Immune Modulatory Interventions In People With HIV And Cancer: Prevention, Treatment, And Implications For HIV Eradication.
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,644.00
Summary
People with HIV are at increased risk of many cancers. New therapies that target the immune system may be useful in treating these cancers, and may also target the cells where HIV persists thereby assisting in eradication of HIV. This research program includes three clinical studies in people with HIV and cancer: one to learn more about their immunity; one to prevent, and one to treat certain cancers by modulating the immune system. Each also explores any effect on HIV eradication.
Understanding The Establishment Of HIV Reservoirs And Development Of HIV Eradication Strategies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$380,891.00
Summary
Understanding why, when, how and at what pace the HIV virus hides and establishes itself in one's body will allow us to design new ways for preventing and eliminating this reservoir of hidden HIV. As a clinician scientist in HIV and infectious diseases, I will drive clinical studies to explore the kinetics of HIV in patients who recently acquired HIV, those who start HIV treatment early, and those chronically infected with HIV so as to investigate novel means to minimise HIV hiding spots.
HIV Pre-exposure Prophylaxis In Men Who Have Sex With Men: Investigating Impacts On HIV Incidence And Novel Methods Of Engagement
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$318,768.00
Summary
HIV infections are increasing in gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) in Australia and Indonesia. A promising new HIV prevention strategy is HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which involves HIV-negative individuals taking one pill containing HIV treatments per day to prevent infection. PrEP is highly effective when taken correctly. Access to PrEP is currently very limited. Studies to investigate the best ways to implement PrEP services are required in Australia and Indonesia.
People With HIV Still Die Young – Preventing Non-AIDS-associated Comorbidity
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,768.00
Summary
There are over 36 million people in the world infected with HIV. While people with HIV can now live an almost normal life through the use of medication, they have a very high risk of heart problems, cancer and other common illnesses. It is important to find ways of reducing the cost of treating these common illnesses and to make sure that people with HIV can live a long, happy life. This project aims to find the best ways to stop people with HIV getting heart trouble or dying from liver cancer.
Characterising The Genotypic And Phenotypic Properties Of The HIV-1 Viral Reservoir
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$316,819.00
Summary
Current drug treatments can not eradicate HIV from the body. This is because HIV can infect and establish a latent or “silent” infection in long-lived cells of the immune system that can re-emerge out of these cells when drug treatment is stopped. This project aims to find out how these cells become infected and what type of HIV is infecting them. The results from this study will help us better understand the latent infection and will help researchers design ways to eradicate HIV.
Human Papillomavirus Infection In Gay Australian Men: Natural History Of The Serological Response And The Relationship Between Seropositivity, Risk Factors And Anal Disease
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$185,822.00
Summary
Anal cancer rates are increasing globally. Gay men are 20 times more likely than other men to develop anal cancer and for those people living with HIV, the risk is even higher. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have been shown to cause anal cancer. This research explores the natural history of anal HPV infection and the relationship between HPV infection and anal cancer. These results will potentially inform the development of guidelines for an anal cancer screening program for gay Australian men.
Enhancing The Cascade Of HIV Care To Maximise The Prevention Benefits Of Antiretroviral Therapy For Populations Living With HIV
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$344,644.00
Summary
Antiretroviral drugs are effective at preventing death and illness for populations with HIV and preventing HIV transmission. I will undertake a series of studies to measure the impact of current antiretroviral treatment to prevent both illness and new infections in Australia. I will also undertake a series of studies to increase HIV testing, diagnose HIV earlier, and improve people’s linkage and retention HIV in care and evaluate the impact of these interventions on HIV transmission.
Combining Laboratory And Computational Approaches To Develop Reliable Low Cost HIV Prognostics
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$314,644.00
Summary
Certain anti-HIV drugs called "CCR5 antagonists" block HIV entry into immune cells. However, HIV drug-resistance can occur. Globally, patient access to CCR5 antagonists has been limited because the pre-treatment laboratory test required to determine HIV drug-resistant is expensive and time-consuming. My research will lead to development of computer programs that reliably, rapidly and cheaply determine HIV drug-resistance and thus greatly improve patient access to CCR5 antagonists worldwide.
Eliminating Excess Cardiovascular Risk In People Living With HIV
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$402,396.00
Summary
People living with HIV have two times the risk of having a heart attack compared with the general population. Some of this risk is due to damage cause by inflammation that the HIV virus stimulates, but side effects of anti-HIV medications also play a part. This project will try two new strategies aimed at reducing inflammation and blocking the side effects of anti-HIV medications with the aim of reducing the risk of heart attack in people with HIV.
Innate Immune Effector Recruiting Potential Of HIV-1 Human Vaccine Induced Antibodies
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$333,018.00
Summary
A HIV vaccine is urgently needed. A recent human HIV vaccine trial has indicated that Antibody Dependent Cellular Cyotoxicity (ADCC) may be protective. Understanding the role of ADCC HIV-specific antibodies in the context of vaccination has now become one of the most critical questions in HIV vaccine research today. This research aims to comprehensively study ADCC in samples from various HIV Vaccine trials to develop improved vaccine strategies to prevent the devastating consequences of HIV/AIDS ....A HIV vaccine is urgently needed. A recent human HIV vaccine trial has indicated that Antibody Dependent Cellular Cyotoxicity (ADCC) may be protective. Understanding the role of ADCC HIV-specific antibodies in the context of vaccination has now become one of the most critical questions in HIV vaccine research today. This research aims to comprehensively study ADCC in samples from various HIV Vaccine trials to develop improved vaccine strategies to prevent the devastating consequences of HIV/AIDS.Read moreRead less