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Some of the Latest
News Concerning the FundaciÑ irsiCaixa
and the Worldwide HIV/AIDS Epidemic.
| New advances in the diagnosis of HIV will triplicate the success of current antiretroviral drug treatments |
2010-02-17
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Due to the fact that HIV has a high capacity to mutate, people who are infected by this virus are in fact simultaneously infected by thousands of HIV strain variants. Some of these variants are able to elude the action of drugs and therefore become resistant to them. This ability occurs even before the patient has received the drug, whether it is because of spontaneous HIV mutations or because patients have been infected by a virus that was resistant from the start.
At present, before starting an HIV treatment, tests are performed to determine if the viruses that are infecting the patient are resistant to drugs. This enables the physician to prescribe the most effective treatment. However, current resistance tests are only able to detect viruses that are present in over 20% of the viral population; therefore, they do not detect resistant viruses present in more minority populations.
A study published in the online version of the Journal of Infectious Diseases demonstrates the importance of detecting drug-resistant minority variants of HIV that had not been detected in conventional resistance tests, given that their presence, when undetected, can triplicate the probability of therapeutic failure.
Roger Paredes, researcher of the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute and doctor of the HIV Unit of the Germans Trias i Pujols Hospital, and researchers from the Harvard Medical School in Boston, Cornell University in New York, and the University of Alabama in Birmingham, amongst others, have participated in this study. Coordination of the project has been managed by the AIDS Clinical Trials Group of the United States, the largest and most prestigious organization of HIV/Aids clinical trials at a worldwide level.
In an editorial pertaining to the same journal, Waild Heneine, of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) of the United States, explains that “these studies exemplify the advances in the diagnosis of resistance to antiretroviral drugs and illustrate how the clinical relevance of new technologies can be determined for HIV patients. Future searches should be based on these studies”. However, in order to apply these tests in clinical practice, there should be further progress in the search so that we are able to better predict which treatment will work in which patients, even if they have drug-resistant minority strain variants.
The published study has analysed the presence of drug-resistant minority viruses in 290 patients in the United States, in whom conventional resistance tests had not detected evidence of any resistance. The study has detected resistant minority variants in 40% of these patients. Clinical follow-up of the patients who participated in this study over more than four years has demonstrated that, even though many patients presented good responses to treatment, those who had resistant minority variants presented a therapeutic failure risk that was three times higher than that of patients who did not present these variants. However, in order to apply these tests in clinical practice, there must be further progress in the search so that we are able to better predict which treatment will work in which patients, even if they have drug-resistant minority strain variants.
In order to advance in this research, IrsiCaixa has acquired a 454 ultrasensitive pyrosequencing instrument, the first massive sequencing platform in Spain wholly dedicated to analysing HIV minority strains. This acquisition has been possible thanks to the collaboration with Roche’s Diagnostics Division by means of a research project funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation’s Industrial Technological Development Centre. According to researcher Roger Paredes, “this research is an important step forward in our mission to improve the medical care of patients who are infected by HIV, by providing more effective, safe and personalized medicine”.
These new sequencing technologies are a great unprecedented opportunity to advance towards a more personalized medicine and they have applications in human, animal and plant genomics, ecology, as well as in the discovery of new infectious agents and in the progress of disease control such as cancer. With the aim to join forces and exchange knowledge, IrsiCaixa and Roche have organized the first International Workshop of Biotechnology and Massive Sequencing via 454 Data Analysis, which will be held on March 8-12 in CosmoCaixa, Barcelona.
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| I Workshop Massive Parallel Sequencing Using 454 |
2010-02-03
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| March 8-12, 2010, at CosmoCaixa, Issac Newton, 26 E-08022, Barcelona
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This Workshop aims to train people in the analysis of data obtained with the next generation of sequencing, focusing in the data obtained with Roche-454 sequencer.
Programme:
9:30 h Workshop Opening (Open for the general public and media).
10:00 h 454 Present and Future Perspectives.
Dr. james knight
454, USA.
10:50 h Coffee Break
11:20 h Amplicon sequencing project (Biomedical implications using HIV as a model).
Dr. Roger Paredes
IrsiCaixa, Barcelona
12:10 h Cancer Research. Dr. Manuel Perucho
End of opening session
13:00 h Lunch
14:30 h Start of I Workshop Massive Parallel Sequencing Using 454 |
| http://www.roche-as.es/_resources/workshopSEQUENCING454.pdf |
| New possible targets for the development of the HIV vaccine have been identified |
2010-01-11
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Researchers under the guidance of the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute, promoted by the Fundació “la Caixa” and the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya, have demonstrated that when HIV-infected cells generate viral proteins, they also generate defective proteins that produce an immune response. It has even been demonstrated in the laboratory that this immune response is capable of blocking the virus’s infection cycle. These proteins, generated due to errors in the different mechanisms that are carried out by cells in the time period spanning from when they are first penetrated by the virus to when it starts to multiply, represent possible novel therapeutic targets.
In the study published today in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, ICREA research professor and researcher of IrsiCaixa Christian Brander, who is currently also the scientific coordinator of the ambitious HIVACAT HIV vaccine research project, has coordinated a group of researchers from IrsiCaixa and researchers from Harvard University, in Boston, Microsoft Research and British Columbia, in Canada, with the shared aim of finding new targets against HIV. The study has analysed the genetic information of over 600 individuals and over 500 variants of the virus.
Up until now, studies were mainly aimed at studying the immune response against HIV and how the immune system interacts with the virus’s proteins, but had not focused on the proteins that are generated by errors in the translation of the virus’s genes.
Studies carried out up until now had demonstrated that the immune response against each of the “normal” proteins influences the mutations of the virus given that the only mutations that proliferate are those which are able to escape these responses. The new study evidences that from now on, in order to foresee the evolution of a virus in an individual and in certain populations, proteins generated due to errors will also have to be taken into account.
Some articles have already been previously published, in which scientists described the main reasons leading to the immense diversity of the aids virus worldwide, a virus which presents so many mutations in one infected individual, much like the flu virus at a worlwide level in one year. Amongst the articles published, a paper published in the Nature journal in March 2009, in which Christian Brander participated, stands out. In this article it was demonstrated that the vast diversity of the HIV virus in the world depends on the predominant genetics in each area of the world, and concluded that the genetic profile of the different regions to which the vaccine was to be addressed should be taken into account. According to Brander, the new study “demonstrates that the existence of the immune response against proteins that are generated by error should be taken into account, and we even believe that some of these proteins should be included in the development of vaccines for HIV”.
About HIVACAT
The HIVACAT AIDS vaccine research and development project is developed by means of a public-private consortium without precedent in Spain, placing our country in the international forefront of the research conducted in this field. Composed of the two most currently consolidated and important research centres dedicated to the study of AIDS, the IrsiCaixa Aids Research Institute located at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital (Can Ruti) and the Infectious Diseases and AIDS Serviceof the Clinical Hospital of Barcelona, HIVACAT performs research for the development of a new vaccine against HIV in coordination with ESTEVE and with the support of the La Caixa Foundation, the Department of Health and the Department of Innovation, Universities and Enterprise of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Clinic Foundation. The consortium represents the first significant experience in this field in terms of the collaboration between administration, researchers and business.
