Our group focuses on translational studies of HIV-1 infection and both basic and applied research into potential new HIV/AIDS therapeutic strategies. We work closely with the HIV unit of the Germans Trias i Pujol University Hospital, which attends some 2,000 people with HIV/AIDS. Our research programme focuses on four priority areas:

1) HIV eradication. We evaluate replication persistence in the presence of an effective antiretroviral treatment, study the location and impact of viral reservoirs and conduct clinical studies focused on developing therapeutic interventions aimed at reducing viral reservoirs and eradicating the disease. Our group is leader of the first consortium (IciStem) for allogeneic stem cell transplantation in patients with HIV, a technique which potentially represents a major advance in the field.

2) HIV pathogenesis mediated by dendritic cells. Research is based around our discovery of the axis of recognition between viral gangliosides and the Siglec-1 receptor, its role in trans-infection and the design of therapeutic strategies that can take advantage of this mechanism.

3) Extreme HIV infection phenotypes. We evaluate the immune and virological characteristics of rapid progressors, spontaneous controllers, viraemic non-progressors and exposed uninfected individuals in order to add to the body of knowledge on infection pathogenesis, with a view to applying this knowledge in new customized therapeutic, diagnostic and follow-up strategies for patients.

4) New therapeutic strategies. We focus especially on antiretroviral treatment and immunotherapies, mechanisms of emerging resistance to treatments and impact on viral fitness.