The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has recently announced that three scientists will be receiving the Avant-Garde Award for HIV/AIDS Research for 2017.

The awardees are Michael Farzan, Ph.D., of The Scripps Research Institute; Eric Poeschla, Ph.D., of the University of Colorado Denver; and Peter S. Kim, Ph.D., of Stanford University.

Each of them will receive $500,000.00 per year in a span of five years so that they can pursue their research on the cure for HIV/AIDS. However, the grants will depend on the availability of funds.

Dr. Frazan's team will develop a gene therapy using an adeno-associated virus to try to prevent HIV-1 from spreading to other cells. They will also research about safety switch mechanisms to explore the possibility of protecting molecules despite long-term exposure to infected cells. Dr. Poeschla will experiment on both human and animal cells to see if immunity against HIV can be enhanced. Dr. Kim will try to increase the structural rigidity of the HIV-1 GP41 region in order to allow the testing of new treatments in the prevention of HIV that area.

The awards were based on proposals that focused on improving HIV prevention through effective gene therapies, enhancing natural immunity against HIV and other related viruses, and developing new small-molecule drugs to treat HIV-1 infection.

"With nearly 37 million people living with HIV worldwide, it is essential that researchers continue to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies for those suffering from this devastating disease, including people with substance use disorders," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D.

"These scientists are pioneering exciting new approaches aimed at preventing and treating new cases of HIV and helping people at risk live longer, healthier lives," she went on to say.

This is the tenth year of the Avant-Garde Awards for HIV/AIDS Research. The search was initiated to encourage scientists to conduct studies that can lead to significant innovations in the treatment and prevention of the autoimmune disorder, particularly for drug users.