Pathogenesis of Persistent Human Virus Infections of Global Significance

这项研究将调查为什么人类无法根除特定的病毒(艾滋病毒-艾滋病、巨细胞病毒和单纯疱疹病毒)，这些病毒的长期影响以及改善控制的方法。目前的治疗方法只能部分抑制这些病毒的水平，因为它们持续存在于身体的某些部位，称为蓄水池，但后来又卷土重来，导致疾病。因此，研究计划的总体目标是发现这些病毒能够成功地在人体内的蓄水池内生存的机制。该研究计划汇集了分布在澳大利亚2个城市3个地点的6名顶尖科学家和临床医生。该团队由研究艾滋病毒-艾滋病、巨细胞病毒和单纯疱疹病毒的专家组成，他们将结合他们的知识和专业知识，加快对这些对健康具有重大意义的病毒的研究进程。研究还将利用一些尖端技术，这些技术现在可以更快、更准确地确定病毒如何致病。我们对病毒如何持续存在的理解的进展可能构成旨在控制持续感染和由这些病毒引起的严重疾病的治疗的基础。

The study will investigate why humans cannot eradicate particular viruses (HIV-AIDS, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus), the long term effects of these viruses and ways to improve control. Current treatments can only partly suppress the levels of these viruses, because they persist in certain parts of the body called reservoirs, only to resurge later causing disease. Thus, the overall aim of the research program is to discover the mechanisms by which these viruses are able to successfully persist within reservoirs in the human body. The research program brings together a group of 6 leading scientists and clinicians located at 3 sites in 2 Australian cities. The team is comprised of experts in the study of HIV-AIDS, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus who will combine their knowledge and expertise to speed up the process of research on these viruses that are of major health importance. Studies will also utilise a number of cutting edge technologies that now make it possible to much more rapidly and precisely determine how viruses cause disease. Advances in our understanding of how viruses persist may form the basis for treatments aimed at controlling persistent infections and the serious diseases caused by these viruses.