Infectious Diseases BioBank
The Infectious Diseases BioBank, which provides researchers with valuable sets of clinical research specimens on an ongoing basis and has provided logistical support to several drug trials
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Research
The wealth and depth of information derived from the Infectious Diseases Biobank have recently given rise to a new set of population-based HIV-1 studies. Some of the main aims of the research are:
i) the prevalence of in vitro characterised Drug-resistance mutations on the Gag gene of the HIV-1 infected, treatment naïve patients in south-east London. There is a large number of such mutations identified in vitro, we are interested in monitoring those in vivo and understanding their distribution and relative importance in the resistance of the viral strains present within the general population.
ii) the underlying host genetic mechanisms, such as the HLA antigens, in relation to HIV-1 disease progression. The well-defined and characterised patient cohorts currently present in the Infectious Diseases Biobank form a reference point for deeper research on such in silico associations.