Interdisciplinary Training in Virology and Gene Therapy

病毒学和基因治疗跨学科培训

• 批准号: 7693990
• 负责人: REN SUN
• 金额: $ 23.07万
• 依托单位: UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-01 至 2014-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/7693990
• 关键词: Training; gene therapy; virology

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Developments in virology have led to the advancement of several disciplines, including gene therapy. Gene therapy holds promise of therapeutic options for a variety of diseases. The key issue in gene therapy is the development of delivery vehicles. To fulfill the national need, the UCLA Virology and Gene Therapy Training Program aims to provide a unique and outstanding environment for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees pursuing research careers in fields related to gene therapy. This Program will establish a solid training in fundamental virology and its applications in gene therapy. The research interests of our faculty encompass viral entry, viral gene expression regulation, replication of viral genome, cell biology during viral infection, viral particle assembly, viral carcinogenesis and viral immunology, as well as designing novel vectors and tracking viral vectors in vivo. With strong basic research programs on retroviruses, adenoviruses, SV40, hepatitis C, poliovirus, influenza virus and herpesviruses, our faculty has been and will be continuously developing viral vectors from these viruses and monitoring gene expression in vivo using non-invasive imaging technologies. The trainees will be exposed to clinical and diagnostic issues during their training to assist the therapeutic applications of their research projects, and be encouraged to form translational collaborations with basic and clinical mentors. This bridge in training environment will enhance the translation from basic science to clinical application in gene therapy. The training program constitutes 1) original research work with one or more of our faculty; 2) formal course work which provides comprehensive background on virology, gene therapy, and imaging; and 3) regular research conferences and seminars, presented by invited guest speakers, faculty members and trainees. The training committee will select trainees via a competitive process. Appointments are renewable with satisfactory progress (up to three years predoctoral, 2 years postdoctoral). At UCLA, this rigorous training program with emphasis on vertical integration of basic sciences and therapeutic applications produces the scientists required for long-term development of virology and gene therapy. RELEVANCE: One of the most promising fields of medical advancement is gene therapy, in which changes to genes are introduced to correct genetic issues that lead to human disease development, including cancer, AIDS, and immune disorders. Because of the natural ability of viruses to deliver genes to cells in another organism, they are used as the vector to deliver the new genes to a patient. This training program is designed to produce future scientists in the fields of virology and gene therapy that will be able to design, new, more effective virus vectors, understand how to apply these vectors to human diseases and ensure that new gene therapies are available in the future.

描述（由申请人提供）： 病毒学的发展导致了几个学科的进步，包括基因治疗。基因治疗为多种疾病的治疗选择带来了希望。基因治疗的关键问题是载体的开发。为了满足国家的需要，UCLA病毒学和基因治疗培训计划旨在为在基因治疗相关领域从事研究工作的博士前和博士后学员提供一个独特而出色的环境。该计划将建立一个坚实的基础病毒学及其在基因治疗中的应用培训。我们的教师的研究兴趣包括病毒进入，病毒基因表达调控，病毒基因组的复制，病毒感染过程中的细胞生物学，病毒颗粒组装，病毒致癌和病毒免疫学，以及设计新型载体和体内追踪病毒载体。凭借对逆转录病毒，腺病毒，SV 40，丙型肝炎，脊髓灰质炎病毒，流感病毒和疱疹病毒的强大基础研究计划，我们的教师已经并将继续从这些病毒中开发病毒载体，并使用非侵入性成像技术监测体内基因表达。学员将在培训期间接触临床和诊断问题，以协助其研究项目的治疗应用，并鼓励与基础和临床导师形成翻译合作。这种培训环境中的桥梁将促进基因治疗从基础科学到临床应用的转化。该培训计划包括1）与我们的一个或多个教师的原创研究工作; 2）正式的课程工作，提供病毒学，基因治疗和成像的全面背景;和3）定期的研究会议和研讨会，由特邀演讲嘉宾，教师和学员提出。培训委员会将通过竞争程序挑选受训人员。奖学金是可再生的，并取得令人满意的进展（最多三年博士前，2年博士后）。在加州大学洛杉矶分校，这个严格的培训计划，重点是基础科学和治疗应用的垂直整合，产生病毒学和基因治疗的长期发展所需的科学家。 相关性：医学进步最有前途的领域之一是基因治疗，其中基因的变化被引入以纠正导致人类疾病发展的遗传问题，包括癌症，艾滋病和免疫紊乱。由于病毒具有将基因传递给另一种生物体细胞的天然能力，因此它们被用作将新基因传递给患者的载体。该培训计划旨在培养病毒学和基因治疗领域的未来科学家，他们将能够设计新的，更有效的病毒载体，了解如何将这些载体应用于人类疾病，并确保新的基因疗法在未来可用。