PeerJ Editor & Reviewer
300 Points
Contributions by role
Contributions by subject area
George N. Pavlakis
PeerJ Editor & Reviewer
Summary
MD, University of Athens, Greece
PhD, Syracuse University, NY
Chief of the Human Retrovirus Section of the National Cancer Institute, USA
Interests: HIV pathogenesis, Molecular Biology, gene regulation, Biotechnology, protein engineering, cytokines, Immunotherapy, Vaccines, Nucleic acid vaccines, gene therapy
Editorial Board Member
PeerJ - the Journal of Life & Environmental Sciences
Work details
Head, Human Retrovirus Section
NIH National Cancer Institute
Vaccine Branch, Center for Cancer Research
The Human Retrovirus Section designs, develops and tests vaccines and immunotherapies for AIDS and cancer. We develop and test new technologies including nucleic acid delivery methods in vivo, prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines and immunotherapies. We study the role and application of cytokines in vaccines and cancer immunotherapy.
The Human Retrovirus Section focuses on the development of innovative vaccines and immunotherapies for AIDS and cancer based on the understanding of basic mechanisms, and by combining our expertise in molecular biology, virology and immunology.
A major focus is presently directed towards DNA vaccine development. We aim to improve DNA vaccine platform technology and develop immunogens able to prevent HIV infection or progression to AIDS. This is achieved by optimizing DNA vaccine expression, delivery, immunogenicity as well as synergy with other vaccine modalities. The strong and effective cellular immunity achieved by optimized DNA is also an important consideration for the expanding field of cancer vaccines. A related focus area is the study of the biology and clinical applications of cytokines in vaccines and immunotherapies for cancer.
This work is a direct extension of our previous studies and represents a translational component of our basic science accomplishments.