Both centres develop their research alongside 7,500 patients who benefit from the fast incorporation of new treatments developed in the centres themselves and from innovations acquired at an international level. HIVACAT has a team composed of over 60 scientists trained in internationally renowned research centres such as Harvard University in the United States, the Pasteur Institute of Paris or the Royal Free Hospital of London.
In Spain the project is co-directed by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet of the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital and by Dr. Josep Maria Gatell of the Clinical Hospital. The addition of researcher Christian Brander from Harvard University (Boston, United States), who left his position at the university in order to become a part of the Institute, should also be highlighted.
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| Update on HIV vaccine development: HIVACAT 09 Symposium |
2009-10-05
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On the 16th of October 2009 a scientific symposium will be held at CaixaForum Barcelona to offer an update on HIV vaccine development: the HIVACAT 09 Symposium. It will host internationally renowned speakers including Bruce Walker Director of the Ragon Institute of Massachussets General Hospital, MIT and Harvard, Douglas Richman, Professor of Pathology and Medicine at San Diego School of Medicine of the University of California San Diego and Director of the AIDS Research Institute of the same University, Jaimes I. Mullins, Professor of the Department of Microbiology of the University of Washington, and the HIVACAT scientific coordinator and ICREA research professor Christian Brander.
The Symposium will open with an inauguration held by the director general of the Fundació la Caixa Jaume Lanaspa, the consellera de salud of the Generalitat de Catalunya Marina Geli, the president of Esteve Antoni Esteve, and the codirectors of HIVACAT Bonaventura Clotet, director of the AIDS Research Institute, IrsiCaixa and Josep Maria Gatell, director of the Unidad de Investigación de Sida at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona.
The HIVACAT 09 Symposium has been organised by the AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa and the Unit de Investigación de Sida at the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona with the support of Esteve and the Obra Social de la Fundación “la Caixa”. It is part of HIVACAT, a research programme for the development of an HIV vaccine carried out by a public and private consortium which, places the Iberian Peninsula at the International research frontline, which is also supported by the Generalitat de Catalunya throught its Departments for Salud and Innovació, Universitats i Empresa.
For more information or registration contact: symposium@irsicaixa.es
Programme
9:30 HIVACAT Symposium Opening
Jaume Lanaspa, director general Fundació La Caixa
Josep Maria Gatell, cap servei Malaties Infeccioses i Sida, Hospital Clínic
Bonaventura Clotet, director Institut de Recerca de la Sida, IrsiCaixa
Antoni Esteve, president Esteve
Marina Geli, Consellera de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya
10:00 “Is it enough to achieve a good cellular immunity for a successful therapeutic/prophylactic vaccine?”
Bruce Walker, MD
10:45 Coffee Break
11:00h “Neutralizing antibodies and its role for a preventive / prophylactic vaccine”
Doug Richman, MD
11:45h “The HIVACAT project: Highlights of the more promising lines”
Christian Brander, PhD
12.30h "Educating vaccine immunogen design from early events in
natural HIV infection"
James I. Mullins, PhD
13:15h “Reaching the goal. The role of philanthropy in HIV vaccine research.”
Bruce Walker, MD
13.30h Closure
Christian Brander
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| Cinco años de investigación en Can Ruti demuestran la necesidad de implantar controles rutinarios del Virus del Papiloma Humano en ano en hombres y mujeres VIH + independientemente de su práctica sexual |
2009-09-08
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o La Unidad de VIH de el Hospital Universitario “Germans Trias i Pujol” (Can Ruti) de Badalona lleva trabajando y ofreciendo servicio de detección, diagnóstico y control de la infección por el virus del papiloma humano (VPH), así como el tratamiento de las lesiones causadas por la infección por el VPH a todos los pacientes VIH positivos que se visitan desde el año 2004.
o El proyecto ha sido posible durante estos cinco años gracias a la colaboración entre la Unidad de VIH de Can Ruti y especialistas multidisciplinarios de la Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, el Instituto de Investigación del Sida IrsiCaixa y la empresa General Lab.
o Can Ruti es uno de los primeros hospitales de Europa en ofrecer este tipo de servicio a todos los pacientes VIH+ y tratar las lesiones precancerosas detectadas mediante rayos infrarrojos, que permiten eliminar la lesión en la propia unidad, sin intervenciones en el quirófano, con mínimas molestias para el paciente y buenos resultados, de modo que se evita el ingreso.
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Los resultados obtenidos en estos cinco años de medicina preventiva e investigación muestran que el porcentaje de personas VIH positivas coinfectadas con el VPH es muy elevado. A causa de la debilidad de su sistema inmunitario, tienen menos probabilidades de eliminar el virus del papiloma y, en consecuencia, la infección presenta una evolución mucho peor que en las personas VIH negativas, además de incrementarse el número de casos de lesiones premalignas y cáncer.
La experiencia de estos cinco años aporta evidencias sobre los beneficios del control rutinario de la infección por VPH en los grupos de mayor riesgo, que son las mujeres y los hombres que practican sexo con hombres y son VIH positivos.
Además, en el caso de la localización del VPH en ano, aunque los hombres que mantienen relaciones sexuales con otros hombres son los más afectados, el estudio demuestra que tanto los hombres como las mujeres VIH positivos que no practican sexo anal pueden estar infectados también por VPH en esta zona. En consecuencia, el seguimiento de estos pacientes permitirá determinar si es necesario hacer controles rutinarios a todas las personas VIH+ a nivel ano-rectal.
Las conclusiones presentadas hoy en rueda de prensa son fruto de una serie de publicaciones científicas internacionales recogidas durante los últimos cinco años, gracias a la colaboración entre la Unidad de VIH de Can Ruti y especialistas multidisciplinarios de la Fundació Lluita contra la Sida, el Instituto de Investigación del Sida IrsiCaixa y la empresa General Lab y que han servido para consolidar dos cohortes de pacientes VIH+ sin antecedentes de patología genital asociada: una de hombres y otra de mujeres.
La infección por VPH es la infección de transmisión sexual más frecuente (un 75% de la población la adquirirá a lo largo de su vida). En personas sanas, el VPH es eliminado en la mayoría de los casos por el propio cuerpo, de forma natural y sin provocar ninguna lesión. Sin embargo, en algunas ocasiones, la infección está asociada al desarrollo de lesiones precursoras de cáncer que pueden eliminarse con un tratamiento adecuado. En el peor de los casos, estas lesiones pueden evolucionar a cáncer, principalmente de cuello de útero y ano, pero también, más raramente, de cavidad oral y pene.
