BC Environmental and Occupational Health Research Network

The purpose of this initiative is to support studies that address basic aspects of the persistence of HIV or SIV infection in individuals receiving highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART). It is expected that proposals supported under this FOA will involve cellular, structural and systems biology, host and viral genetics, immunology, or virology. All aspects of the challenge of so-called latent viral infection are encouraged including mechanisms responsible for creation, maintenance, and removal of residual viral infection, new assay development, mathematical, cell, and animal model development, and development of new technologies needed for expansion of our understanding of HIV persistence. Applicants are encouraged to show how proposed studies that will explore the mechanisms underlying persistence will inform the future investigation and design of therapeutic strategies for long term remission without treatment (functional cure) or complete eradication of persistent virus and achievement of a full cure for HIV infection and AIDS.