UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO, THE
Grant: $372,010 - National Institutes of Health - Sep. 7, 2009
50% voted satisfied - 50% voted not satisfied - 4 vote(s) cast
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Award Description: Streptococcus Pneumoniae is the most common bacterial respiratory pathogen in human immunodefficiency virys (HIV) infected persons. The incidence of Pneumococcal disease is significantly elevated, 35 -100 folds, in HIV-positive population. Purpose of this study is; 1) to test the hypothesis that PPV immunization of HIV infected, HAART-naive individuals results in an antPPS immune response characterized by depleted or absent expression of the VH3 gene family products and correlates with low antibody concentration and or poor functionality. We postulate that viral suppression through HAART results in increased expression of VH3 gene family products. Based on this hypothesis we expect that newly diagnosed HIV positive individuals with CD4 counts <200 would benefit from HAART prior to PPV rather than receiving PPV at the time of diagnosis. 2) The individuals on long-term HAART therapy are capable of responding to the pneumococcal vaccine and investigate the nature of this response. 3) To study the percentage of PPS-specific B cells that are IgM or switched memory B cells in the HIV-negative population and compare this to HIV-positive, HAART negative and HIV-positive HAART-treated population following primary vaccination with PPV. This study is unique and will provide a comprehensive picture of the immune response to the PPV in HAART naive and HAART-treated HIV positive individuals. More importantly, the results of studies like proposed one, could clarify controversies in the present vaccine recommendations in the HIV-infected population.
Project Description: Overall purpose of this project is described in award discription column. At present we have just started this project. Two healthy, HIV negative controls were vaccinated with PPV. Vaccine specific memory B cells were sorted and culture according to method descrobed previously. Initial flow and ELISA data is promising and waiting for PCR sequence data. As we have just started this project and based on our initial results, we will enroll HIV positive individulas according to our grant proposal.
Jobs Summary: Post Doctoral Fellow to work on Flow cytometry , culture sorted cells of interest and use molecular biology techniques like PCR and sequensing, to identify the genes and interpret obtained results according to project hypothesis. (Total jobs reported: 0)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Sep. 7, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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