Five AIDS Researchers Awarded Grants Totaling $1 Million From Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
4/22/2008
Contact: Darin Dusan
310-491-3170
ddusan@pedaids.org
First Awards from Foundation’s Pediatric HIV Vaccine Research Program
Santa Monica, California—The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, a world leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS, today announced that it has awarded five grants totaling $1 million to researchers conducting studies to support the development of a pediatric HIV vaccine. The five awards are the first from the Foundation’s Pediatric HIV Vaccine Research Program. The awardees are: Dr. Marylyn Addo of Massachusetts General; Dr. Grace Aldrovandi of Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, USC; Dr. Dan Barouch of the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard University; Dr. Ed Janoff of the University of Colorado Health Science Center; and Dr. Shan Lu of the University of Massachusetts Medical School.
The Foundation’s Pediatric HIV Vaccine Research Program supports basic and pre-clinical research relevant to pediatric HIV vaccine design and development. The program was created after a survey of global HIV vaccine projects found that pediatric issues were virtually absent in the research agenda. With a global network of scientists and a long history of supporting pediatric-focused basic research, the Foundation is well positioned to address this gap.
One potentially promising way to reduce the spread of HIV is through a preventative vaccine that will protect all people — including infants — from the virus. Vaccines have reduced many common childhood infections by up to 99 percent in the developed world, and may be the single most effective public health measure. A vaccine that protects infants against HIV transmission through breast-feeding could set the stage for lifetime immunity. If a vaccine succeeds, millions of children could get life-long protection and be part of the first HIV-free generation.
“Our awardees are remarkably talented scientists, and their projects will provide critical data that may lead to breakthroughs and inform other studies as the scientific community searches for an effective HIV vaccine,” said Pamela Barnes, President and CEO of the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. “We formed the Pediatric HIV Vaccine Research Program to make children an integral part of vaccine research. By supporting these promising projects, we are putting a focus on children in vaccine research.”
To launch this program, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation requested applications from researchers across the globe for projects related to development of a pediatric vaccine. It received 46 letters of intent and solicited 18 applications. The projects selected for support are:
- Dr. Addo will study regulatory T cells in infants;
- Dr. Aldrovandi will study breast milk antibodies;
- Dr. Barouch will investigate the safety and efficacy of novel vaccine candidates in HIV-positive infant rhesus monkeys; Dr. Janoff will investigate the impact of feeding from both the breast and the bottle versus breast-feeding alone on the susceptibility of infants to HIV infection; and
- Dr. Lu will study transmitted viruses with particular focus on the cell surface proteins that allow viral entry.
This is the first round of awards, with more expected in the future. For more information on these awardees and their projects, see the attached fact sheet.
About the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation is a worldwide leader in the fight against pediatric AIDS. Its innovative research programs, collaborative training initiatives, advocacy efforts, and rapidly expanding international prevention and treatment programs are bringing dramatic changes to the lives of children worldwide.