International Conference on Hepatitis B Virus

描述（由申请人提供）：B型肝炎病毒（HBV）仍然是主要的公共卫生问题 问题.全世界有3.5亿慢性携带者， 治疗虽然重组亚单位疫苗是可用的，但大约10%的免疫接种者 人群是疫苗无应答者。事实上，在世界范围内观察到5-10%的疫苗失败率。 在过去的十年中，HBV分子生物学和免疫学的基础科学已经取得了实质性的进展;然而，我们的进展可以通过体外感染系统的发展，通过更好地理解慢性化和肝癌发生的机制，以及通过阐明自然发生的HBV变异体的功能意义和几种神秘病毒蛋白的作用来更快地推进。拟议的会议，不同于临床导向的会议，旨在聚集约200名科学家，研究HBV和相关动物模型病毒的不同方面，从基础分子生物学到免疫学和致病性，共同讨论最新的概念和技术进展。自1985年以来每年举行一次，2002年HBV会议将由Chiaho Shih博士和Volker Volkers博士组织;他们将由一个专家HBV科学家小组担任12个讲座和两个海报会议的主席。2002年将再次强调让更多妇女和少数民族担任领导职务的计划。此外，还计划举办三个研讨会：1）一个将致力于初级研究人员的职业发展主题; 2）第二个将侧重于神秘蛋白质，如e抗原和preS 2 包膜蛋白; 3）第三个将致力于肝细胞癌（HCC），重点是经常被分子生物学家忽视的重要问题。口头会议的主题将包括：转录;复制;结构蛋白和受体;调节蛋白;肝细胞癌; HBV变异，丁型肝炎病毒;和持久性，发病机制，预防和治疗，免疫学。每届会议将包括4-8场会谈，从主席同行审查的提交摘要中选出。除了高级研究人员的演讲外，还特别鼓励年轻科学家参加讲座和海报会议。最后，两个基调 讲者将主讲肝脏干细胞及肝脏再生的生物学，以及与嗜肝DNA病毒家族密切相关的结构生物学或细胞生物学。HBV、肝病学和肝癌是NIAID、NIDDK和NCI研究使命的主要主题，这是同类会议中唯一的年度HBV会议。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Hepatitis B virus (HBV) remains a major public health problem. There are 350 million chronic carriers worldwide, and there is no effective therapeutic treatment. While a recombinant subunit vaccine is available, approximately 10% of the immunized population are vaccine non-responders. In fact, a 5-10% vaccine failure rate is observed worldwide. Substantial progress in the basic science in HBV molecular biology and immunology has been made over the past decade; however, our progress can be more rapidly advanced by the development of an in vitro infection system, by a better understanding of' the mechanisms of chronicity and hepatocarcinogenesis, as well as by elucidating the functional significance of naturally occurring HBV variants and the role of several mysterious viral proteins. The proposed conference, distinct from clinically-oriented meetings, is intended to gather about 200 scientists, studying different aspects of HBV and related animal model viruses, from basic molecular biology to immunology and pathogenicity, for joint discussion of the latest conceptual and technical advances. Held annually since 1985, the 2002 HBV Meeting will be organized by Drs. Chiaho Shih and Volker Bruss; they will be assisted by a panel of expert HBV scientists acting as chairpersons for 12 lecture and two poster sessions. Plans to involve more women and minorities in leadership positions will be emphasized again in 2002. In addition, three workshops are planned: 1) one will be dedicated to the topic of career development for junior investigators; 2) the second will focus on mysterious proteins, such as e antigen and preS2 envelope proteins; 3) the third will be dedicated to hepatocellular carcinoma, (HCC), with an emphasis on important issues often overlooked by molecular biologists. The topics of the oral session will include: transcription; replication; structural proteins and receptors; regulatory proteins; hepatocellular carcinoma; HBV variants, hepatitis delta virus; and persistence, pathogenesis, prophylaxis and therapy, and immunology. Each session will be comprised of 4-8 talks, selected from submitted abstracts peer-reviewed by the chairpersons. In addition to presentations by senior investigators, younger scientists will be particularly encouraged to participate in the lecture and poster sessions. Finally, two keynote speakers will be invited to lecture on the biology of liver stem cells and liver regeneration, as well as on the structural biology or cell biology closely related to the hepadnavirus family. HBV, hepatology, and liver cancer are major topics in the research mission of NIAID, NIDDK, and NCI, and this is the only annual HBV meeting of its kind.