Cracking the code: targeting HTLV integration to eradicate infection

A free lecture at Imperial College London, open to everyone and part of the Imperial Inaugurals series. Professor Goedele Maertens, Professor of Retrovirology, explains how HTLV, one of the world's most neglected viruses that infects an estimated 10 million people, establishes lifelong infection by integrating its genetic material into host cell DNA. Drawing on 15 years of research, she shows that FDA-approved antiretroviral drugs used against HIV can prevent HTLV transmission in laboratory models, and describes her work with Dr Fabiola Martin and the International Retrovirology Association to set up trials of these drugs to prevent HTLV-1 transmission. The talk also reflects on her personal and academic journey and ongoing efforts to develop strategies to stop the virus.