New Orleans Adolescent Medicine Trials Unit

描述(由申请人提供)：新奥尔良青少年医学试验单位(ATU)是一个建议的(也是目前的)合作临床地点，用于艾滋病毒/艾滋病干预青少年医学试验网络(ATN)的活动，这是一项全国性的研究工作。ATN的主要任务是独立或与其他现有研究网络和调查人员合作，对感染艾滋病毒或有感染艾滋病毒风险的青春期前、青少年和年轻人进行研究。这项研究的公共卫生目标是支持通过一级、二级和三级预防来限制艾滋病毒在年轻人中的影响和传播。研究结果将有助于让个人和社区了解对受艾滋病毒影响最严重的年轻人来说是可接受和有效的艾滋病毒预防战略。新奥尔良ATU计划通过继续开发连接到保护：新奥尔良(C2P)来继续初级预防研究。C2P：新奥尔良正在开发一个以社区为基础的基础设施，以支持评估行为、疫苗和其他生物医学模式的临床试验，这些试验是为新奥尔良最有可能感染和传播艾滋病毒的年轻人，特别是非裔美国年轻女性量身定做的。计划包括对这一过程的评估，对这个社区有效行为程序的翻译，对社区关于临床试验的教育方法，对疫苗和杀微生物剂等生物医学进步的可接受性、使用和效果的教育。计划进行二级预防研究，以保护感染艾滋病毒的青年的健康和功能。研究包括：诸如短周期抗逆转录病毒疗法和评估乙肝免疫接种时间表等管理战略；对关键领域的调查，如生长和成熟阶段治疗的长期效果、青少年特有的艾滋病毒发病机制、在疫苗和免疫疗法影响下的免疫恢复；解决诸如艾滋病毒引起的恶性肿瘤等共病问题的战略；以及促进遵守药物疗法和防止艾滋病毒传播给他人的战略。三级预防研究的目的是改善对病情严重或几乎没有剩余治疗选择的青年的临床管理。每项研究都需要自己独特的方法，所有研究都需要跨学科的合作，以解决艾滋病毒感染和高危人群的复杂性。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The New Orleans Adolescent Medicine Trials Unit (ATU) is a proposed (and current) collaborating clinical site for the activities of the Adolescent Medicine Trials Network for HIV/AIDS Interventions (ATN), a national research effort. The primary mission of the ATN is to conduct research, both independently and in collaboration with other existing research networks and investigators, in pre-adolescents, adolescents and young adults who are HIV infected or are at risk for HIV infection. The public health goal of this research effort is to support limitation of the impact and spread of HIV among young people through primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Research results will serve to inform individuals and communities about HIV prevention strategies that are acceptable and effective for young people most affected by HIV. The New Orleans ATU plans to continue primary prevention research through the continued development of Connect to Protect: New Orleans (C2P). C2P: New Orleans is developing a community-based infrastructure to support clinical trials evaluating behavioral, vaccine and other biomedical modalities tailored for New Orleans youth most at risk for HIV infection and transmission, particularly African-American young women. Plans include evaluation of this process, of translation of effective behavioral programs in this community, of ways of educating the community about clinical trials, of acceptability, use and effect of biomedical advances such as vaccines and microbicides. Secondary prevention studies are planned to preserve the health and functioning of HIV-infected youth. Studies include: management strategies such as short-cycle ARV therapy and evaluation of HBV immunization schedules; investigations of key areas such as long-term effects of therapies during growth and maturation, adolescent-specific HIV pathogenesis, and immune recovery under the influence of vaccine and immune-based therapies; strategies to address co-morbidities such as HIV-induced malignancies; and strategies to promote adherence to medical therapies and prevention of HIV transmission to others. Tertiary prevention studies are aimed at improving the clinical management of youth who present very ill or have few remaining therapeutic options. Each study will require its own unique methods, and all will require interdisciplinary collaborations to address the complexity of HIV infected and at-risk populations.