NIH Grant Program 2012: HIV Incidence Assays with Improved Specificity (R01)

Posted by Unknown Saturday, November 12, 2011 0 comments
Reliable identification of recently infected persons (within the last 12 months) is essential to derive accurate seroincidence estimates. This information is critical for the design and implementation of HIV prevention trials.  For all HIV prevention trials, whether a vaccine, microbicide, oral pre-exposure prophylaxis agent, or another intervention(s) is used, an accurate assessment of HIV incidence in the proposed study population is necessary in order to calculate the required sample size and study duration and thus to determine the feasibility of the trial.  For population level prevention trials, an HIV incidence measure is essential for determining the outcome.  Additionally, improved methods for detecting recent infections and for distinguishing recent infections from chronic infections are needed (Report of The UNAIDS/WHO Working Group on Global HIV/AIDS and STI Surveillance) for HIV therapeutic trials aimed at determining the effect of early intervention.
Current means of estimating HIV incidence are inadequate  The indirect approach, based on the measurement of prevalence in repeated cross sectional surveys, is logistically challenging, takes years to conduct and is difficult to standardize over time.  Conversely, direct measurement of incidence through the prospective follow-up of a cohort of HIV-negative persons is very costly and the findings are difficult to generalize beyond the population selected.
Measurement of HIV incidence using current serological methods has also been unsatisfactory.  Efforts to use the BED Assay in combination with other measures to improve overall specificity are a significant improvement, but they are complex and cost-prohibitive in most settings. The development of a cheaper, faster, more accurate HIV incidence assay would greatly benefit the design and implementation of HIV prevention research and likewise be of value to HIV surveillance programs.
The objective of this research program is to promote the identification of biomarkers that can be used to develop HIV incidence assays with improved specificity.  Such biomarkers might be based on the evolution of specific viral parameters or host immune responses in the first year after HIV infection.  Methods must then be developed for utilizing the biomarker(s) to identify incident cases in a highly accurate, cost-effective assay. 

Source and More Informations:

USDA Grant Program 2012: Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRAG)

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The purpose of the BRAG program is to support the generation of new information that will assist Federal regulatory agencies in making science-based decisions about the effects of introducing into the environment genetically engineered organisms (GE), including plants, microorganisms (including fungi, bacteria, and viruses), arthropods, fish, birds, mammals and other animals excluding humans. Investigations of effects on both managed and natural environments are relevant. The BRAG program accomplishes its purpose by providing Federal regulatory agencies with scientific information relevant to regulatory issues. See RFA for details.
Special Notation
Who Is Eligible to Apply

  • 1862 Land-Grant Institutions

  • 1890 Land-Grant Institutions

  • 1994 Land-Grant Institutions

  • For-profit Organizations Other Than Small Businesses

  • Hispanic-Serving Institutions

  • Independent School Districts

  • Native American Tribal Orgs, not Federally recognized Tribal Governments

  • Nonprofits with 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than Institutions of Higher Ed

  • Nonprofits without 501(c)(3) IRS status, other than Institutions of Higher Ed

  • Other or Additional Information (See below)

  • Private Institutions of Higher Ed

  • Small Business

  • State Agricultural Experiment Stations

  • State Controlled Institutions of Higher Ed

  • State Governments

  • More Information on Eligibility
    Applications may be submitted by any United States public or private research or educational institution or organization. Award recipients may subcontract to organizations not eligible to apply provided such organizations are necessary for the conduct of the project.

    Source and More Informations:
    http://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding/rfas/biotech_risk.html

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