Help needed for HIV study

New research on how HIV affects the immune system is being conducted at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne next month and researchers are calling for participants.

The study is being conducted by Dr Clovis Palmer who was recently chosen as one of 10 young scientists from around the world to be offered a Creative and Novel Ideas in HIV Research program grant to undertake HIV research in an area that has not been explored.

The normally NSW-based researcher told the Star Observer he was excited to start the project in Melbourne. He hopes it will improve the way HIV is tested and can be treated.

“As a member of the gay community and [having] been influenced by many friends who have been affected by HIV in one way or another, I have the advantage of my passion being driven by being surrounded by them,” Palmer said.

The project aims to understand the metabolic impacts on immune cells during HIV infection and to study immune deterioration during HIV to help diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of the virus.

Palmer’s study, Leucocyte metabolic and T-cell specific immune dysfunction in HIV infection, is thought to be the only one of its kind in the world to look at how HIV infection affects the way immune cells use energy, in order to potentially develop new nutritional therapies.

“The essence of the project is to investigate a novel theory to explain why immune cells are unable to fight HIV, why do they get tired and why do they die,” Palmer said.

“The project will also seek to understand why the cells that harbour HIV remain alive [in reservoirs], and to use new lines of therapeutics other than anti-retroviral therapy to treat HIV infection.”

Palmer said he hopes the study will have an impact on the way HIV is monitored in patients.

“This project will have direct clinical implications as it will access new immunological markers other than CD4 T-cell counts to access the deterioration of the immune system.”

Palmer said both HIV-positive and HIV-negative participants are required. Participants must not be regularly taking anti-inflammatory medications (such as low-dose aspirin) and must not have had an illness or physical trauma in the past three weeks.

Participants will need to make an appointment, give a blood sample and complete a short general health questionnaire. The research will be conducted at the Burnet Institute, 85 Commercial Rd, Melbourne.

info: Call Dr Clovis Palmer on 0421 476 287 or email [email protected]