Conclusiones
La cohorte de hombres ha aportado información poco conocida hasta ahora: la elevada prevalencia de infección por VPH en ano en pacientes VIH positivos sin antecedentes de patología anal, tanto en homosexuales (88%) como en heterosexuales (45%), así como de lesiones precursoras de cáncer anal (un 43% de los hombres en total).
En cuanto a las mujeres, los resultados obtenidos muestran que la prevalencia del VPH en el cérvix es de un 60%. Los resultados indican que la mayoría de las pacientes (80%) mantienen de forma persistente la infección durante un mínimo de tres años, y que un 40% de estas mujeres evoluciona hacia una lesión precancerosa de cuello uterino. En este grupo de mujeres también se ha estudiado el impacto de los nuevos tratamientos antirretrovirales de alta eficacia (TARGA) en la reducción de la infección por VPH y en la aparición de lesiones asociadas al VPH. Los diferentes trabajos han llevado a concluir que el control de la carga de VIH y la mejora del número de células inmunitarias con el TARGA se asocia a una reducción de las lesiones cervicales. Estos resultados sugieren que el inicio de la terapia antirretroviral debería ser lo más precoz posible, tanto en hombres como en mujeres.
Finalmente, el Instituto de Investigación del Sida IrsiCaixa, con el apoyo de la empresa General Lab, ha contribuido a la estandarización y publicación de nuevas técnicas de diagnóstico molecular para la determinación del genotipo de los virus implicados y del estado de integración del virus en las células epiteliales como posible marcador de progresión hacia el cáncer.
Los controles rutinarios en la Unidad de VIH
En caso de detectarse alguna anormalidad en la citología anal del paciente, se practica una anoscopia de alta resolución para visualizar la lesión, aplicar una biopsia y determinar el tratamiento. La mayor parte de las lesiones se tratan actualmente con una sencilla técnica basada en infrarrojos que permite eliminarlas en la propia consulta, sin que el paciente deba entrar en quirófano, con las mínimas molestias y con muy buenos resultados. La Unidad de VIH de Can Ruti ha sido la primera de España donde se ha empezado a utilizar esta técnica en régimen ambulatorio.
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| Identified the important factors that drive global HIV diversity |
2009-02-25
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The differences between viruses isolated from different regions in the world is one of the most important obstacles for HIV vaccine desing. It has caused concern as to whether a successful vaccine for global, or even regional use can ever be generated.
The new study describes how the HIV “escapes” the immune system in a different manner depending on the genetic profile of local populations.
The conclusions of the present study will have very direct consequences for HIV vaccine design as it shows that the genetic background of the local populations need to be taken into consideration.
It is likely that it will be necessary to design specific vaccines for different regions in the world.
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A large international team of more than 40 investigators have combined their data on more than 2800 HIV-infected individuals across 5 continents to study the important factors that drive global HIV diversity. The study shows that global HIV diversity is dependent on the genetic profiles that are dominant in the different regions of the world. The paper, which will be published in the advance online publication in Nature on the 25 of February, has been coordinated by Philip Goulder from University of Oxford and has been conducted with the collaboration of the ICREA research professor Christian Brander, who is now the scientific coordinator, at the Institut de Recerca de la Sida IrsiCaixa, of the ambitious programme HIVACAT, a Catalan consortium for the development of therapeutic and prophylactic HIV vaccines. The conclusions of the present study will have very direct consequences for HIV vaccine design as it shows that the genetic background of the local populations need to be taken into consideration for vaccine design, likely requiring the design of specific vaccines for different regions in the world. However, scientists are also putting a great efford on studying the common genetic caracteristics that will facilitate the design of successful vaccines across different regions.
More than 33 million people worldwide are living with HIV infection today and more than 2.5 million people are infected every year, therefore, the development of an HIV vaccine is of highest priority. However, the differences between viruses isolated from different regions in the world has caused concern as to whether a successful vaccine for global, or even regional use can ever be generated. The reasons for this “viral diversity” had been unclear to date, although they have important implications for vaccine design. As Christian Brander announced, “this new study makes it clear that vaccine design needs to go hand-in-hand with human genetic studies that will help to identify differences, but also common traits, in the vaccine population.”
HIV infection induces strong T cell responses in the infected individual and it has been thought for many years that such “virus-specific” T cells are responsible for the partial control of HIV propagation and AIDS development. It has however also been shown that HIV’s great mutation capacity generates a great virus variability, which facilitates that some mutants may become essentially invisible to the immune system. The consequence of such “escape” is that the virus can grow at a faster rate in the body of the infected individual and that the progression to AIDS disease is faster if the individual is left untreated. For HIV vaccine designs, these observations are very important since one needs to understand which parts of the virus are attacked by the immune system’s T cells and which parts can resist such an attack by rapid mutations, to develop vaccines that do not allow virus to avoid being attacked.
Importantly, the immune system’s attack of the virus is orchestrated by a number of genes in the body, generally referred to as HLA genes. These genes encode for specialized proteins who’s job it is to present little pieces of the virus to HIV-specific T cells, which then can eliminate virus-infected cells. These HLA (human leukocyte antigens) genes differ from one individual to the other. Accordingly, everybody’s immune response to HIV is different as different regions of the virus will be targeted. The HLA genes are being inherited from the parents and closely related individuals will have thus similar HLA genes. On a global basis, this means that populations in specific geographic regions have overall distinct sets of common HLA genes, which can sometimes dramatically differ between populations in various places in the world. As a consequence, the HIV virus may be under different immune attack and may have evolved differently depending on the genetic profiles of the populations of the different regions.
The study included 9 different cohorts of HIV infected individuals distributed across 5 continents and looked for specific differences in the virus genes. These showed that global differences in the virus are largely due to the evolution of the virus in response to the locally most dominant genetic profile. In particular, wherever the specific HLA genes that were studied were more frequent in the human population, the virus had changed crucial pieces of its proteins to become invisible to the T cells.
The study is the culmination of a number of studies conducted by Christian Brander and colleagues, among which is Kawashima, over the last few years addressing these issues. Based on a theoretical paper in 2003 in Nature Medicine, where he suggested that global adaptation of the virus may occur, his team showed in 2006 experimental data for this observation. In a study of one specific HLA gene (referred to as “HLA-B*1503”, which is uncommon in Europe and North Americaa but very frequent in South Africa), his team could show such regional differences in viral evolution (Frahm et al Nature Immunology 2006). Indeed, virus from South Africa seemed to have changed or in some cases even completely lost the small pieces this HLA-B*1503 protein presents to the immune T cells. In contrast, in virus from Europe and North America, where the B*1503 gene is rare, the people who had this gene were able to make strong T cell responses to the virus and in most cases were able to keep viral replication to a very low level even without treatment.
The report in Nature not only extends these findings to more diverse populations and different HLA genes, but it also provides insight into HIV’s evolution, and shows that regional differences in human genetics need to be included in HIV vaccine design likely requiring the design of specific vaccines for different regions in the world.
