International conference on HIV research in city from Feb 5

Mumbai, Feb 3 (PTI) There is a pressing need to fill upthe gaps in the research and the scientific knowledge aboutprevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS, as the number of peopleliving with the disease has grown to alarming proportions,an expert with the Indian Council of Medical Research said.

ICMR is organising an international conference onEmerging Frontiers and Challenges in HIV/AIDS Research'',which will start here on February 5.

"Factors like consistent viral variation, differentialimmunological responses in the patients, viral affinity todifferent receptors, and resistance to therapies are the majorimpediments to developing effective drugs and vaccines," saidDr Sanjiva D Kholkute, Director, National Institute forResearch in Reproductive Health (a part of ICMR).

"Other issues are lack of focused HIV preventionprogrammes and integrated programmes specifically designed forpeople living with HIV," Kholkute, who is also the convener ofthe conference, said today.

The number of HIV patients has risen alarmingly in therecent years, he said.

The conference aims to provide a forum to theresearchers working in areas such as mechanism of HIVinfection and transmission, resistance to the pathogen as wellas anti-HIV drugs, disease progression, and development ofeffective medicines, etc, he said. .