The risk of developing several forms of cancer, including Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and HPV-associated anal and cervical cancers, is greatly increased in people who have HIV nfection. While recent research developments have presented new opportunities for productive research in the area of HIV-associated malignancies, international collaborations involving US-based investigators and those in developing countries have been limited. The main objective of this supplemental program to the UCLA-Fogarty AIDS International Training and Research Program (Dr. Roger Detels, PI) is to provide significant laboratory-based research training opportunities in AIDS malignancies-related research for investigators from developing countries, with the aim of enhancing their ability to conduct research in this area. A secondary objective is to enhance the ability of UCLA-based investigators to carry out research in AIDS-associated cancers, much of which is funded by existing grants from the NIH-NCI, by facilitating international interactions that provide access to unique patient populations, resources, or research collaborations. At this time, there are several active international collaborations in the area of HIV associated malignancies involving UCLA faculty and researchers in China and Latin America, on topics such as HHV8 molecular virology and pathogenesis, HPV infection and cervical dysplasia in HIV+ women, and the molecular epidemiology and pathogenesis of AIDS-associated lymphoma. Drs. Otoniel Martinez-Maza and Ren Sun will lead this UCLA-AITRP AIDS malignancies program, investigators whose primary research interests are the immunopathogenesis of AIDS-associated malignancies and HHV8 molecular virology, respectively. This program will support both short- and long-term research training visits by investigators (primarily postdoctoral-level) from developing countries to work with investigators at UCLA. In addition to individualized research training opportunities, program funding will be used to sponsor working visits by UCLA-based investigators to interact with collaborators abroad and/or to participate in workshops in developing countries on issues that are relevant to AIDS malignancies research. Short working visits by foreign investigators, including prior AITRP trainees, to UCLA, to develop or maintain collaborations, also will be supported. Overall, this supplemental program will allow the maintenance and expansion of existing collaborations, will build the capacity of foreign investigators to do AIDS-malignancies research, and will enhance the ability of UCLA investigators to carry out NIH/NCI-sponsored studies in AIDS and cancer.
While significant efforts have been devoted to developing collaborations between investigators in the US and those in resource poor countries on research topics relating to AIDS, few of these collaborations have focused on AIDS malignancies research. This AIDS Malignancies Research Training Program has an eight-year history of successfully supporting research training for investigators from China and Latin America. Continuing funding for this program would help address the great need for research training in this area. ? ? ?
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