Gulf South STI/Topical Microbicide Cooperative Research Center

描述(申请人提供)：海湾南部性传播感染/局部杀微生物剂合作研究中心(STI TM CRC)的主题是“性传播感染的高危妇女：将研究集中在最需要的地方。”该中心将有四个项目和四个核心。这四个项目将集中在以下几个方面：1.宫颈T细胞对衣原体感染的反应；2.生殖支原体在女性不孕症中的作用。3.生殖道组织中Toll样受体(TLRs)的生物学和TLR激动剂作为新的局部杀微生物剂的潜力，用于预防高危妇女的性传播感染。4.治疗失败和再感染在甲硝唑治疗后阴道毛滴虫复发感染中的作用。这个CRC将有行政、实验室、临床和生物统计核心。此外，这个应用程序还有两个特殊的方面。一个是职业生涯中期指导计划，旨在为职业生涯中期努力达到他们选择的科学领域顶端的研究人员提供高级指导。另一个是为研究阴道生态系统开发现代分子方法的重要努力，这些方法将被纳入实验室核心。我们的海湾南部STI TM CRC应用程序建议在人口不成比例地遭受STI长期后遗症影响的地区的中心创建一个新的CRC。资助该中心将在未来许多年对这一高危地区的性传播感染产生重大的社会和公共卫生影响。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The theme of the Gulf South Sexually Transmitted Infections/Topical Microbicide Cooperative Research Center (STI TM CRC) is "Women at high risk for STI's: Focusing research where it is needed the most." There will be four projects and four cores within this CRC. The four projects will focus on the following: 1. Cervical T cell responses to chlamydial infection, 2. The role of Mycoplasma genitalium in infertility in women. 3. The biology of toll-like receptors (TLRs) in genital tract tissues and the potential of TLR agonists as new topical microbicide candidates for use in preventing STI's in high risk women. 4. The role of treatment failure and re-infection in recurrent Trichomonas vaginalis infections following metronidazole treatment. This CRC will have administrative, laboratory, clinical, and biostatistics cores. In addition there are two special aspects of this application. One is a mid-career mentoring program designed to provide senior level guidance to mid-career investigators endeavoring to reach the top of their chosen scientific fields. The other is an important effort to develop modern molecular methods for the study of the vaginal ecosystem that will be included within the Laboratory Core. Our Gulf South STI TM CRC application proposes to create a new CRC in the heart of an area whose population suffers disproportionately from the long term sequelae of STIs. Funding this center will have significant social and public health impact on STIs in this high risk region for many years into the future.