About HIVACAT
The HIVACAT (Catalan Centre for HIV vaccine) Project for AIDS Research and Development is one of the biggest and pioneering partnership in this field between authorities, researchers, companies and banks. It is formed by ESTEVE, Spanish bank Obra Social La Caixa, the Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Autonomic Government) and the Fundació Clínic, who signed an agreement with the Institut de Recerca de la Sida IrsiCaixa to develop a research project during the period 2008-2011 with a total budget of 13 milion euros. The objective: developing a therapeutic vaccine that stops HIV progression within the infected population and a preventive vaccine that avoids the infection under HIV exposure.
It is funded by Spanish bank Obra Social La Caixa, with an investment of 1.4 million euros, and by the Health and Innovation Department, Universities and Companies, a Department of Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Autonomic Government) as well as the Fundació Clínic, with an investment of € 400.000 each. The project has been given an extra boost with a new agreement between ESTEVE and IrsiCaixa, and the 6 million euro investment that the group will bear during next 4 years. ESTEVE’s involvement in the research process will start as soon as vaccine trial phase has been reached, taking care of the post-trial development up until its commercialization.
This initiative, first of this kind in Spain, situates the Iberian Peninsula among the International research frontline, and sees the daylight thanks to 2 prestigious AIDS research centers: the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, located at “Germans Trias i Pujol” Hospital, and AIDS & Infectious Diseases Research Centre at Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital. The investigators at these local institutions are thereby extending their work to even more sites, including clinics in Peru, where Christian Brander has ongoing studies for a number of years as well as sites in Southern and Central Africa. The work however also includes studies in well characterized groups of HIV-individuals that have been followed for many years at the two HIV clinics and which will form the basis for future HIV vaccine trials in Catalonia.
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| NUEVAS OFERTAS DE TRABAJO |
2009-02-23
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| CONTRATO POSTDOCTORAL Y BECA PREDOCTORAL
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CONTRATO POSTDOCTORAL por 3 años, con posibilidad de contrato indefinido disponible para investigación en virología. El proyecto a desarrollar se centra en el estudio de los procesos tempranos de infección viral y el descubrimiento y caracterización de cofactores involucrados en la infección por VIH.
BECA PREDOCTORAL para desarrollar proyectos de investigación en retrovirología y biología molecular del virus de la inmunodeficiencia humana (VIH) |
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ESTEVE and IRSICAIXA sign partnership agreement for the development of a vaccine against AIDS
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2008-12-30
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Chemical/pharmaceutical ESTEVE group signs partnership agreement with IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, allowing ESTEVE to join research project. Partnership has been driven by Obra Social “La Caixa” and the Generalitat de Catalunya health department.
This initiative, first of this kind in Spain, situates the Iberian Peninsula among the International research frontline, and sees the daylight thanks to 2 prestigious AIDS research centers: the IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, located at “Germans Trias i Pujol” Hospital, and AIDS & Infectious Diseases Research Centre at Barcelona’s Clinic Hospital.
During the last 25 years many significant advances on HIV control have raised up thanks to antiviral treatments. However, these drugs don’t actually eradicate the infection; they are also extremely expensive and side effects after its consumption are usual. Moreover, they’re not easily accessible to millions of people around the world.
Nowadays’ main scientific and social challenge is the development of a HIV vaccine. The HIVACAT (Catalan Centre for HIV vaccine) Project for AIDS Research and Development is funded by Spanish bank Obra Social La Caixa, with an investment of 1.4 million euros on this project. Among other institutions that have provided financial support, there are: the Health and Innovation Department, Universities and Companies Department of Generalitat de Catalunya (Catalan Autonomic Government) as well as the Fundació Clínic, with an investment of € 400.000 each.
The project has been given an extra boost with this new agreement between ESTEVE and the AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa, and the 6 million euro investment that the group will bear during next 4 years. ESTEVE’s involvement in the research process will start soon as vaccine trial phase has been reached, taking care of the post-trial development up until its commercialization. The agreement is to be a pioneering partnership in this field between authorities, researchers, companies and banks.
HIVACAT brings a change of pace to the AIDS vaccine research process that has been carried out up until now. Up to date efforts have been exclusively focused on inducing cellular immunity; in other words, there hasn’t been a focus on generating antibodies in order to block the virus, a lack which has proven not to be enough for HIV virus neutralization.
HIVACAT research project focuses on “developing new vaccines that work in two different ways, therefore producing two types of immunological solutions. Firstly by generating antibodies that block and prevent the virus, and secondly by generating what’s known as a cellular the cytotoxic solution, where certain cells of the immune system recognise HIV infected cells and get rid of them”, explain Dr. Bonaventura Clotet, General Director of AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa and Head of the HIV unit at the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona, and Dr. José M. Gatell, General Director of the AIDS & Infectious Diseases Department at the Clínic Hospital in Barcelona.
HIVACAT is currently looking for individual safety and effectiveness aspects of several viral components purified in the lab that allow neutralizing antibodies and cytoxic solution to be activated. Once the elements that stimulate a suitable level of immunity, to generate each one of these solutions, have been identified they can be combined in such a way so the join effect gives a certain level of protection against HIV.
“Let’s say that, in about 4 years, the best vaccine candidates could be tried out on humans. And if it’s proven to be effective, in some 10 years time the vaccine could be put on the market, which would be a decisive step forward in the fight against this awful disease”, highlights HIVACAT Coordinator, Dr. Christian Brander, who left his job as a researcher at the University of Harvard in order to join the project.
A pioneer partnership between authorities, Universities and companies
One of the agreements’ main advantages is that “with ESTEVE’s involvement and commitment to the HIVACAT research project, they will be able to gain speed and efficiency in the development of new treatments and assure once research results have been obtained they are quickly developed up to the production stage of the new HIV vaccine”, says Antoni Esteve, ESTEVE’s General Director, who adds “partnership between public and private research’s main goal is to develop an AIDS vaccine that reaches any needed person”. The incorporation of the group to the HIVACAT Project will place ESTEVE on the frontline for International AIDS research and, at the same time, fill a relevant position as a committed and socially responsible company.
The following phases to overcome are also pretty straightforward. The more than 40 researchers that work at HIVACAT are to carry out a series of clinical trials aimed at developing the vaccine treatment that stops the progression of the virus in those already infected, and a preventive vaccine to prevent the infection in case of possible exposure to HIV. The challenge is huge, although the vaccine will be only partially active, it could help to considerably reduce numbers of infections linked to HIV.
Currently more than 33 million people around the world have HIV. According to the WHO, every year there are 2.5 million new cases, affecting mostly 35-45 year olds.
This last statistic, 2 million, corresponds to the amount of deaths worldwide due to AIDS in 2007. In Spain, since the start of the epidemic, a total of 74,885 AIDS cases have been reported (1,464 in 2007) and today Spain continues to have some of the highest numbers of AIDS cases in the whole of Europe.
ESTEVE’s bet for vaccines
One of ESTEVE’s core values is the development of innovative products and services. Although their own area of research focuses on the R&D of new molecules in the field of painkillers, the group’s bet on innovation is carried out via other activities. This way, ESTEVE has opened up its area of activities to preventive medicines, specifically in vaccines. Every day there are more and more diseases that could be prevented thanks to vaccines, and that is exactly why this field offers many an opportunity in terms of research. ESTEVE aims to play an important role in that research.
