This proposal is intended to apply for funding support for the expenses necessary to host the 2009 Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses Meeting, scheduled August 30 through September 2, 2009 at the Vinci International Convention Center, Loire Valley, Tours, France. This is the next scheduled meeting in an annual series that has been held continuously since 1985. This meeting represents the only meeting that brings together basic scientists in the field of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D (delta) virus (HDV) from around the world. HBV continues to be a major global and US public health problem. Despite the availability of prophylactic vaccines, many new infections occur worldwide, partly because of the lack of an immune response in some (d10%) of the vaccinated people, but mostly because of underutilization of the vaccine, due to cost and other issues. Moreover, for the more than 350 million people already chronically infected with HBV (approximately 15 million of whom are co- infected with HDV), the vaccine is of no therapeutic value. As a result, between 0.5 and 1 million people die of HBV/HDV every year worldwide. It is, therefore, imperative that basic research and the scientific exchange among those studying HBV/HDV continue and the annual HBV meeting represents the venue at which this can occur. The 2009 meeting will continue in this tradition by enhancing the interaction and dialogue with 10 oral scientific sessions, 2 poster sessions as well as less structured """"""""networking"""""""" time. A special focus of this meeting will be on viral morphogenesis, viral entry, host-virus interactions, with a special emphasis on antiviral therapy and innate immunity. This will be facilitated by one immunity-related keynote address accompanying a special workshop focused on innate immunity. As always, great effort has been made to minimize the cost of the meeting. Furthermore, the Hepatitis B Foundation has made a strong commitment to support this meeting since 2005, in terms of providing a permanent home for organizing the meeting and making its staff available for organizing the meeting and publicizing it, especially to universities with large numbers of underrepresented minorities. In order to allow the participation of junior and minority investigators, support from the NIH to help defray the meeting costs of junior scientists is requested. Limited support for meeting materials and organizational functions is also needed.
The 2009 Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses Meeting is the next scheduled meeting in an annual series that has been held continuously since 1985. This is the only definitive meeting that brings together basic scientists in the field of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis D virus (HDV) from around the world. HBV continues to be a major global and US public health problem with more than 350 millions individuals chronically infected worldwide and with annual rate of up to one million deaths due to HBV and HBV/HDV-induced liver failure, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The meeting is a critical and internationally well-recognized platform for continued exchange of information in basic research on HBV and HDV infections.
