Population Council Research that makes a difference

Elena Martinelli, Ph.D.

Scientist

Elena Martinelli is a scientist at the Population Council's Center for Biomedical Research. Her research investigates the role of integrins in HIV/SIV transmission and pathogenesis in the presence or absence of sexually transmitted infections. Previous research carried out by Martinelli and her colleagues at the US National Institutes of health found that HIV binds integrin α4β7, a molecule that is essential for the trafficking of immune cells (HIV targets) to the gut where the virus can replicate very rapidly. Additionally, T cells possessing this receptor are highly susceptible to HIV infection.

Martinelli received her laurea in pharmaceutical biotechnology from the University of Bologna, Italy, and her Ph.D. in clinical and experimental immunology and vaccinology from the University of Genoa, Italy. She is a Johns Hopkins global health scholar and received her master's in public health in international health policy and financing from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.


Elena Martinelli, Ph.D.

Scientist

In Vitro and In Vivo Testing of Microbicides (more)
Council research is advancing microbicide strategies to prevent dendritic cell–driven infection of HIV across the body surfaces.
(1/2005 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: United States

Transmission of Immunodeficiency Viruses: Dendritic Cells and Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses (more)
Understanding how human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is transmitted during sexual intercourse and how co-pathogens impact HIV spread is a focus of Council research.
(1/2005 - ongoing)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: United States

Role of Integrins in HIV/SIV Transmission Across the Cervico-Vaginal Mucosa (more)
Council researchers are studying the earliest stages of vaginal HIV infection in rhesus macaques.
(3/2012 - 3/2017)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: United States

A Novel DARPins Strategy for Combating HIV (more)
Council researchers are exploring the use of DARPins to limit HIV replication in vitro and provide the first tests of this novel antiviral strategy in vivo.
(7/2008 - 6/2014)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: Switzerland, United States

Impact of Antiretroviral Therapy on Mucosal Immunity (more)
Council researchers are investigating the potential influence of long-term antiretroviral therapy on oral immune function.
(1/2005 - 6/2012)
Topics: HIV biomedical research
Countries: United States

Elena Martinelli, Ph.D.

Scientist

Simian immunodeficiency virus interactions with macaque dendritic cells  (HTML
Teleshova,Natalia; Derby,Nina R.; Martinelli,Elena; Pugach,Pavel; Calenda,Giulia; Robbiani,Melissa; Wu,Li; Schwartz,Olivier
from "HIV interactions with dendritic cells: Infection and immunity," Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology 762, pp. 155-181
Publication date: 2012

HSV-2 infection of dendritic cells amplifies a highly susceptible HIV-1 cell target  (abstract) (PDF
Martinelli,Elena; Tharinger,Hugo; Frank,Ines; Arthos,James; Piatak Jr.,Michael; Lifson,Jeffrey D.; Blanchard,James; Gettie,Agegnehu; Robbiani,Melissa
PLoS Pathogens 7(6): e1002109. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002109-
Publication date: 2011

Myeloid dendritic cells in HIV-1 infection  (abstract
Derby,Nina R.; Martinelli,Elena; Robbiani,Melissa
Current Opinion in HIV and AIDS 6(5): 379-384
Publication date: 2011

Siglecs facilitate HIV-1 infection of macrophages through adhesion with viral sialic acids  (abstract
Zou,Zhongcheng; Chastain,Ashley; Moir,Susan; Ford,Jennifer; Trandem,Kathryn; Martinelli,Elena; Cicala,Claudia; Crocker,Paul; Arthos,James; Sun,Peter D.
PLoS ONE 6(9): e24559-
Publication date: 2011

The integrin α4β7 forms a complex with cell-surface CD4 and defines a T-cell subset that is highly susceptible to infection by HIV-1  (abstract
Martinelli,Elena; Cicala,Claudia; McNally,Jonathan P.; Goode,Diana J.; Gopaul,Ravindra; Hiatt,Joseph; Jelicic,Katija; Kottilil,Shyamasundaran; Macleod,Katilyn; O'Shea,Angeline; Patel,Nikita; Van Ryk,Donald; Wei,Danlan; Pascuccio,Massimiliano; Yi,Ling; McKinnon,Lyle; Izulla,Preson; Kimani,Joshua; Kaul,Rupert; Fauci,Anthony S.; Arthos,James
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 106(49): 20877-20882
Publication date: 2009

HIV-1 envelope protein binds to and signals through integrin α4β7, the gut mucosal homing receptor for peripheral T cells  (abstract
Martinelli,Elena; Arthos,James; Cicala,Claudia; Macleod,Katilyn; Van Ryk,Donald; Wei,Danlan; Xiao,Zhen; Veenstra,Timothy D.; Conrad,Thomas P.; Lempicki,Richard A.; McLaughlin,Sherry; Pascuccio,Massimiliano; Gopaul,Ravindra; McNally,Jonathan P.; Cruz,Catherine C.; Censoplano,Nina; Chung,Eva; Reitano,Kristin N.; Kottilil,Shyamasundaran; Goode,Diana J.; Fauci,Anthony S.
Nature Immunology 9(3): 301-309
Publication date: 2008

HIV-1 gp120 inhibits TLR9-mediated activation and IFN-α secretion in plasmacytoid dendritic cells  (abstract
Martinelli,Elena; Cicala,Claudia; Van Ryk,Donald; Goode,Diana J.; Macleod,Katilyn; Arthos,James; Fauci,Anthony S.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 104(9): 3396-3401
Publication date: 2007

Complete replication cycle and acquisition of tegument in nucleus of human herpesvirus 6A in astrocytes and in T-cells  (abstract
Ahlqvist,Jenny; Donati,Donatella; Martinelli,Elena; Akhyani,Nahid; Hou,Jean; Major,Eugene O.; Jacobson,Steven; Fogdell-Hahn,Anna
Journal of Medical Virology 78(12): 1542-1553
Publication date: 2006

HIV-1 gp120 induces NFAT nuclear translocation in resting CD4+ T-cells  (abstract
Cicala,Claudia; Arthos,James; Censoplano,Nina; Cruz,Catherine C.; Chung,Eva; Martinelli,Elena; Lempicki,Richard A.; Natarajan,Ven; Van Ryk,Donald; Daucher,Marybeth; Fauci,Anthony S.
Virology 345(1): 105-114
Publication date: 2006

R5 and X4 HIV envelopes induce distinct gene expression profiles in primary peripheral blood mononuclear cells  (abstract
Cicala,Claudia; Arthos,James; Martinelli,Elena; Censoplano,Nina; Cruz,Catherine C.; Chung,Eva; Fauci,Anthony S.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America 103(10): 3746-3751
Publication date: 2006

CD46 on glial cells can function as a receptor for viral glycoprotein-mediated cell-cell fusion  (abstract
Cassiani-Ingoni,Riccardo; Greenstone,Heather L.; Donati,Donatella; Fogdell-Hahn,Anna; Martinelli,Elena; Refai,Daniel; Martin,Roland; Berger,Edward A.; Jacobson,Steven
Glia 52(3): 252-258
Publication date: 2005

Variant-specific tropism of human herpesvirus 6 in human astrocytes  (abstract
Donati,Donatella; Martinelli,Elena; Cassiani-Ingoni,Riccardo; Ahlqvist,Jenny; Hou,Jean; Major,Eugene O.; Jacobson,Steven
Journal of Virology 79(15): 9439-9448
Publication date: 2005

Elena Martinelli, Ph.D.

Scientist

Curriculum Vitae