ESTEVE’s presence in the vaccine development area has become accessible in some part, via the commercialization (in 2000) of a wide portfolio of flu and meningitis jabs amongst others; and now, through the AIDS research project, the vaccine against AIDS. The company isn’t ruling out other possible ways of growth in this segment, which could involve either taking part in other D&R projects or, at some point in the future, production activities.
This new project is the result of both Esteve’s social responsibility commitment as well as researching vocation.
IrsiCaixa & AIDS research
AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa is a leading institution and reference point in Catalonia for the research and treatment of Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS). The centre is located in the Germans Trias i Pujol Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona). In 1995 it was founded as a non profit organization thanks to the Fundació La Caixa Foundation who had confidence in the institution, as well as the Health Department of the Autonomous Government of Catalonia.
Their objectives are to carry out, drive and increase medical research in health sciences and epidemiology, primarily AIDS and its causal factor, HIV. To do so they have developed scientific lines of research including molecular and cellular biology, in both their basic and applied aspects, and clinical retrovirology studies.
AIDS Research Institute IrsiCaixa is managed by Dr. Bonaventura Clotet. Its team of 50 researchers is committed to analyzing the correlation between the virus and the immune system, therefore aiming to reveal and understand the virus’ destruction mechanisms on the immune system, obtain a solution for HIV, and discover the antiretroviral drugs action mechanism.
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| Un nuevo estudio caracteriza variantes del VIH que causan casos fulminantes de SIDA rápidamente después de infectar personas con ciertas características genéticas |
2008-12-18
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Dos nuevos casos fulminantes de SIDA recuerdan que no debemos relajarnos en su prevención y que la enfermedad no siempre es crónica
El estudio describe los motivos que llevan a que la infección se desarrolle tan rápidamente
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El Instituto de Investigación del SIDA IrsiCaixa, ubicado en el Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, lidera un nuevo estudio que se publica hoy en la revista científica norteamericana Clinical Infectious Diseases en el que se concluye que en ciertos casos la infección por el virus causante del SIDA, el VIH, puede tener consecuencias muchos más graves e inmediatas de lo que se pensaba, sin que los tratamientos actuales puedan llegar a tiempo para ejercer un efecto suficiente, por lo que subraya la importancia de reforzar la prevención. En el trabajo han participado, junto con IrsiCaixa, constituido en 1995 por la Obra Social “la Caixa” y la Generalitat de Catalunya, investigadores de las Unidades de Pediatría y Microbiología del Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol de Badalona, de la Unidad de Medicina Interna del Hospital Arquitecto Marcide del Ferrol, y la Unidad de Enfermedades Infecciosas del Massachusetts General Hospital en Boston, que han aportado al estudio diferentes enfoques: desde la sintomatología clínica hasta aspectos virológicos, celulares y moleculares de la infección.
El estudio describe dos casos de pacientes muy jóvenes en los se les ha desarrollado el SIDA de forma tan rápida después de la infección por VIH, que los fármacos apenas han podido actuar, llevando a la muerte a uno de ellos en un periodo inferior a un mes. El trabajo caracteriza por primera vez la agresividad de los virus implicados en este tipo de infecciones y también sugiere explicaciones a la aparente incapacidad del sistema inmunitario de los pacientes para reaccionar de forma adecuada ante la infección. La detección posterior de nuevos casos lleva a pensar que no se trata de hechos totalmente aislados que no deban preocuparnos, sino que nos alertan de la importancia de prevenir esta infección.
Según el investigador Icrea de IrsiCaixa Javier Martínez-Picado que ha dirigido el trabajo, “se sabía que algunos pacientes habían desarrollado el SIDA de forma rápida después de la infección por VIH, pero no se sabía por qué ocurría y nunca habíamos visto casos tan severos en etapas tan próximas al contagio. Hemos visto que el SIDA se desarrolla muy rápidamente cuando coinciden dos motivos: que el VIH sea muy virulento y que la persona infectada tenga un perfil genético que le predisponga a contraer la enfermedad, y además, que este perfil genético sea coincidente con el de la persona que le infecta”.
Caracterización de la variante del VIH
El VIH utiliza dos posibles puertas de entrada en las células, los llamados receptores R5 o los X4. En la mayoría de los casos, el inicio de la infección se caracteriza por el predominio de virus que sólo usan de puerta de entrada el receptor R5 para infectar las células, mientras que las variantes virales que utilizan el receptor X4 emergen en etapas más avanzadas de la infección y se asocian con un pronunciado descenso las células T y con un mayor riesgo de desarrollo del SIDA.
En los casos descritos en este trabajo se ha observado que los pacientes se infectaron con virus especialmente agresivos con capacidad para entrar en las células del sistema inmunitario utilizando indistintamente el receptor R5 o el X4. Estos virus, a los que denominamos virus con tropismo dual o combinado R5/X4, dejaron a los pacientes a niveles prácticamente nulos de células T del sistema inmune.
Además, se observó que estas variantes del VIH presentaban una alta capacidad de replicación, es decir, de multiplicarse.
Perfiles genéticos coincidentes
En cuanto al perfil genético de los dos casos de estudio, se observó que ambos presentaban genes conocidos como HLA que, en estudios anteriores, ya habían sido asociados con alta predisposición a contraer la enfermedad y con rápida progresión a SIDA. Pero además, “el estudio demuestra que si los mismos tipos de HLA son compartidos entre la persona que actúa como fuente de infección y el infectado o receptor, es entonces cuando mutaciones de escape al sistema inmunitario generadas en el paciente fuente son transferidas al receptor. La coincidencia del perfil genético de HLA entre ambos individuos conllevará a que el sistema inmunitario del receptor sea incapaz de reconocer el virus mutante, facilitando la infección de todas las células del sistema inmunitario, hecho que se refuerza por la naturaleza dual-trópica del virus ya desde el inicio de la infección”, según Judith Dalmau, investigadora de IrsiCaixa.
El SIDA no es siempre una enfermedad crónica
En los últimos años, el tratamiento de la infección por el VIH ha avanzado a pasos agigantados, mejorando la calidad y la esperanza de vida de las personas infectadas. En consecuencia, la infección por VIH ha llegado a ser considerada una enfermedad crónica, por lo que se ha observado una relajación general en cuanto a la prevención. Un claro signo de esta situación ha sido el aumento de las infecciones por transmisión heterosexual, que ya suponen más de un 90% de las nuevas infecciones, sobretodo entre los más jóvenes. Este estudio demuestra que, aunque se está avanzando muy rápidamente en los tratamientos, el SIDA puede aparecer muy rápidamente tras la infección y por tanto la mejor herramienta para luchar contra esta enfermedad es la prevención. El análisis de estos casos aporta pistas para el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias terapéuticas.
