Grant: Operating Grant - Priority Announcement: Canadian HIV Vaccine Initiative

As humans we all share the same set of gene, however, we all possess slightly different versions of those gene and that is what makes us all unique as individuals. These genetic differences, called polymorphisms, also have been shown to be associated with differing susceptibility to disease, such as HIV. Our lab has previously demonstrated a link between increased susceptibility to HIV infection and a particular version of the gene that encodes the main host protein that HIV uses to enter into a cell, called CD4. Recent studies from our lab have shown that the genes that surround CD4 could also be linked to altered HIV susceptibility. We have termed this group of genes the CD4 pathogenicity island and this proposal seeks to explore the genetic linkages between these genes and also determine at a molecular level how they affect susceptibility to HIV infection. These studies could lead to be better understanding of the molecular events necessary to HIV to infect a cell which would provide a foundation for further anti-HIV drug development.