the-art, and standardized repertoire of immunologic assays that can comprehensively and deeply interrogate the immunologic space in response to HIV-1 infection, vaccination, co-infections, and cure strategies.

The Core brings together a team of investigators with extensive expertise in HIV/AIDS innate, humoral and cellular immunology, virology, quality assurance, and scientific training to meet the in-country and international research needs of Duke HIV/AIDS scientists, clinicians, collaborators, and trainees. The Immunology Core fills critical gaps in the HIV/AIDS field by providing innovative, state-of-the-art, and standardized immunologic assays to comprehensively investigate the immune space relevant in HIV infection, vaccination, co-infection, prevention, immune prophylaxis, and HIV-1 Cure studies. The investigators comprising the Immunology Core have demonstrated sustained contributions in HIV/AIDS research and have a strong history of working collaboratively, serving many national and international HIV-related basic science research and immune monitoring of clinical trial efforts. Brought together in a single Core built upon decades of immunology and HIV/AIDS expertise, this team continues to be uniquely poised to tackle emerging needs in the field of HIV/AIDS-related immunology.

The Core offers the investigators access to the following highly standardized approaches: (1) assays to evaluate systemic and mucosal antibody (Ab) dynamics, including the specificity and breadth of binding and functionality as well as pharmacokinetics of infused antibodies and anti-drug antibodies (ADA); (2) T and B cell functional assays; and (3) systems immunology and multi-omics approaches.

Moreover, to offer CFAR investigators the ability to explore new spaces of the immune responses, we are expanding Core services to include (A) evaluating the complexity of structural interactions between Ab and HIV envelope that can be applied to other protein-protein interactions (Drs. Henderosn and Bennet); (B) analysis of cell-to-cell interactions with different microscopy-based technologies (Drs. Tuyishime, Makham, and Van der Mescht); and (C) evaluating application of AI technology to our data analytical tools in collaboration with the QS Core.

Immunology Core group email: cfar-immunology-core@duke.edu