IrsiCaixa
IrsiCaixa, impulsado por la Obra Social “la Caixa” y el Departamento de Salud de la Generalitat de Catalunya, se puso en marcha en 1995 y se ha convertido en uno de los laboratorios de investigación del SIDA más importantes del mundo. La inversión de la entidad financiera en el instituto supera este año el millón de euros, lo que eleva a más de 10 millones las aportaciones desde 1995.
“la Caixa”, 15 años de compromiso en la lucha contra el SIDA
Ya en 1993 ”la Caixa” puso en marcha varias líneas de actuación alrededor del SIDA que se han ido ampliando y potenciando año tras año y que, en estos momentos, abarcan desde el abanderado laboratorio IrsiCaixa hasta la exposición itinerante ¿Qué es el SIDA? La batalla del sistema inmunitario. La atención domiciliaria al enfermo y las campañas de prevención en las escuelas son también prueba evidente del compromiso mantenido por la entidad a lo largo de estos 15 años. Investigación, sensibilización, prevención y formación son los pilares de la ingente tarea que la Obra Social ”la Caixa” impulsa en este ámbito.
Referencia del artículo: Judith Dalmau, Maria Carmen Puertas, Marta Azuara, Ana Mariño, Nicole Frahm, Beatriz Mothe, Nuria Izquierdo-Useros, Maria José Buzón, Roger Paredes, Lourdes Matas, Todd M. Allen, Christian Brander, Carlos Rodrigo,2 Bonaventura Clotet, and Javier Martinez-Picado. Contribution of immunological and virological factors to extremely severe primary HIV-1 infection. Clinical Infetious Disease. Desembre 18, 2008.
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| Identificada la vía de entrada que utiliza el VIH para infectar las células del sistema inmune |
2008-10-22
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Un nuevo estudio, liderado por el investigador ICREA Javier Martínez-Picado del Institut de Recerca de la SIDA (IrsiCaixa), demuestra por primera vez cuál es la vía de entrada que utiliza el VIH cuando infecta las células del sistema inmune llamadas dendríticas, que se convierten en nuevos focos de infección en lugar de desarrollar su rol de erradicar el virus. Conocer esta vía de entrada es esencial para el desarrollo de nuevas estrategias terapéuticas para combatir el VIH. El estudio, que se publica hoy en la revista Blood, ha contado con la colaboración de las Unidades de Inmunología y Anatomía Patológica del Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol y del Departamento de Microbiología de la Universidad de Boston.
Cuando un patógeno entra en nuestro organismo, las células dendríticas juegan un papel clave en la organización de la respuesta inmune. Su función consiste en patrullar en el organismo y capturar a los agentes infecciosos que nos invaden. En condiciones normales, una vez que las dendríticas han capturado a patógenos tales como el Virus de la Inmunodeficiencia Humana (VIH), las células maduran y son capaces de degradarlos y presentarlos a su principal diana: los linfocitos T CD4+, que generan entonces anticuerpos específicos frente al agente invasor. No obstante, el nuevo descubrimiento, demuestra cómo el VIH puede entrar sin ser degradado e infectar las células dendríticas, escapando de la ruta habitual de degradación de patógenos y también del mecanismo de entrada viral clásico que utilizan otros virus.
Cuando las células dendríticas cargadas de virus entran en contacto con linfocitos T CD4+, en lugar de presentar virus degradado, liberan al exterior una gran cantidad de partículas virales competentes que infectan de forma altamente eficiente a los linfocitos T CD4+, las principales dianas de la infección por el VIH. De este modo, las dendríticas actúan como verdaderos caballos de Troya, y su contacto con los linfocitos T CD4+, que en un principio debería favorecer el establecimiento de una respuesta inmune adecuada frente al virus, se convierte en un escenario ideal para la infección de nuevas células y la progresión de la enfermedad.
El estudio demuestra por primera que el VIH utiliza la misma vía de entrada a las células dendríticas maduras que unas partículas llamadas exosomas que genera el sistema inmune para transmitir información sobre el tipo de agente infeccioso que nos ataca. Los exosomas tienen, entre otras funciones, la capacidad de estimular la respuesta inmune en zonas alejadas del foco de infección. De esta forma, las células dendríticas maduras son capaces de capturar e internalizar exosomas que viajan desde los focos de la infección, permitiendo que se transmitan a los linfocitos T CD4+ y que éstos produzcan en última instancia los anticuerpos necesarios para combatir la infección. Pero cuando las células dendríticas interiorizan el VIH por la vía de entrada de los exosomas, éstas se convierten en emisores de la infección a otras partes del organismo.
Según Martínez-Picado, “las similitudes que hemos encontrado entre el mecanismo de entrada del VIH y el mecanismo natural de entrada de las partículas del sistema immune llamadas exosomas, todavía no nos ayudan a poder diseñar una terapia para frenar uno de los mecanismos de diseminación de la infección más eficientes, ya que hay que diseñar una estrategia que sea capaz de frenar la entrada del VIH pero no la de los exosomas, que son imprescindibles para desarrollar una buena respuesta immunitaria. Para ello es necesario seguir trabajando en la búsqueda de un mecanismo molecular que los diferencie.”
El estudio también demuestra que los exosomas y el VIH se acumulan en el mismo compartimento o vesícula intracelular, y que su ruta de transmisión desde este compartimento intracelular a los linfocitos T CD4+, también tienen grandes similitudes.
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| Seminar "Perspectives on the genetic analysis of susceptibility in infectious diseases: possibilities and pitfalls" |
2008-02-28
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JaumeBertranpetit
BiologiaEvolutiva, CEXS
UniversitatPompeuFabra
PRBB (Barcelona BiomedicalResearchPark)
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monday March 3, 2008
12:00h Room 5, School of Medicine
Hospital Universitari Germans Triasi Pujol
Camí de les Escoles s/n
Badalona
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| Simposium irsiCaixa/HIVACAT 2007 |
2007-11-15
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Barcelona, 23 November 2007
CosmoCaixa: Teodor Roviralta, 47-51, Barcelona
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Our goal is to bring leading experts on AIDS together to discuss the latest news on HIV research, including vaccines and new treatments:
9:00 Welcome and Reception.
Chairman: Ch. Boucher, J.M. Gatell and B. Clotet
9:30 Moderador: J.M. Gatell / B. Clotet
> 09:30 - 10:00. Ch. Boucher
“Novel mechanism for boosted PI resistance”
> 10:00 - 10:30. J. Schapiro
“New targets, new drugs and new strategies:
CCR5, RAL, DRV, Etravirine”
> 10:30 - 11:00. Discussion
11:00 - 11:30 > Café
11:30 Moderador: B. Clotet / J.M. Gatell
> 11:30 - 12:00. B. Autran
“HIV Therapeutic Vaccines”
> 12:00 - 12:30. A. Telenti
“HIV Host genetics”
> 12:30 - 13:00. C. Brander
“New vaccine development”
> 13:00 - 13:30. M. Stevenson
“HIV Eradication, is it possible?”
