Join Professor Goedele Maertens, Professor of Retrovirology, to discover how existing HIV drugs could help prevent the transmission of one of the world’s most neglected viruses.
Please register to attend in person. A live stream link for online attendance is available here.Ìý
We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 4 November!
51³Ô¹ÏÍø Inaugurals are term-time lectures that celebrate our newest professors, recognising their academic journey and showcasing their research.
Abstract
HTLV (Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus) infects an estimated 10 million peopleÌýworldwide, yetÌýremainsÌýone of the world’s most neglected human viruses. Although it was the first retrovirus ever discovered, it has long been overshadowed by its better-known relative, HIV. Like HIV, HTLV is a retrovirus, meaning it integrates its genetic material into the DNA of infected cells. As a result, the virus persists for life, with every daughter cell carrying the viral genome and the potential to produce new virus particles.Ìý
Ìý
People living with HTLV may develop a range of severe, debilitating, and sometimes life-threatening diseases. The infection is also associated with significant stigma, disproportionately affects women, and can profoundlyÌýimpactÌýpatients’ social, emotional, and economic well-being. Despite its global burden, the HTLV community continues to face major challenges, including limited awareness among healthcare professionals and the public, inadequate access to affordable and reliable diagnostic tests, and the absence of effective antiviral therapies or preventive vaccines.Ìý
Ìý
For the past 15 years, Professor Goedele Maertens has dedicated her research to understanding how HTLV interacts with its human host. Her laboratory combines proteomics, molecular virology, microscopy, and structural biology to investigate the mechanisms underpinning infection and persistence. Through this multidisciplinary approach, her team hasÌýdemonstratedÌýthat FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs currently used to treat people living with HIV can prevent HTLV transmission in laboratory models.Ìý
Ìý
Building on these findings, Professor Maertens, together with Dr Fabiola Martin and with the support of the International Retrovirology Association (IRVA),ÌýestablishedÌýthe HTLV-1 Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Working Group. The group’s mission is to develop guidelines for clinical trials that will evaluate the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs in preventing HTLV-1 transmission in vivo.Ìý
Ìý
In this inaugural lecture, Professor Maertens will reflect on her personal and academic journey, highlighting the discoveries that have shaped her career and her ongoing efforts to understand the mechanisms of HTLV integration and develop strategies to prevent viral transmission.Ìý
Biography
