The development of cures, vaccines and better treatments for HIV/AIDS is an urgent global health priority. This team of seven groups in Sydney and Melbourne will study how HIV can lie dormant in some parts of the body, evading eradication by HIV therapy, as well as how the immune system responds to the virus. This will allow for design of novel vaccines and treatments. The researchers have skills in basic virology and immunology, and translating laboratory findings into human clinical trials.
Addressing The Major Challenges In HIV Vaccine And Cure Research
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$16,136,755.00
Summary
HIV remains one of the defining global health challenge of our times. 37 million people are living with HIV with 2 million new infections each year. Despite advances in management of HIV infection with antiretroviral therapy, there is still no cure, no effective vaccine, and several co-infections reduce life expectancy. This program assembles Australia’s leading HIV researchers to use innovative basic and translational science to tackle priority areas in controlling the HIV epidemic.
The lymphocyte plays a vital role in our immune defence. When lymphocytes encounter a foreign invader, such as a virus, they make a series of decisions that influence the strength, type, and longevity of the immunity created. This program aims to understand how lymphocytes make decisions at the molecular level that affect cell and whole of system level behaviour. We aim to improve vaccines and understand diseases such as allergy, lupus, arthritis and leukaemia to develop novel therapies.