> 13:30 - 14:00. Discussion |
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| 1st Workshop on HIV Immunology |
2007-06-06
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| Badalona, June 8th 2007
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The workshop is organized by HIVACAT, Programa Català d’investigació i Desenvolupament de Vacunes per la SIDA,
Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol (Fundació irsiCaixa) and
Hospital Clínic (Fundació Clínic)
The workshop will be held at the Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol
Aula Polivalent
Edifici de Recerca IGTP Ctra. de Can Ruti, Camí de les Escoles
Contact Cecilia Alcaraz 93-4656374 |
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| Workshop "Immunogens for HIV vaccine and dendritic cells" |
2006-12-17
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Hospital Clínic, Barcelona
December 18, 2006
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9.00 h. Welcome.
Joan Rodes. General Manager. Hospital Clínic. Barcelona
José M Gatell. Hospital Clínic. Barcelona. Spain
Bonaventura Clotet. Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol. IRSICAIXA, Badalona.
9.10 h. Objective of the meeting.
Felipe García. Hospital Clínic. Barcelona. Spain
FIRST PART: DENDRITIC CELLS MODEL
9.20 h. An ex vivo model to investigate the interaction of HIV immunogens with dendritic cells and their capacity to induce HIV-specific immune responses in autologous T-cells from non-advanced HIV-infected patients
Teresa Gallart. Hospital Clínic. Barcelona. Spain
9. 40 h. A model for first screening of HIV immunogens in vitro using simplest cellular assays.
Montserrat Plana. Hospital Clínic. Barcelona. Spain
10. 00 h. Influence of mode of administration and the choice of adyuvants in animal model of vaccination. Relevance of targeting of vaccines toward DC.
Behazine Combadiere. Université Pierre et Marie Curie. Paris. France
10.20 h. Evaluation of vaccine efficacy in macaques against mucosal challenge.
Roger Le Grand. Service of Neurovirology. Medical Research Department. Life Science Direction of the French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA). Paris. France
10. 40 h. DC maduration and HIV transmission. Relevance for a MDDC based therapeutic vaccination.
Javier Martínez-Picado. Hospital Germans Trias I Pujol. IRSICAIXA, Badalona. Spain
11.00 h. Break coffee
SECOND PART: HIV IMMUNOGENS TO BE USED TO PULSE MDDC
Autologous or recombinant vector of HIV
11.30 h. Heat inactivated autologous HIV.
Cristina Gil. Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain.
11. 45 h. AT-2 inactivated autologous HIV.
Jeff Lifson. National Cancer Institute, Frederick, USA.
12. 00 h. Infectious but non-replicative HIV virions by deletion of reverse transcriptase gene (RT) in NL.4.3 strain (NL-4.3-RT), and other NL-4.3-RT)-derived recombinant chimeric virions that will bear the HIV genes of patients (gag, nef, env) as well as chimeric and pseudotyped virions with the envelope of VSV-G
José Alcamí. Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Sonsoles Sánchez. Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
Virus and Bacterial vectors
12.15 h. Modified Pox virus, strain MVA clade -B (expressing HIV-1 Bx08gp120 and IIIB gagpolnef)
Mariano Esteban. Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Madrid. Spain.
12. 30 h. BCG recombinant, expressing HIV-1 gag, pol y env subtipo B
Joan Joseph. Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain.
Nanoparticles and dendrimers
12.45 h. Biodegradable synthetic colloidal carrier made of poly-lactic acid (PLA) nanoparticles covered with adsorbed antigens.
Bernard Verrier. INSERM. Lyon. France
13. 00 h. “Pseudovirus” consisting of carbosilane dendrímers conjugated to peptides of the main components of HIV
María Angeles Muñoz. Hospital Gregorio Marañon, Madrid. Spain.
13. 15 h. Multivalent peptido-glycodendritic systems expressing HIV antigens.
Rafael Delgado. Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid. Spain.
13. 30 h LUNCH
15. 00 h – 16. 30 h. THIRD PART:
Teresa Gallart. Discussion and schedule of testing of immunogens in “in vitro” models.
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| Presentation of the "Centre Català d'Investigació i Desenvolupament de vacunes per a la sida (HIVACAT)" Catalan Center for AIDS Vaccine Research Development |
2006-09-02
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| The Catalan Ministries of Health, Education and Universities, The Obra Social of "Caixa" and the IDIBAPS-Fundació Clínic contributed to the creation of this new center
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| http://www.gencat.net/salut/depsan/units/sanitat/html/ca/premsa/doc11114.html |
| The international consortium EuroCHAVI will study the genetics of HIV immune response |
2006-06-22
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| A pioneer collaboration between USA, Europe and Austràlia
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| The project is aimed to identify genetic differences involved in the immune resposne to HIV infection. The Hospitals Clínic and Germans Trias i Pujol from Barcelona are the Spanish centers that will participate in this study, that will be coordinated by the Duke University and funded by the NIH. |
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| Research Award |
2006-06-19
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| The NEW AIDS most highly cited authors
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The NEW AIDS most highly cited author award 2006 for the Clinical Science section of the journal. This award recognises authors of the most highly cited scientific paper of 2004 published in AIDS over the period 2002 to 2003 (based on data analysis from Thomson Scientific (formerly ISI) Journal Citation Reports® data) and will be awarded at the XVIth International AIDS Conference, 13 - 18 August 2006, Toronto, Canada. This will become an annual award to recognise excellence in research published in this journal.
The most highly cited paper is:
Clinical utility of HIV-1 genotyping and expert advice: the Havana trial
published in AIDS vol 16, issue 2, pp 209-218, January 25, 2002.
The award will comprise of a certificate signed by the Editor-in-Chief Jay Levy, as well as the other Editors; Brigitte Autran, Roel Coutinho and John Phair and a cheque for USD$500
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| The Fundació irsiCaixa commemorates its tenth anniversary. |
2006-02-03
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| What we did during the last 10 years?
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We have prepared a brief presentation of our main activities, not only scientific but also educational and informative.
We also wish to show you the new challenges of the Fundació irsiCaixa in the near future.
