Vaccines Against Antigenically Variable Viruses Symposium

 描述(由申请人提供)：抗原变异是一种免疫逃避、防御策略，通常被许多病毒利用。抗原性可变病毒(AVV)在世界范围内引起许多人类和兽医疾病，发病率/死亡率高，造成巨大的经济损失。HIV-1、流感病毒和PRRSV(猪繁殖与呼吸综合征病毒)等病毒是臭名昭著的例子，它们集中体现了人类在与传染病作斗争中面临的下一个水平的科学挑战。考虑到抗原变异的巨大科学挑战，我们认为必须做出更多的跨学科努力，分享不同科学学科的新进展，交流新的概念，并 不仅在研究相同病毒的人之间，而且在研究不同病毒或不同学科的研究人员之间，促进新的合作。2014年6月，我们主办了首届抗原性变异病毒疫苗研讨会(VAAVV)。专题讨论会的出席情况良好，这表明(1)专题讨论会的独特性，(2)专题的科学重要性，以及(3)专题讨论会推动该领域向前发展的重大需要。为了继续保持这一势头，我们提议在2015年和2016年再举行两次研讨会。举办致力于发展VAAVV的研讨会的主要目的是建立一个强大的研究人员网络，以进行高度协作、综合和跨学科的研究。这将为开发新的战略奠定科学基础，并朝着生产针对这些病毒的有效和低成本疫苗的长期目标迈进一大步。我们相信我们的研讨会是独一无二的，因为它主要集中在“抗原变异”的主题上，而不是特定的病毒。据我们所知，没有类似的会议将致力于研究这一重要主题的不同病毒的调查人员聚集在一起。考虑到跨学科协作的重要性，研讨会将积极主动地促进与会者之间的互动，为与会者提供专门的时间和空间，让他们有机会直接与发言者互动。我们还将安排与会者之间的“科学快速约会”，以促进互动和促进合作研究。在本次研讨会上，与会者将分享、讨论和辩论与发展有效的VAAVV相关的许多问题，特别是HIV-1、流感病毒和PRRSV。将讨论许多主题，包括目前对免疫保护相关性的理解，从计算生物学、结构生物学和系统生物学的新见解来合理设计免疫原，以及提高免疫应答的效力和广度的新策略。该提案的具体目的是：提供一个有效的场所，允许分享最先进的知识和交流创新想法，以促进跨学科研究和促进合作，以克服疫苗开发中的抗原变异问题。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by the applicant): Antigenic variation is an immune-evasive, defensive strategy commonly exploited by many viruses. Antigenically variable viruses (AVV) are responsible for many human as well as veterinary diseases with high morbidity/mortality and significant economic losses worldwide. Viruses such as HIV-1, influenza virus and PRRSV (Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus) are notorious examples and they epitomize the next level of scientific challenge that mankind faces in a fight against infectious diseases. Considering the enormity of the scientific challenges of antigenic variation, we believe more cross-disciplinary efforts mustbe made to share new advances in various scientific disciplines, exchange novel concepts, and to foster new collaborations between not only those who work on same viruses, but also among investigators who work on different viruses or different disciplines. In June 2014, we hosted the first Symposium on Vaccines Against Antigenically Variable Viruses (VAAVV). The symposium was well attended, which indicated (1) the uniqueness of the symposium, (2) scientific importance of the topic, and (3) significant need for the symposium to move the field forward. To continue the momentum, we are proposing to hold two additional symposia in 2015 and 2016. The major purpose of holding the symposia dedicated to developing VAAVV is to establish a strong network of investigators for conducting highly collaborative, integrative, and interdisciplinary research. This will establish the scientific foundation to develop novel strategis and make strides toward a long-term goal of producing efficacious and cost-effective vaccines against these viruses. We believe our symposium is unique in that it focuses primarily on the topic of "antigenic variation", rather than a specific virus. To our knowledge, there are no comparable meetings that bring together investigators who work on different viruses focusing on this important topic. Considering the importance of interdisciplinary collaborations, the symposium will be proactive in facilitating interactions among participants by providing "collaboration corners" with dedicated time and spaces for attendees to have opportunities to interact directly with speakers. We will also arrange "scientific speed dating" among attendees to facilitate interactions and to foster collaborative research. In this Symposium, participants wil share, discuss and debate many problems associated with developing effective VAAVV, focusing especially on HIV-1, influenza virus and PRRSV. Many topics will be discussed including current understanding immune correlates of protection, new insights from computational-, structuraland systems-biology for rational immunogen design, and novel strategies for enhancing potency and breadth of immune responses. The specific Aim of the proposal is: To provide an effective venue that would allow sharing of state-of-the-art knowledge and exchange of innovative ideas that could facilitate interdisciplinary research and foster collaboration in order to overcome the problem of antigenic variation in vaccine development.