Our Science – HVIB Website

HIV DRP Host Virus Interaction Branch

In addition to the information presented below, the HVIB has an alternative website that can provide you with more detail about their work.

Research

As the clinical arm of the HIV Drug Resistance Program, the Host-Virus Interaction Branch (HVIB) conducts fundamental studies on the nature of HIV drug resistance in vivo. The HVIB has developed sensitive and specific tools that are being used to address questions of HIV-1 population genetics, replication dynamics, and emergence of resistance in infected individuals. Ongoing studies are focused on several issues: understanding the origin and development of genetic variation in HIV-1 populations, and using this information to infer the structure of the underlying population of HIV-infected cells; understanding the extent of replication of HIV -- and the potential for evolution of resistance -- in patients whose virus load has become suppressed under successful therapy; and understanding the mechanism, kinetics, and consequences of appearance and disappearance of drug resistance mutations in infected patients before, during, and after treatment.

The HVIB comprises several elements. The In Vivo Biology Group, headed by Dr. Frank Maldarelli, directs the protocol development, regulatory affairs, patient recruitment, and sample collection effort in the NIH Clinical Center, in collaboration with the AIDS clinical research programs of both the National Cancer Institute (HAMB, Dr. Robert Yarchoan) and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (CCMD, Dr. H. Clifford Lane).

The Virology Core, led by Dr. Mary Kearney, is responsible for the development and implementation of new assays to detect and analyze HIV in patient samples. These assays are principally used by the HVIB and other sections of the HIV Drug Resistance Program.

Collaboration with Dr. John Mellors from the University of Pittsburgh provides critical consultation and advice on all aspects of HIV clinical research, including protocol design and implementation. Dr. Mellors provides an invaluable interface with the extramural academic HIV/AIDS, including the AIDS Clinical Trials Group and international collaborative trials, making possible the Program's participation in major multicenter trials. The Mellors laboratory also collaborates closely with the HVIB on development of novel laboratory techniques for analysis of clinical material, and in basic studies of the mechanism of resistance to reverse transcriptase inhibitors.

Dr. John Coffin, American Cancer Society Research Professor of Molecular Biology and Microbiology at Tufts University and founding Director of the HIV Drug Resistance Program, now serves as advisor to the Director of the Center for Cancer Research and consultant to the clinical program, particularly in the areas of assay design and interpretation, study design, and data analysis.

This page was last updated on 8/11/2008.