NIH Support for Conferences and Scientific Meetings (R13/U13) Request: International Conference on HHV-6 & HHV-7 in Baltimore, MD, June 20-23rd, 2008 PA-06-041 Project Summary (max 30 lines) Proposed funding: We are requesting $25,000 to give out 21 travel grants to HHV-6 specialists who are invited speakers. Since HHV-6 & 7 are emerging pathogens, there are no drug companies or major patient advocacy foundations available to support this conference. Rationale: Beta herpesviruses HHV-6A, HHV-6B & HHV-7 are known to cause encephalitis and worsen prognosis in transplant patients and research published within the last two years implicates HHV-6 in myocarditis, Hodgkin's lymphoma, patients with cognitive dysfunction, and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). Several groups of researchers in Germany have demonstrated recently that HHV-6 is one of the two most common pathogens implicated in myocarditis, contrary to conventional wisdom. A French group recently found HHV-6 DNA in over three quarters of 86 Hodgkin's Lymphoma patients. An infectious disease specialist at Stanford has demonstrated that a subset of CFS patients with neurocognitive complaints have elevated HHV-6 titers and improved dramatically with antiviral treatment. A study by Steve Jacobson and colleagues at the NINDS demonstrated that as many as two thirds of patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy may in fact suffer from chronic HHV-6B infection. There have been over two dozen case reports of HHV-6 associated drug induced hypersensitivity syndrome, a condition with high levels or mortality. There is also accumulating evidence that HHV-6A may act as a trigger in MS. An urgent need exists to determine whether these viruses are innocent bystanders or, in the case of HHV-6A & HHV-6B, subtle but insidious pathogens that deserve pharmaceutical intervention for therapy or prevention. Conference Objectives: 1. Provide a forum for original research pertaining to HHV-6 HHV-7. 2. Promote interdisciplinary interaction and improve communications among basic scientists. 3. Encourage young scientists to pursue HHV-6 and HHV-7 research. 4. Explore the role of chronic active HHV-6 and 7 infections in clinical disease. 5. Achieve an improved understanding of the cell biology and molecular biology of HHV-6 and 7 6. Enhance our understanding of HHV-6 induced immunosuppression. 7. Explore the epidemiology of HHV-6 and 7. 8. Illuminate the weaknesses of existing serological and molecular assays and debate methods to improve the sensitivity and specificity of these assays. 9. Assess antiviral drug potencies against HHV-6 and 7. / Relevance (2-3 sentences written for a general audience) As the role of HHV-6/HHV-7 in chronic human disease is an under-represented area of research it is an opportune time to convene an International Conference that focuses precisely on the role of these agents in a number of diseases that have been associated with this virus. A better understanding of basic virological and molecular mechanisms associated with HHV-6/HHV-7 host- cell interactions will translate into more sensitive and specific detection methods that will help in establishing therapies for disease intervention in diseases in which these agent have been suggested to play a role. This workshop and international conference fulfills the continuing scientific need for the exchange of research findings and stimulation of new research directions. ? ? ?
