The Foundation for AIDS Research, Will Grant Almost $1.2 Million
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, will grant almost $1.2 million for 10 new research projects aimed at increasing understanding of the social and biological factors that influence the treatment of HIV/AIDS, Dr. Rowena Johnston, amfAR’s vice president of research.
Among those projects is a study exploring the potential benefits of maraviroc, a new antiretroviral drug expected to be approved by the FDA soon. Maraviroc works by blocking the cell surface protein CCR5 and thus preventing the virus from entering cells. amfAR funded research 10 years ago that played a leading role in spurring the development of maraviroc.
The drug also has the potential to prevent disease progression by reducing the activation state of the immune system, said Dr. Nancy Shulman of Stanford University and the Palo Alto VA Medical Center, who received the grant.
amfAR will also fund several projects related to the social factors contributing to HIV infection, including one that examines how stigma associated with HIV affects the level of care that patients receive.
Source: Spiritindia
