Dr. John T. West, research associate professor, Nebraska Center for Virology, University of Nebraska–Lincoln will present “Translating Basic Science Discovery into Interventions Against HIV-1 and HIV-associated Malignancies.”

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) has had a profound effect on the global human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) epidemic, by reducing viral load, promoting reconstitution of immune function, and extending and improving quality of life. Despite these advances mediated through an armamentarium of antivirals, HIV-1 associated malignancies, such as Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS), continue to occur at high levels, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, despite suppression of HIV-1 replication. We will discuss our current understanding and remaining questions about KS, and its etiologic agent the KS-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)/human herpesvirus-8 (HHV-8). The focus will be on the virus-host interaction, the role of HIV-1, the immune response to KSHV and to KS, and how we might move from understanding aspect of KSHV basic biology and tumorigenesis to intervention against this devastating disease.