Program Overview > Outline

Reserch Interest This global COE (gCOE) Program covers the areas of virology, immunology, drug development, and treatment of infectious diseases, in relation to HIV-1 infection and AIDS. Based on the expertise of the 11 core members, we particularly focus on:

Identification and development of novel agents active against wild-type and drug-resistant HIV-1 Elucidation of the mechanism of emergence of drug-resistant HIV-1 variants and its intervention. Identification of antigenic epitopes for HIV-1-specifc cytotoxic T cells and attempt to utilize them as potential immunogens for AIDS vaccine Investigation of immune escape of HIV-1 and its intervention. Study of molecular mechanisms of HIV-1's cellular entry including membrane fluidity and fusion pore formation. Development and identification of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against HIV-1 and its use for therapy of HIV-1 infection. Development of effective treatment strategy for HIV-1-infected individuals. Development of a small animal model for AIDS. Identification of cellular factors that control HIV-1 replication Analysis of evolution of HIV-1 under selective pressure by antiretroviral drugs and host immune responses

Program Description and Goals 1 One of the main goals of this global COE (gCOE) Program at Kumamoto University is the training of students, young physicians, and junior researchers who will go on to pursue world-level AIDS research in Kumamoto University and beyond. To this end, we will provide gCOE trainees with sufficient and easy access to basic principles, knowledge, skills, and in particular, most recent developments in AIDS research. In 2006, we set forth "Training Program for Junior Researchers toward Controlling AIDS (TPJRC-AIDS)", which was selected for a National Project "Initiatives for Attractive Education in Graduate Schools" funded by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan (MEXT) from amongst a number of competitive training program applications. The program enabled us to send a number of student researchers to domestic and international meetings to present data they generated (26 individuals to 9 meetings in 2006 and 35 individuals to 11 meetings in 2007). We also organize "Kumamoto AIDS seminar" every year, which is supported in part by TPJRC-AIDS. The seminar convened more than 100 established and junior scientists, physicians, and students focusing on AIDS research in Japan. In 2006 and 2007 we invited 9 prominent AIDS researchers from the United States and UK. Another unique arrangement we have made for TPJRC-AIDS is the globalization of the laboratories linguistically. For this purpose, we set up English classes by native English speakers. The classes have been very successful, and we received extremely favorable evaluation on students' English skills. The benefits of this program have been absolutely clear: (i) over the five years, TPJRC-AIDS attracted a total of 81 students, and 80% of them were from outside of Kumamoto University. (ii) over the three years, graduate students in TPJRC-AIDS published 21 first author papers in peer-reviewed international scientific journals. Moreover 70% of them published at least one first author paper in international journals with impact factors of greater than 5.0.

Program Description and Goals 2 We also pursue the globalization of the laboratories scientifically Over the years, the core members of gCOE have established international collaboration with 11 research groups in 7 countries, including two research laboratories in the US National Cancer Institute and three laboratories in Oxford University in UK. We designate these laboratories as "international liaison laboratories (ILL)" and periodically send gCOE trainees. We also invite ILL researchers to Kumamoto and exchange ideas and laboratory/clinical samples. This new arrangement will enhance collaboration between the gCOE program members and ILL and will help gCOE trainees to become internationally competitive in AIDS research.

Significance of the Program Despite the continuing scientific efforts, the world is still awaiting for sustainable treatment and prevention technologies, particularly new generations of effective anti-retroviral drugs and vaccines. Halting the HIV epidemic requires further scientific advances and an urgent increase in the number of global scientific leaders who can coordinate international research efforts. This program is aiming at preparing graduate students and young scientists for global leadership in HIV/AIDS research and also serving as a guide of international research organizations to develop new treatment and vaccines. Currently, three organizations are specialized in HIV/AIDS research world wide; NIH Vaccine research Center, Center for HIV-AIDS Vaccine Immunology (CHAVI), and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, all of which are located in the United States. They focus on vaccine development rather than serving as educational institutes whereas our program provides training opportunities for future scientists. At the same time, we also contribute to the development of new drugs and vaccines with our broad and extensive expertise in the fields of virology and immunology.