XV International Conference on Human Retrovirology: HTLV and Related Viruses

描述(申请人提供)：人类嗜T淋巴细胞病毒I型和II型(HTLV-I和HTLV-II)是在艾滋病毒之前发现的人类逆转录病毒。它们之所以重要，是因为它们1)感染了全世界多达1,400万人(HTLV-I)和数百万人(HTLV-II)；2)是为数不多的人类癌症病毒之一，可导致T淋巴细胞白血病/淋巴瘤、脊髓病和自身免疫性疾病(HTLV-I)以及脊髓病和癌症死亡率增加(HTLV-II)；以及3)是艾滋病毒等其他人类逆转录病毒感染的流行病学和发病机制的模型。国际人类逆转录病毒学会议：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名学者齐聚这一两年一度的会议，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，该会议曾在夏威夷、牙买加、特立尼达、巴西和日本东南部等HTLV流行地区或巴黎、都柏林和旧金山等国际研究中心举行。计划于2011年在比利时举行的会议将是自2001年以来的第一次欧洲会议。由于在这些领域的令人兴奋的发现，会议将包括关于人类内源性逆转录病毒、泡沫病毒和XMRV的新会议。最近在接触非人类灵长类动物的中非人中发现了HTLV类别的新成员，即HTLV-III和HTLV-IV，这也证明了拟议会议的及时性。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，ATL和脊髓病的临床试验网络在会议中组织和报道就证明了这一点。这项申请的资金将允许为15名初级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，以确保受众更加多样化。 公共卫生相关性：人类逆转录病毒学：HTLV及相关病毒国际会议每两年举行一次，2011年会议将在比利时鲁汶举行。人类T淋巴细胞病毒(HTLV)是一种会导致白血病和瘫痪的人类逆转录病毒，对HTLV的研究也可能有助于了解艾滋病毒疾病和多发性硬化症。来自HTLV流行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、流行病学和临床结局的最新数据。

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.