Meeting report: 30th International Conference on Antiviral Research, in Atlanta, GA, USA

Vere Hodge, R Anthony

Eric Hunter (Figure 10) Eric's current research interests include HIV transmission studies among stable heterosexual couples living in Rwanda and Zambia. The aim of this review was to show how the transmitted virus is not representative of the broad range of quasi-species present in the infecting individual but is highly selected, and how specific features of this transmitted virus can profoundly impact HIV disease progression. These clinical studies recruited stable couples, in which one is HIV positive and the other HIV negative, so-called discordant couples for prevention research. In the few couples where infection of the negative partner occurred it was possible to examine both the 'donor' and 'recipient' viruses. Newly infected partners have been followed for up to eight years. This NIH-funded work is also supported by the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), which is a global not-for-profit organisation whose mission is to ensure the development of a safe, effective, accessible, HIV vaccine.