In Vitro Study of Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Function in Healthy Individuals and Patients

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) will be collected from healthy volunteers and patients who present with different diseases that involve or implicate the immune system dysregulation (HIV infection, autoimmune diseases and cancer). These PBMC will be studied in vitro for a number of functional parameters, including generating soluable factors that inhibit HIV infection, developing patterns of immune dysregulation, and inducing apoptotic T cell death. The purpose of such studies is to obtain insight into the mechanisms of natural resistance to viral infections, AIDS pathogenesis, and disease-induced immune dysregulation.