Conference on HIV and the Nervous System

描述（由申请人提供）：建议在2010年10月、2012年6月和2013年10月举行一系列关于艾滋病毒和神经系统的三次会议，间隔18个月。这些会议将与国际神经病毒学会会议一起举行。每个关于艾滋病毒和神经系统的会议将有6个全体会议，有两个发言者/全体会议，海报会议，培训会议和选定摘要平台会议的研究人员。这是唯一一次将基础和临床研究人员聚集在一起的会议，以解决与大脑中病毒库的建立和根除，HIV感染神经系统并发症生物标志物的开发以及开发新治疗方法的方法有关的问题。最新进展的发现，在艾滋病毒相关的神经系统疾病（手）的病理生理机制将进行讨论。会议将提供一个很好的机会，与其他神经病毒学家的互动，调查其他病毒感染的神经发病机制，其中病毒潜伏期和神经元功能障碍的类似问题正在解决。特别强调神经炎症在介导这些疾病中的作用以及可能具有治疗重要性的靶点。人们越来越认识到，尽管用抗逆转录病毒药物对艾滋病毒感染进行了外周控制，但绝大多数患者仍存在HAND。这对社会产生了巨大的社会经济后果，因为这些患者现在可以活很多年，尽管神经功能逐渐下降。然而，到目前为止，没有有效的治疗方法，临床试验非常需要可靠的替代标志物。由于这些原因，拟议的会议将在推进新概念和围绕共同目标开展合作方面发挥重要和关键的作用。在这些会议的规划和组织方面投入了巨大的努力，以保持高科学标准。组织者还认识到，艾滋病毒感染不成比例地涉及少数群体，但来自少数群体的研究人员在科学界的代表性不足。因此，妇女和少数民族参与了这次会议的各级规划和组织工作。 公共卫生相关性：随着抗逆转录病毒药物的广泛使用，艾滋病毒感染的神经系统表现模式发生了巨大变化。尽管病毒载量得到了很好的控制，但在绝大多数患者中，轻度认知障碍继续存在并进展。其根本原因尚不清楚，迄今为止没有有效的治疗方法。将来自世界各地的研究人员聚集在一起，专注于调查这些问题，是产生新想法和实现重要突破的过程的重要组成部分。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): A series of three conferences are proposed 18 months apart to be held in Oct 2010, June 2012 and Oct 2013 on HIV and the Nervous System. These conferences will be held in conjunction with the International Society of Neurovirology meetings. Each of the conferences on HIV and the Nervous System will feature 6 plenary sessions, with two speakers/ plenary session, poster sessions, investigators in training sessions and platform sessions for selected abstracts. This is the only conference of its kind that will bring together basic and clinical researchers to address issues related to the establishment and eradication of viral reservoirs in the brain, development of biomarkers for neurological complications of HIV infection and the approaches towards development of novel therapeutic approaches. The latest advances in the discovery of the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms involved in the HIV associated neurological disorders (HAND) will be discussed. The conference will provide an excellent opportunity for interactions with other neurovirologists investigating the neuropathogenesis of other viral infections, where similar issues of viral latency and neuronal dysfunction are being addressed. Particular emphasis will be on the role of neuroinflammation in mediating these diseases and the targets that could be of therapeutic importance. There is increased awareness that HAND is present in the vast majority of patients despite peripheral control of HIV infection with antiretroviral drugs. This has enormous socio-economic consequences on society since these patients now live for many years despite progressive decline in neurological function. Yet, to date there in no effective treatment and the clinical trials are in great need for reliable surrogate markers. For these reasons, the proposed conferences will play an important and a critical part in advancing new concepts and collaborations focused on a common goal. A huge amount of effort has been put into the planning and organization of these conferences to maintain a high scientific standard. The organizers also recognize that HIV infection disproportionately involves minority populations, yet researchers from minority populations are underrepresented in the scientific community. Hence women and minorities have been included at all levels of planning and organization of this conference. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: With the wide spread use of antiretroviral drugs, the pattern of neurological manifestations of HIV infection has drastically changed. Despite excellent control of viral load mild cognitive impairment continues to persist and progress in the vast majority of these patients. The underlying causes remain unclear and to date there is no effective treatment. Bringing together researchers from around the world focused on investigating these issues is an essential part of the process to generate new ideas and establish important breakthroughs.