Demi Sandel
@demisandel.bsky.social
5th year PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences @ UCSF in the Rutishauser and Spitzer labs | formerly Jacks lab @ MIT and Newman lab @ LA Tech | Studying CD8+ T cell responses in HIV and cancer
Reposted by Demi Sandel
Reposted by Demi Sandel
Reposted by Demi Sandel
Reposted by Demi Sandel
Reposted by Demi Sandel
Reposted by Demi Sandel
10/ This was a small, single-arm, proof-of-concept study. The findings need to be replicated in other studies, several of which are enrolling now. Deeper investigations into the nature of the responding CD8+ T cells and the role of the bNAbs in potentiating host immune responses are ongoing.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
10/ This was a small, single-arm, proof-of-concept study. The findings need to be replicated in other studies, several of which are enrolling now. Deeper investigations into the nature of the responding CD8+ T cells and the role of the bNAbs in potentiating host immune responses are ongoing.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
9/ We think this robust expansion of CD8+ T cells in response to HIV rebound is meaningful: rare individuals who spontaneously control HIV also have CD8+ T cells with high proliferative capacity, and robust CD8+ T cell proliferation is correlated with better outcomes after cancer immunotherapy.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
9/ We think this robust expansion of CD8+ T cells in response to HIV rebound is meaningful: rare individuals who spontaneously control HIV also have CD8+ T cells with high proliferative capacity, and robust CD8+ T cell proliferation is correlated with better outcomes after cancer immunotherapy.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
8/ Just as the immune system encountered the emerging virus, controllers more robustly expanded a sub-population of activated CD8+ T cells with a progenitor/stem-like phenotype (TCF-1+PD-1+) as well as sub-populations with a cytotoxic effector phenotype (T-bet+Granzyme B+).
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
8/ Just as the immune system encountered the emerging virus, controllers more robustly expanded a sub-population of activated CD8+ T cells with a progenitor/stem-like phenotype (TCF-1+PD-1+) as well as sub-populations with a cytotoxic effector phenotype (T-bet+Granzyme B+).
Reposted by Demi Sandel
7/ @demisandel.bsky.social (1st PhD student in my lab!) made the key observation: early in rebound, before viral loads diverged, participants who went on to control HIV to low levels had a larger expansion of activated, cycling CD8+ T cells in the blood compared to those who did not control rebound.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
7/ @demisandel.bsky.social (1st PhD student in my lab!) made the key observation: early in rebound, before viral loads diverged, participants who went on to control HIV to low levels had a larger expansion of activated, cycling CD8+ T cells in the blood compared to those who did not control rebound.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
6/ Measurements of the viral reservoir - HIV DNA and RNA levels in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells - were relatively low in these participants (likely related to having started ART early) and they were unaffected by the immunotherapies. So why did we observe better control of HIV off of ART?
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
6/ Measurements of the viral reservoir - HIV DNA and RNA levels in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells - were relatively low in these participants (likely related to having started ART early) and they were unaffected by the immunotherapies. So why did we observe better control of HIV off of ART?
Reposted by Demi Sandel
5/ Notably, six participants had unusual HIV rebound patterns. The slope of rebound (i.e., the rate of the viral load increase day-after-day) was quite slow and then they sustained low viral loads for several months. One participant did not rebound at all despite being off ART for over 18 months.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
5/ Notably, six participants had unusual HIV rebound patterns. The slope of rebound (i.e., the rate of the viral load increase day-after-day) was quite slow and then they sustained low viral loads for several months. One participant did not rebound at all despite being off ART for over 18 months.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
4/ After bNAbs waned and/or if the virus lost bNAb susceptibility (modeled by Amelia Deitchman), 3 participants rebounded as expected: they had a rapid increase in HIV levels in the blood to relatively high viral loads. They all re-started ART pretty quickly after the virus showed up in the blood.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
4/ After bNAbs waned and/or if the virus lost bNAb susceptibility (modeled by Amelia Deitchman), 3 participants rebounded as expected: they had a rapid increase in HIV levels in the blood to relatively high viral loads. They all re-started ART pretty quickly after the virus showed up in the blood.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
3/ The single-arm, proof-of-concept study was based on a regimen that showed promising results in non-human primate models. Most of the 10 participants had started ART within 6 months of acquiring HIV. With no immunotherapy, we expected 1-2 might experience partial control of HIV after stopping ART.
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
3/ The single-arm, proof-of-concept study was based on a regimen that showed promising results in non-human primate models. Most of the 10 participants had started ART within 6 months of acquiring HIV. With no immunotherapy, we expected 1-2 might experience partial control of HIV after stopping ART.
Reposted by Demi Sandel
2/ The regimen included:
During ART: therapeutic vaccination (to enhance HIV-specific T cell responses vs conserved elements of HIV), then 2 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) + an immune activator (TLR9a; to reduce the reservoir)
When stopping ART: bNAbs (to potentiate host immune responses)
During ART: therapeutic vaccination (to enhance HIV-specific T cell responses vs conserved elements of HIV), then 2 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) + an immune activator (TLR9a; to reduce the reservoir)
When stopping ART: bNAbs (to potentiate host immune responses)
December 2, 2025 at 6:50 AM
2/ The regimen included:
During ART: therapeutic vaccination (to enhance HIV-specific T cell responses vs conserved elements of HIV), then 2 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) + an immune activator (TLR9a; to reduce the reservoir)
When stopping ART: bNAbs (to potentiate host immune responses)
During ART: therapeutic vaccination (to enhance HIV-specific T cell responses vs conserved elements of HIV), then 2 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) + an immune activator (TLR9a; to reduce the reservoir)
When stopping ART: bNAbs (to potentiate host immune responses)