Guest lecture by Hans Wolf

CMBN is pleased to announce the following BIG and CMBN guest lecture:

From Epstein Barr Virus and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma to HIV and AIDS: A challenge driven story about new technologies in Diagnosis and Prevention of Diseases

Prof. Dr. Hans Wolf, Institut for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Germany

20 January 2011, at 1500
Auditorium A3.3067, Rikshospitalet, Oslo

Thursday 20th January 2011 at 3 pm
Venue: Auditorium A3.3067
Prof. Dr. Hans Wolf
Institut for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene
University of Regensburg, Germany

The correlation of infectious agents to sometimes rare and even
malignant diseases with an abundant pathogen present in the tissue only
in form of its encoding nucleic acid was, and is a challenge to science.
For an abundant virus such as Epstein Barr virus relating to a rare
Cancer, Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, a new technology, sensitive in situ
hybridisation had to be developed. Serology using recombinant produced
virus derived antigens allowed for the first time mass screening
detecting about 60 pecent of persons developing NPC in phases one and
two with good chances for successful therapy, a significant improvement
over the previous 2-12%. With powerfull vector systems and adjuvants EBV
vaccines are existing since 1985 and are highly efficacious, but for
questionable economic concerns at present not available.

Codon optimised nucleic acid sequences for the Lentivirus HIV yielded in
considerable improvement of vaccine efficacy.  Finally, the introduction
of carbamoylated proteins allows the production of novel imunogens for
immune prevention and therapy and of antigens which allow early
detection of reactivation of pathogens as well as proof of clearance
from replicating pathogens. Altogether, new technologies are leading to
a significant improvement of options for prevention, diagnosis directed
therapy and, potentially, even to therapeutic immune intervention.
Ongoing trials with established immunogens are scientifically
accompanied by transcriptional profiling in combination with
Bioinformatics to define molecular mechanisms rather than only
correlates of protection from infection and / or disease

Refreshments will be served
Welcome!