BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:-//eluceo/ical//2.0/EN VERSION:2.0 CALSCALE:GREGORIAN BEGIN:VEVENT UID:8e479fc344a32c78f9b621075327f927 DTSTAMP:20260913T130352Z SUMMARY:Cracking the code: targeting HTLV integration to eradicate infectio n DESCRIPTION:Join Professor Goedele Maertens\, Professor of Retrovirology\, to discover how existing HIV drugs could help prevent the transmission of one of the world’s most neglected viruses. \nPlease register to attend i n person. A live stream link for online attendance is available here. \nW e look forward to seeing you on Wednesday 4 November!\nImperial Inaugurals  are term-time lectures that celebrate our newest professors\, recognisi ng their academic journey and showcasing their research.\nAbstract\nHTLV ( Human T-cell Lymphotropic Virus) infects an estimated 10 million people w orldwide\, yet remains one of the world’s most neglected human viruses . Although it was the first retrovirus ever discovered\, it has long been overshadowed by its better-known relative\, HIV. Like HIV\, HTLV is a retr ovirus\, meaning it integrates its genetic material into the DNA of infect ed cells. As a result\, the virus persists for life\, with every daughter cell carrying the viral genome and the potential to produce new virus part icles.  People living with HTLV may develop a range of severe\, debilita ting\, and sometimes life-threatening diseases. The infection is also asso ciated with significant stigma\, disproportionately affects women\, and ca n profoundly impact patients’ social\, emotional\, and economic well-b eing. Despite its global burden\, the HTLV community continues to face maj or challenges\, including limited awareness among healthcare professionals and the public\, inadequate access to affordable and reliable diagnostic tests\, and the absence of effective antiviral therapies or preventive vac cines.  For the past 15 years\, Professor Goedele Maertens has dedicated her research to understanding how HTLV interacts with its human host. Her laboratory combines proteomics\, molecular virology\, microscopy\, and st ructural biology to investigate the mechanisms underpinning infection and persistence. Through this multidisciplinary approach\, her team has demon strated that FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs currently used to treat pe ople living with HIV can prevent HTLV transmission in laboratory models.   Building on these findings\, Professor Maertens\, together with Dr Fabio la Martin and with the support of the International Retrovirology Associat ion (IRVA)\, established the HTLV-1 Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Work ing Group. The group’s mission is to develop guidelines for clinical tri als that will evaluate the effectiveness of antiretroviral drugs in preven ting HTLV-1 transmission in vivo.  In this inaugural lecture\, Professor Maertens will reflect on her personal and academic journey\, highlighting the discoveries that have shaped her career and her ongoing efforts to un derstand the mechanisms of HTLV integration and develop strategies to prev ent viral transmission. \nBiography\nGoedele Maertens is a Professor in R etrovirology in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College L ondon\, focusing on the interaction between Human T-cell lymphotropic viru s (HTLV) and the host. HTLV-1 causes a range of debilitating and sometimes fatal diseases. In this lecture she will explore how HTLV establishes inf ection and how repurposing available HIV drugs could be a promising tool t owards eliminating HTLV. \n\n\n\n URL:https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/212264/cracking-the-code-targeting-ht lv-integration-to-eradicate-infection/ DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T173000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20261104T183000 LOCATION:Lecture theatre G16\, Sir Alexander Fleming Building\, South Kensi ngton Campus\, Imperial College London\, London\, SW7 2AZ\, United Kingdom END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20261104T173000 TZNAME:GMT TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR