NIH to Present the Latest AIDS Research Advances at AIDS 2012

Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Nora Volkow, M.D., director, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Among the topics to be addressed by NIH-supported scientists at AIDS 2012 are:

• Advances in prevention, including the latest research on HIV vaccines, microbicides, medical male circumcision, pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), prevention of mother-to-child transmission, and behavioral interventions; and research on improving HIV prevention outcomes in older people, infants, adolescents, women and girls, men who have sex with men (MSM), and substance users
• Research to improve HIV treatment outcomes in adults, adolescents, and pediatric populations; manage HIV drug resistance; and understand the potential impact of treatment as prevention
• Progress in understanding and managing the occurrence of HIV-associated co-morbidities and co-infections, including hepatitis C, tuberculosis, malignancies, and cardiovascular disease
• Research on efforts to improve HIV diagnosis, linkage to and retention in care, and adherence with treatment regimens
• Basic and therapeutic research to advance the understanding of viral reservoirs and their potential eradication; and possible research approaches toward a cure.

NIH Leadership Presentations
NIH leaders will be featured in several high-level sessions, including an opening day plenary address by Dr. Fauci entitled, Ending the HIV Epidemic: From Scientific Advances to Public Health Implementation (Monday, July 23, 8:30 am; session room 1). Dr. Fauci will highlight the growing armamentarium of scientifically proven interventions that offers an unprecedented opportunity to make major gains in the fight against HIV/AIDS and bring an AIDS-free generation within reach.

NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins will speak at and moderate a session on The Future of Genomics in HIV Medicine (Wednesday, July 27, 11:00 am; session room 1). Dr. Collins will also moderate a panel entitled, The Science of HIV: What Lies Ahead (Monday, July 23, 1:00 pm; session room 5).

NIH Pre-Conference Satellite
In a satellite entitled New Frontiers in NIH AIDS Research, (Sunday, July 22, 11:15 a.m.; session room 6) NIH leaders including Drs. Collins and Fauci, NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow, and others will present an overview of NIH research efforts to develop improved therapies for HIV and its co-infections, malignancies, and complications; improve biomedical and behavioral prevention tools; understand factors that affect HIV vulnerability and disease progression, including issues of AIDS and aging; and eradicate HIV viral reservoirs.

Cure Research
At a pre-conference event, NIH scientists and grantees who have been involved in the IAS initiative, Towards an HIV Cure, will participate in the release of a global scientific strategy for cure research on Thursday, July 19.

D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress
One focus of NIH research to be presented at AIDS 2012 is the D.C. Partnership for HIV/AIDS Progress. A collaboration between NIH and the D.C. Department of Health, the Partnership is designed to decrease the rate of new HIV infections in the city, improve the health of district residents with HIV infection, and strengthen the city's response to the epidemic. The partnership tracks HIV-associated health issues and outcomes across to city; provides risk-reduction counseling, condoms and testing in communities at elevated risk; strengthens care for HIV co-infections, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hepatitis; and is piloting a Test, Link-to-Care Plus Treat approach to expand testing, link patients to care, promote adherence to therapy, and reduce community HIV levels.