Adaptation Map
Full genome map of statistically significant associations between HIV polymorphism and HLA alleles evident in combined analysis of the ACTG 5142 and WA HIV cohorts. All associations in analysis of 2 digit and 4 digit resolution of HLA- B alleles are shown. The amino acids shown above the line correspond to the non-adapted or susceptible residue and the amino acids below the line are the adapted form. Citation : M John, D Heckerman, L Park, S Gaudieri, A Chopra, J Carlson, I James, D Nolan, R Haubrich, Simon Mallal, and ACTG 5142 study team. Genome-wide HLA-associated Selection in HIV-1 and Protein-specific Correlations with Viral Load: An ACTG5142 Study. 15th Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections (CROI) 2008. February 3rd to 6th. Boston, USA. Session 58 Abstracts #312.
Click on image to enlarge
Download .PDF version
Perth Physician Unveils Groundbreaking
Research On World AIDS Day
1st December 2006
A unique approach by a Perth research team is holding out the promise of preventing the spread of HIV-AIDS through the development of vaccines custom designed for regions around world.
Murdoch University and Royal Perth Hospital’s Centre for Clinical Immunology and Biological Statistics (CCIBS) Executive Director Professor Simon Mallal used today’s World AIDS Day to announce two new significant international research collaborations to assist its pioneering work.
“The world’s best chance of reversing and ultimately halting the HIV epidemic is to find a vaccine – our team in Perth is playing a key role in this effort,” Professor Mallal said.
“We are designing vaccines tailored to the genetics of the people and the virus which vary from nationality to nationality and country to country. This research is centred on the recognition that HIV mutates in an individual according to that person’s own DNA.”
Prof. Simon Mallal Wins Premier's Award.
At the Premier's Science Awards held at Scitech, Professor Simon Mallal, Executive Director of the Centre for Clinical Immunology and Biomedical Statistics (CCIBS) scooped the top accolade by winning the 2005 Premier's Award in Achievement in Science. This caps what has been an outstanding year in research achievements for Professor Mallal and his CCIBS Team .
The Premier's Science Award publicly celebrates, encourages and rewards the best of Western Australian scientists. The Award is a valued means of recognising excellence in science by raising awareness and creating a sense of community pride in science education and research, as well as raising the profile of science and technology endeavours in Western Australia.
Professor Mallal is in distinguished company with past recipients that include Professor Bruce Robinson, Professor Ian Ritchie and recent nobel laureate Professor Barry Marshall.
National Health and Medical Research Council funding
HIV research
has been the big winner from today’s National Health and Medical Research Council
funding round with a team based at
Royal
Perth
Hospital
and
Murdoch University
receiving more than $5.6 million.
This is
the only grant awarded to WA in this funding round.
Professor
Simon Mallal and colleagues at the Centre for Clinical Immunology and Biomedical
Statistics in
Perth
are investigating a range of issues in the viral diseases HIV and hepatitis C.
In one
project, they will continue their study of the genes of different strains of HIV
and hepatitis C. In another, they will look at why some drugs used to treat HIV
cause life threatening allergic reactions. In a third, they will investigate the
role of drugs in one of the more serious complications of HIV, which is loss of
fat tissue from the body.
Their
overall aim is to provide the knowledge and tools so doctors can care for people
with HIV and hepatitis C in a safer and more effective way.
This funding
follows the $9.8 million from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation for the team
to conduct a worldwide hunt for an HIV vaccine earlier this year.
More information
is available at www.health.gov.au
Tuesday 6th July2005
HIV Vaccine Research Initiative Receives Grant from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The latest assault against the worldwide spread of the HIV virus will be led by a team of
researchers in Perth.
Scientists from the Centre for Clinical Immunology and Biomedical Statistics have received a grant of
US$9.8 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to continue their work to support the scientific
community in the search for a vaccine against the HIV virus.
The Centre, which is a collaborative venture between Murdoch University and Royal Perth Hospital,
has been approaching the development of an HIV vaccine from a unique angle, working with the
virus’s ability to tailor itself to an individual’s immune response.
“HIV has been difficult to treat with drugs or prevent with a vaccine because of its high mutation rate,”
said Professor Simon Mallal, Executive Director of the Centre.
“However, these mutations are not random; rather, they are adapting to each individual’s genetic
make-up to evade the immune response.”
Dr Mallal and his team found that the virus can recognise and mutate itself to individual HLA types,
which are the surface recognition molecules that act like the PIN of the individual’s immune system.
“There are so many variants of the virus that eventually a mutation may appear that bypasses the HLA
type of a person’s body, and then begins to replicate more successfully. So now that we understand
what sorts of mutations occur in the virus against different HLA types, we are assisting groups around
the world to design more effective vaccines.”
Dr Mallal is working with co-Director of Centre, statistician Professor Ian James, to develop a
database of these relationships between the HIV virus and individual HLA types in different
populations around the world.
The team will work to characterise HIV and human genetics with communities in Africa, China, the
United States, Australia, the Caribbean and South America to allow scientists to design vaccines for
those populations.
Professor Mallal is available for interview.
Wednesday 3rd March 2005
Antispam tools join fight against HIV
Computerworld interview with Dr Corey Moore:
Antispam tools join fight against HIV
Thursday 4th March 2005
