Conference on HIV and the Nervous System

摘要 计划在2010年10月、2012年6月和2013年10月举行一系列为期18个月的关于艾滋病毒和神经系统的会议。这些会议将与国际神经病毒学学会的会议一起举行。每一次关于艾滋病毒和神经系统的会议将举行6次全体会议，其中包括两次发言者/全体会议、海报会议、调查人员培训会议和选定摘要的平台会议。这是唯一一次将基础和临床研究人员聚集在一起的此类会议，讨论与建立和根除大脑中的病毒库、开发艾滋病毒感染的神经并发症的生物标记物以及开发新的治疗方法有关的问题。将讨论在发现HIV相关神经疾病(HAND)的潜在病理生理机制方面的最新进展。这次会议将提供一个极好的机会，与其他神经病毒学家互动，研究其他病毒感染的神经发病机制，这些领域正在解决类似的病毒潜伏期和神经元功能障碍问题。将特别强调神经炎症在这些疾病中的中介作用以及可能具有治疗重要性的靶点。人们越来越意识到，尽管抗逆转录病毒药物对艾滋病毒感染进行了外围控制，但绝大多数患者仍存在手部感染。这对社会产生了巨大的社会经济后果，因为这些患者现在活了很多年，尽管神经功能逐渐下降。然而，到目前为止，还没有有效的治疗方法，临床试验非常需要可靠的替代标记物。出于这些原因，拟议的会议将在推动侧重于共同目标的新概念和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上投入了大量的精力，以保持高科学水平。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，妇女和少数群体已被纳入本次会议各级规划和组织工作。

ABSTRACT 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.