Laboratory Core

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Sub-Saharan Africans living with HIV infection experience enhanced susceptibility to malignancies even when the individuals are on anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and have fully suppressed HIV-1 viral replication in the peripheral blood. Understanding and reducing the bases of this enhanced cancer risk is a critical next step to improve the quality of life and reduce the economic burden of health management in this region devastated by the AIDS epidemic. In Africa, cancers largely result from infectious etiologies. Squamous cell neoplasias of the head and neck, and particularly those of the eye, are associated with HIV-1 infection in Africa and may result from co-infection with human papilloma viruses (HPV). Likewise, Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), the most common HIV-associated malignancy in Zambian men and the third leading HIV-associated malignancy in Zambian women, is caused by Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV)/Human Herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). Thus, high incidence cancers caused by KSHV, and potentially by HPV, are occurring at higher frequencies in HIV-1 co- infected individuals who appear to be controlling HIV-1 disease through ART. In order to more effectively treat these malignancies, researchers need to understand why this is occurring. The goal of the Zambian AIDS Malignancies Diagnosis and Pathogenesis Program (ZAMDAPP)’s Lab Core is to provide integrated molecular, immunological, and diagnostic support in parallel with ZAMDAPP’s Biostatistics and Epidemiology Core for the consortium-funded research projects and training initiatives, and to further develop capacity and infrastructure to conduct cancer research in Zambia. To accomplish this goal, the core will 1) establish and transfer molecular procedures in support of early KS diagnosis and HPV detection; 2) develop an effective specimen archive, coupled with computerized information storage, to facilitate sharing exchange and analyses pipelines for study data; and 3) provide or facilitate training opportunities to increase essential research skills and capacities for Zambians with interests in HIV-associated malignancy research. The core will be staffed by experienced multidisciplinary basic scientists and clinical lab scientists and will have two hubs of operation: one at the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, Zambia and one in the United States at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.