Al Leslie

Al Leslie is an immunologist interested in the immunopathology of TB and HIV. His group at AHRI has a particular focus on the host-pathogen interactions that occur in tissue, particularly in the lung in the case of TB. Their work on the adaptive and innate immune response to TB, using flow and mass cytometry, histology and RNA sequencing, has revealed tissue-specific aspects of both the protective and pathogenic of TB immunity that may inform novel treatments and diagnostics. They make use of 3D-granuloma models to explore tissue-specific correlates of protective immunity and pathology, with the aim of identifying potential targets for host-directed therapies and biomarkers of disease progression. Novel potential TB biomarkers are tested in more accessible samples (blood and sputum) using well-established clinical cohorts in Durban and AHRI’s large population research platform in rural KwaZulu-Natal. Similarly, his group is interested in understanding how HIV affects the development and maintenance of immune responses in tissue. Several of their studies have shown that HIV has a much more profound effect on tissues such as the gut and secondary lymphoid organs than on the blood, which is more traditionally studied.