XV International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses

描述（由申请方提供）：人类嗜T淋巴细胞病毒I型和II型（HTLV-I和HTLV-II）是在HIV之前发现的人类逆转录病毒。它们是重要的，因为它们i）感染全世界多达1400万（HTLV-I）和数百万（HTLV-II）人; ii）是少数人类癌症病毒之一，引起T淋巴细胞白血病/淋巴瘤、脊髓病和自身免疫病（HTLV-I）和脊髓病以及增加的癌症死亡率（HTLV-II）;和iii）用作其他人类逆转录病毒感染如HIV的流行病学和发病机制的模型。人类逆转录病毒学国际会议：HTLV和相关病毒是两年一次的会议，旨在将全球HTLV研究人员团结在唯一专门讨论HTLV感染的定期国际会议上。来自HTLV流行地区和国际传染病研究机构的约300名学者聚集在这个两年一度的会议上，介绍他们关于HTLV感染的分子病毒学，免疫学，流行病学和临床结果的最新数据。历史上，该会议一直在HTLV流行地区举行，如夏威夷，牙买加，特立尼达，巴西和日本东南部，或在国际研究中心，如巴黎，都柏林和旧金山弗朗西斯科。计划在比利时举行的2011年会议将是2001年以来的第一次欧洲会议。由于这些领域令人兴奋的发现，会议将包括一个关于人类内源性逆转录病毒，泡沫病毒和XMRV的新会议。最近在中非发现了HTLV类的新成员，即HTLV-III和HTLV-IV，与非人类灵长类动物有很高的接触，这也证明了拟议会议的及时性。该会议是将HTLV病毒学和免疫学的进展转化为临床领域的重要网络场所，正如会议内组织和报告的ATL和脊髓病临床试验网络所见证的那样。这项申请的资金将为15名年轻科学家提供旅行奖学金，并为来自低收入和中等收入国家的科学家提供较低的注册费，以确保观众的多样性。 公共卫生相关性：人类逆转录病毒学国际会议：HTLV和相关病毒是每两年举行一次的会议，2011年会议将在比利时鲁汶举行。人类嗜T淋巴细胞病毒（HTLV）是一种导致白血病和瘫痪的人类逆转录病毒，HTLV的研究也可能有助于了解艾滋病和多发性硬化症。来自HTLV流行地区和国际传染病研究机构的约300名学者将介绍他们关于HTLV感染的分子病毒学、免疫学、流行病学和临床结果的最新数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Human T-lymphotropic virus types I and II (HTLV-I and HTLV-II) are human retroviruses discovered just prior to HIV. They are important because they i) infect up to 14 million (HTLV-I) and several million (HTLV-II) people worldwide; ii) are one of few human cancer viruses, causing T-lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma, myelopathy and autoimmune disease (HTLV-I) and myelopathy and increased cancer mortality (HTLV-II); and iii) serve as models for the epidemiology and pathogenesis of other human retroviral infections such as HIV. The International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses is a biennial conference which serves to unite the global community HTLV researchers at the only regular international meeting devoted exclusively to HTLV infection. Approximately 300 scholars from HTLV-endemic regions and international infectious disease research institutions gather at this biennial meeting to present their latest data on the molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology and clinical outcomes of HTLV infection. Historically the meeting has been held in HTLV-endemic areas such as Hawaii, Jamaica, Trinidad, Brazil, and southeastern Japan, or at international research centers such as Paris, Dublin and San Francisco. The 2011 meeting planned for Belgium will be the first European meeting since 2001. Due to exciting discoveries in these fields, the conference will include a new session on the human endogenous retroviruses, foamy viruses and XMRV. The recent discovery of new members of the HTLV class, namely HTLV-III and HTLV-IV in Central Africans with high exposure to non-human primates, also argues for the timeliness of the proposed conference. The conference is a crucial networking venue for translating advances in HTLV virology and immunology into the clinical domain, as witnessed by clinical trial networks for ATL and myelopathy organized and reported on within the conferences. Funding from this application will allow travel scholarships for 15 junior scientists and lower registration fees for scientists from low and middle income countries, assuring broader diversity of the audience. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses is a conference held every two years and the 2011 conference will be held in Leuven, Belgium. Human T-lymphotropic virus (HTLV) is a human retrovirus that causes leukemia and paralysis, and HTLV research may also help to understand HIV disease and multiple sclerosis. Approximately 300 scholars from HTLV-endemic regions and international infectious disease research institutions will present their latest data on the molecular virology, immunology, epidemiology and clinical outcomes of HTLV infection.