NIH funds $9.5 million for research on HIV and the human innate immune system

According to Weinberg, the projects are highly focused and collaborative and tap the expertise of researchers in innate immunity, defensin biology, structural chemistry, HIV immunology, dermatology, oral medicine and genetics.

Among the researchers' concerns is that prolonged use of HAART and/or low level chronic HIV infection may impact the human innate defense system, and the research team wants to know what happens.

Working with Mark Chance, professor and director of the Case Center for Proteomics and Bioinformatics, McCormick and Santosh Ghosh, postdoctoral fellow, Department of Biological Sciences in the dental school, the group has found significantly reduced protein expression in cells from HIV-infected individuals on HAART that impact the cell's cycle and immune responses.

"We now have proteomic data telling us that there is a dysfunction occurring in the epithelial cells," says Weinberg.

The researchers are interested in understanding what it means from a biological perspective because it will eventually provide a firm understanding of what proteins are really important in maintaining health and balance in the epithelial barriers of the body.

Using computational software they will detect the pathways and networks affected by chronic HIV infection and/or HAART and thereby, better understand the impact of the virus and the therapies used to combat HIV on epithelial defenses.

Under Goldberg's vision to build a strong research program at the dental school, Weinberg has strengthened the school's overall mission to advance research at the dental school. This grant furthers those efforts by enabling the dental school to establish an annual symposium, a monthly guest lectureship, and provide a career development program for faculty and training for students and postdoctoral fellows.

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