Website

HIV R&D Approaches from Concept to
Collaboration and Investment

The Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) Research and Development Alliance Coordinating Office (ACO) is pleased to participate in a number of exciting events, including CIHR Web-based discussions on the HIV Vaccine Investment Framework in April and May, our ACO Annual Meeting on April 30 which will focus on collaborative processes in HIV R&D, and the CHVI Vaccine Research Plenary on May 1 at the 24th Annual Canadian Conference on HIV / AIDS Research (CAHR 2015).
Read the details below:

Events

CIHR Web-based Discussions on the HIV Vaccine Investment Framework

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) HIV/AIDS Research Initiative and the ACO are developing a forward-thinking HIV Vaccine Investment Framework to optimize CIHR’s role in HIV vaccine research, advance globally competitive research objectives, and leverage Canada’s proven capacity and expertise in the field. To date, through the support of SHI Consulting, CIHR and the ACO have consulted leading international funders and federal department stakeholders, and have devised a proposed Framework for Investment. At this time, we would like to invite you to participate in one of two web-based discussions, which will take place on:

April 27, 2015 – 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST
May 8, 2015 - 1:00-2:30 p.m. EST
Registration required by April 22, 2015

See you in Toronto for CAHR 2015!

See Video invitation from Dr. Allan Ronald

ACO Annual CHVI R&D Alliance Meeting on April 30, 2015
HIV Vaccine Networks: Collaborations, Partnerships and Outcomes across Sectors and Borders

Speakers include Aslam Anis of the CIHR Canadian HIV Trials Network; Marc Gurwith of PaxVax; Mario Filion from Alethia Biotherapeutics; and Eric Arts of Western University, among others.
Download the preliminary agenda or the poster, and please email us at aco@icid.com for more information.

Date: Thursday, April 30, 2015
Time: 8:00 - 17:00
Location: Kensington Junior Ballroom B, Delta Toronto Hotel

CHVI Vaccine Research Plenary: HIV Vaccine and Prevention Technologies: Forging a Path Forward

Presentations by Marc Gurwith of PaxVax, and Frank Plummer of the University of Manitoba and the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Date: Friday, May 1, 2015
Time: 8:00 - 9:00
Location: Room 205/206, Level 200, North Building of the Metro Toronto Convention Centre

News and Features

Mucosal Immunology for HIV Vaccine Development

The CIHR is pleased to announce funding to support three new teams composed of Canadian and international researchers who will improve understanding of the mucosal immune response to HIV. Under the auspices of the CHVI, the teams have been awarded grants totalling $3.4 million from the CIHR in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Mucosal immunology (the role of mucus membranes in the body's immune response to microbes) has emerged as a critical area for investigation in the field of HIV vaccines. A better understanding of early events in HIV exposure may lead to new strategies to block infection or establish early, stringent control of HIV and prevent further spread.

The three research teams will be led by:

→ Dr. Adam Burgener, University of Manitoba
→ Dr. Rupert Kaul, University of Toronto
→ Dr. Charu Kaushic, McMaster University

Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) Interactive Projects Map

The CHVI's Interactive Projects Map highlights recipients of CHVI funding around the world and offers a visual guide to some of Canada's contribution to HIV/AIDS research. TRY THE MAP to find out where Canadian HIV vaccine research is taking place.

Funding Opportunities

Knowledge Synthesis Grant: Spring 2015 Competition
Application Deadline: May 15, 2015
LEARN MORE

New Research

HIV-1 Adaptation to HLA: A Window into Virus-host Immune Interactions

A Canadian research team at Simon Fraser University recently published a work in Trends in Microbiology that shows how the study of HIV-1 adaptation to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) “represents an opportunity to identify what qualities constitute an effective immune response (and) how the virus in turn adapts to these pressures.” Such research may also reveal ways “to harness this information to design HIV-1 vaccines that stimulate effective cellular immunity”.

The Bitter Side of Sweet: The Role of Galectin-9 in Immunopathogenesis of Viral Infections.

Rev Med Virol. 2015 Mar 11. doi: 10.1002/rmv.1832. [Epub ahead of print]
Merani S, Chen W, Elahi S.

Recent studies report elevation of circulating β-galactoside-binding protein, Galectin-9 (Gal-9) in humans infected with different viral infections. Interaction of soluble Gal-9 with Tim-3 expressed on the surface of activated CD4+ T cells renders them less susceptible to HIV-1 infection, while enhanced HIV infection occurs when Gal-9 interacts with a different receptor than Tim-3. This indicates the versatile role of Gal-9 in viral pathogenesis. Here, researchers review the biological and immunological properties of Gal-9 in viral infections (HIV, HCV, HBV, HSV, CMV, influenza, and dengue virus). Manipulating Gal-9 signals may have immunotherapeutic potential and could represent an alternative approach for improving immune responses to viral infections/vaccines.

Annual Update

Annual Update PDF

You are receiving this email because you registered to receive news updates from the Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative (CHVI) Research and Development Alliance Coordinating Office
or you are a member of a CHVI-funded
project team.

Follow Us:

Update Subscription Preferences

Privacy Policy

Unsubscribe

Subscribe

Send to a Friend