Download VETERINARY SERVICES NEWS Meet the researcher From seeing to believing:

Animal Care and Veterinary Services
VETERINARY SERVICES NEWS
VOL UME 6, ISSUE 1, WINTER 2016
Meet the researcher From seeing to believing:
new approaches to study HIV-1 spread
In order to keep us healthy, our
immune system has an enormous task
of recognizing and destroying a wide
range of invading pathogens, while
minimizing damage to healthy tissues.
This is largely accomplished by a large
array of immune cell subsets, each
with distinct, but interconnected roles
that must work together to mount an
effective immune response. So how
does the immune system know when
an infection has occurred, and relay
this information to the relevant cells?
The answer lies in the unique ability of
immune cells to migrate in and out of
virtually all tissues in the body, and to
congregate within specialized tissues,
such as the lymph node and spleen, to
exchange information amongst one
another through cell-to-cell contacts.
This results in the expression of new
genes that controls the timing, quality
and breadth of the immune response.
Thus, our immune system is orchestrated
by the migratory capacity and cell-to-cell
communication dynamics of immune
cells.
It turns out, however, that pathogens
have evolved to take advantage of
these unique properties to spread
into tissues they prefer to infect. For
example, poxviruses infect T cells,
which then transport the virus into
the skin and causes skin lesions. In Dr.
Thomas Murooka’s new laboratory in
the Departments of Immunology and
Medical Microbiology, his research team
is investigating whether HIV-1 can also
be transported from the initial mucosal
site of infection, into lymphoid tissues,
where an explosion of viral replication
ensues. To characterize these early events
in vivo, his lab will take advantage of
“humanized” mouse models, which are
mice that are repopulated with a human
immune system, and are fully susceptible
to HIV-1 infection. These mice are
extremely important in conducting
mechanistic, carefully controlled studies
on HIV-1 pathogenesis in vivo that are
not ethically or practically possible in
humans.
How does HIV-1 hijack the natural
migratory capacity of immune cells to
rapidly spread in the body? To answer
this question, the University of Manitoba
has established a unique, BSL2+ imaging
facility within CACS, which allows
researchers to take a peak into how cells
migrate and behave within living tissues,
in real-time. Using a technique called
multiphoton intravital microscopy (MPIVM), Dr. Murooka’s lab will determine
whether HIV-1 infection changes the
migratory pattern and cell-to-cell
interaction dynamics of immune cells
directly in the lymph node of humanized
mice. The goal is to first establish the
importance of this mode of viral spread
in vivo, and second, to develop and
test new therapeutic strategies to
block HIV transmission through cellto-cell interactions in vivo. We hope to
gain a clearer understanding of HIV-1
pathophysiology through these studies,
which are only possible through the
facilities and resources available at the
University of Manitoba.
Dr. Thomas Murooka (left); The
presence of a large, gangly HIVinfected cell in the lymph node is
revealed by intravital micriscopy
(right).
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, OFFICE OF RESEARCH ETHICS & COMPLIANCE
umanitoba.ca/animalcare
Announcement
We are pleased to announce that Dr. Patricia Johnson has
joined the Animal Care and Use team in the Office of Research
Ethics and Compliance as a Clinical Veterinarian. Patricia is an
alumnus of the University of Manitoba where she graduated
with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science in Agriculture. Her
Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine was obtained from the
Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of
Saskatchewan. Before joining us on November 30, 2015,
Patricia worked as a mixed animal practitioner in rural
Manitoba. We welcome her to our Veterinary Services team.
Her phone number is 204-474-8024 and her email is patricia.
[email protected]
Safety Tips and Tricks for Working in
Biocontainment
1. When removing PPE items, avoid dramatic body movements to prevent particles from becoming aerosolized.
2. When double- gloving, use two different colors of gloves. This will draw your attention to a tear in your outer glove much more quickly.
3. If you have long hair, make sure it is pulled back and up before donning PPE so your hair won’t touch your gown/coveralls.
4. Consider your surroundings while removing your PPE. If your balance is lost and you lean against a wall in your dirty PPE, be sure to follow the proper procedures to sanitize the contaminated surface.
5. Keep a trash can right at the dirty/clean threshold so PPE can be disposed of as soon as it’s removed.
From: Laboratory Animal Science Professional, December 2014.
RESEARCH ETHICS & COMPLIANCE ANIMAL CARE AND VETERINARY SERVICES
Fort Garry Campus
208 - 194 Dafoe Road
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2
Phone (204) 474-6402
Fax (204) 269 7173
Visit our website click here
UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, OFFICE OF RESEARCH ETHICS & COMPLIANCE