My experience at this year’s Fred Hutch Pathways Research Explorers Program was one of adaptation, learning, and excitement. When I found out that the program would be completely virtual, I was distraught as I had hoped to gain in-person lab experience after missing a whole year of in-person biology in high school. I wanted to interact with others in the program and meet scientists at the Hutch. Yet, after completing the 2-week program, I’m incredibly grateful for how well the program was adapted into a virtual setting. Engaging lectures and activities in group meetings, as well as afternoon seminars and labs covering a variety of topics made Explorers a truly special experience. I enjoyed multiple different activities and asynchronous sessions, but Dr. Mary Grace Katusiime’s presentation on her background, pathway into science, and research regarding HIV was one of my highlights of the program.
Dr. Katusiime was born in Uganda, but later moved to Botswana, and then further south to South Africa. While completing her bachelor’s degree she became interested in virology and further pursued a master’s degree and PhD in Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) research and HIV reservoirs in children. She now works at the United States’ National Cancer Institute as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow where her research area is HIV persistence and HIV cure. Her research asks the question, “Since we know the lifespan of infected cells, how are HIV reservoirs able to slip away for so many years in an infected individual?” In attempts to answer the question, she studies cellular proliferation, which is the body’s mechanism of creating new cells through cell division. It was discovered that when cells infected with HIV replicate, the daughter cells also contain HIV. This allows HIV to remain in the individual for their lifespan. The problem is that current HIV treatment only targets cells which are activated, not HIV reservoirs. Dr. Katusiime’s lab tracks reservoirs’ clones by creating sequences of the entire HIV cells’ genome and then monitoring them over time. Her research quantifies how large the HIV clone cells are in a group of children who inherited HIV from their mothers. She’s published multiple papers on the topic, and one that she showed us was a discovery regarding detecting clone cells very early in children and the cells’ ability to persist for many years in the future. In addition to her research, Dr. Katusiime discussed the challenges she overcame in her career path which allowed myself and others to reflect on challenges we experienced in the past and those that we might have in our future career paths. Overall, Dr. Katusiime broadened my understanding of the research portion of science and why it can be a very rewarding field of study.
A diagram from Dr. Katusiime’s presentation on how HIV enters and infects a cell. When HIV enters the body, it targets immune cells that have a particular molecule (activated cells) on their surface. Once it recognizes the cell, it becomes a part of that cells’ genome, and the cell becomes a “virus producing factory.” Yet, the immune surveillance cells can kill these cells since they are recognized by the immune system. HIV can replicate when it infects a cell that was activated (resting cells or HIV reservoirs). These cells are no longer producing virus, but instead providing them with a place to hide, inhibiting the immune system from recognizing them.
Numerous scientists worldwide are working in the race for an HIV cure, including Dr. Larry Corey at Fred Hutch who led the Antibody Mediated Prevention (AMP) trial. The trial enrolled around 4600 volunteers from four different continents and was set up to discover whether VRC01, a neutralizing antibody, could be injected into the body through the veins in a process called intravenous drip. It also studied how well VRC01 stopped HIV infection. Like Dr. Katusiime explained to us, HIV has an extraordinary ability to evade immune system surveillance, and, because of this, the body finds it incredibly difficult to control HIV. Results from the study showed that VRC01 blocked around 30% of HIV strains and failed to block the other 70%. Although 30% might be low, Dr. Corey explained that the trial was a success since it proved that if a mixture of antibodies, like VRC01, was injected into the body, a significantly higher percentage of HIV strains could be blocked. In the program this year, we discussed clinical trials, which was very interesting to me, and bouncing back from unsuccessful ones. The results of this trial may seem underwhelming at first, but in reality, the scientists who conducted the AMP trial were able to see future possibilities regarding HIV prevention.
Link to original article: https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/center-news/2021/01/amp-antibody-hiv-trial.html
Obviously, my experience at Fred Hutch this summer was different to that I had envisioned when I applied. Nevertheless, the program taught me new concepts and provided me with experiences that I would never get in an ordinary high school science class. Even if you’re unsure of which career path you want to pursue, I would encourage you to apply to this program. You’ll meet some incredible people in the field of science and make lasting connections for years to come.