You will find all this information by following the link "irsiCaixa 10 years of research on HIV/AIDS” located in our homepage. |
| http://www.irsicaixa.org/catalan/index.php3# |
| SEMINAR, March 8, 2006 (12:00): RNA interference gene therapy for AIDS patients |
2006-01-31
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Prof. Dr. Ben Berkhout
Department of Human Retrovirology, University of Amsterdam, Academic Medical Center, The Netherlands
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Room 1 (Library)
Hospital Universitari Germans Trias i Pujol, Ctra del Canyet s/n, Badalona
How to arrive? |
| http://www.irsicaixa.org/catalan/about/a_maps.html |
| UNAIDS/WHO AIDS Epidemic Update 2005 report launched |
2005-12-02
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| HIV INFECTION RATES DECREASING IN SEVERAL COUNTRIES BUT GLOBAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV CONTINUES TO RISE
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| There were an additional five million new infections in 2005. The number of people living with HIV globally has reached its highest level with an estimated 40.3 million people, up from an estimated 37.5 million in 2003. More than three million people died of AIDS-related illnesses in 2005; of these, more than 500000 were children |
| http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp |
Guerau Fernàndez Isern, PhD Dissertation:
"High Resolution of the Genetic and Phenotypic Structure of the HIV-1 quasispecies"
(December 1, 12:30 am) |
2005-11-22
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| Defense of the PhD Dissertation by Guerau Fernàndez Isern on December 1 (12:30 am) at the Dissertation room of the new School of Medicine - University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol. |
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| V International Workshop on HIV Eradication 11/11/05 |
2005-11-02
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| Open to all attendees. Registration is free (please contact CAlcaraz@irsicaixa.es)
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Program:
· Dr. Douglas Richman
University of California San Diego (UCSD), La Jolla, EEUU
· Dr. Giuseppe Pantaleo
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Suiza
· Dr. Jonathan Schapiro
Stanford University, San Francisco, EEUU
· Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes
Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Cambridge, Massachusetts, EEUU
· Dr. Amalio Telenti
Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, Lausanne, Suiza
· Dr. Luis Menéndez-Arias
Centro de Biología Molecular Severo Ochoa, Madrid
· Dr. Jan Van Lunzen
Medizinische Kernklinik, Univerdad de Hamburgo, Alemania
· Dr. Charles Boucher
Utrecht University, Utrech, Holanda
· Dr. Franco Lori
Research Institute for Genetic and Human Therapy, Washington, EEU / Pavia, Italia
· Dra. Brigitte Autran
Groupe Hospitalier Pitié-Salpêtriere, París, France
· Dr. Pedro Cahn
Presidente de la “International AIDS Society”
· Dr. José A Esté
· Dr. Miguel Ángel Martínez
· Dra. Lidia Ruiz
· Dra. Margarita Bofill
· Dr. Julià Blanco
· Dr. Javier Martínez-Picado
Fundació irsiCaixa
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Julia García Prado PhD Dissertation:
"HIV-1 Fitness Variations during Antiretroviral Therapy"
(September 26, 12 am) |
2005-09-14
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| Defense of the PhD Dissertation by Julia García Prado on September 26 (12 am) at the Dissertation room of the new School of Medicine - University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol. |
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| New cases of AIDS in Spain (2004) |
2005-08-25
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| The Spanish Ministry of Health considers a total of 2,071 new cases of AIDS in 2004, 6.6% less than in 2003. A 45.7% of these new cases were due to sexual HIV transmission
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AIDS cases associated to the shared use of syringes between drug users has diminished, but those due to sexual transmission remain stable. Among new AIDS patients that ignored its condition of HIV carriers, a 57.7% contracted the infection by sexual route
The early diagnosis of the infection by HIV is key to reduce the incidence of AIDS. For this reason, the Spanish Ministry of Health recommends to the people who had unsafe sex with new or occasional partners, as well as to the pregnant women, to test HIV seroconversion.
Since the extension of the new antiretrovirals treatments at the end of 1996, AIDS incidence has diminished a 69%, although Spain is still one of the more affected countries of Western Europe
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| http://cne.isciii.es/htdocs/sida/sidavih.htm |
| New UNAIDS report unveils latest global epidemic trends |
2004-07-07
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| 1.1 million people infected with HIV in Asia last year alone
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UNAIDS warned that the number of people living with HIV, the virus
that causes AIDS, has risen in every region of the world and last year five million people
became newly infected with HIV -- more people than any previous year.
These findings are contained in the 2004 UNAIDS Report of the global AIDS epidemic,
released today in advance of the XV International AIDS Conference, to be held in Bangkok
from 11-16 July 2004. The new report represents the most accurate picture of AIDS to date
due to the more comprehensive country surveillance data and improved methods for
estimating HIV rates.
“Despite increased funding, political commitment and progress in expanding access to HIV
treatment over the past two years, the AIDS epidemic continues to outpace the global
response, “ said Dr Peter Piot, UNAIDS Executive Director, at the press launch of the report.
Since the 2002 AIDS Conference in Barcelona, more than nine million people have become
infected and six million have died of AIDS. “These numbers demonstrate the enormity of the
challenge in both preventing millions of infections and treating those living with HIV,” added
Dr Piot. “Until we recognize AIDS as the development and security issue of our time, we will
not succeed in beating the epidemic.”
The number of people living with HIV continues to grow – from 35 million in 2001 to 38
million in 2003. The 2004 UNAIDS report highlights the latest global trends and, for the first
time, features revised HIV prevalence rates for previous years, allowing for a better
understanding of how the epidemic is spreading.
For the first time, the report compares new estimates for 2003 with revised estimates for
2001 based on improved methodologies. This is the best way we know how to obtain a more
accurate picture of the AIDS epidemic. Although the new global estimates are slightly lower
than the previously published estimates, the actual number of people living with HIV has not
decreased; rather the epidemic continues to grow based on revised 2001 estimates.
“There is no time to misread the signals, with Asia facing life and death choices in preventing
a full-blown AIDS catastrophe in the region,” said Dr Piot. “Equally alarming, infections in
Africa continue to increase and people are dying in large numbers.” |
| http://www.unaids.org/en/default.asp |
| XV International AIDS Conference |
2004-07-07
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| Bangkok 11-16 July 2004
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The Conference will feature a unified program with abstract-driven and non-abstract driven sessions. The abstract program will comprise of 5 tracks:
Track A: Basic Science
Track B: Clinical Research, Treatment and Care
Track C: Epidemiology and Prevention
Track D: Social and Economic Issues
Track E: Policy and Program Implementation
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| http://www.aids2004.org |
| The irsiCaixa Foundation is participating in the educational project "SIDA Saber Ajuda" |
2003-12-17
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| The irsiCaixa Foundation is participating in the educational project "SIDA Saber Ajuda" throught the publication of summary articles related to AIDS and its etiological agent the HIV. |
| http://www.sidasaberajuda.com/nouc/index.html |
| Structured interruption of treatment did not confer immunologic or virologic benefits in patients infected with multidrug-resistant HIV |
2003-10-02
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| Published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases vol 188 pages 977-985(October 2003)
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| We evaluated the efficacy of a 5-drug salvage regimen, preceded by a 12-week, structured treatment interruption (STI), in 46 multidrug-treated, human immunodeficiency virus type 1–infected patients with detectable viremia. Patients were randomly assigned to receive a 5-drug salvage regimen immediately or after 12 weeks of STI. No differences in CD4 cell counts were seen between groups at week 48. A complete reversion to wild-type genotype was detected in 35% of patients in the interuption group, but this phenomenon did not affect the virological response. The only overall baseline factor associated with ensuing virus suppression was a lower number of nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor–resistant mutations. A prior STI seems to confer no additional benefit to subsequent virological or immunological outcomes of a salvage regimen. |
| http://www.irsicaixa.org/english/research/abstract.php3?codigo=249 |
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