PHILADELPHIA, PA — The Wistar Institute has announced a significant $24 million investment to establish a new HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center. This initiative aims to move beyond current treatments and eradicate HIV, a virus that affects over 39 million people worldwide.
The new Center will focus on harnessing scientific talent and research expertise to find a cure for HIV and address other viral threats. Dario Altieri, M.D., Wistar’s president and CEO, emphasized the Center’s potential during the Jonathan Lax Memorial Lecture. “This new Center, combined with our Vaccine & Immunotherapy Center, positions Wistar to accelerate innovative ideas for an HIV cure and vaccine,” he said.
HIV’s ability to mutate and evade immune responses has long challenged scientists. Insights gained from HIV research could also help combat other persistent viral infections, similar to how HIV research contributed to Hepatitis C cure strategies.
The Center will recruit four to six new principal investigators to join existing experts in virology and immunology. The team will collaborate with industry and community partners to pursue three main goals:
- Integrate multi-pronged clinical methods that mimic and enhance the human immune system.
- Develop personalized cure strategies for individual patients.
- Expand international collaborations to ensure diverse global participation in cure efforts.
Luis Montaner, D.V.M., D.Phil., a leading figure in HIV cure research, will head the Center as its founding director. Montaner is confident about the prospects: “I am confident we will advance towards an HIV cure in my lifetime. The HIV Cure and Viral Diseases Center makes a clear and bold statement to the world that the time to get us to an HIV cure is now.”
The Center will be headquartered at a new Wistar North campus, marking the first expansion beyond its historic 3601 Spruce Street location. The new facility will offer over 25,000 square feet of dedicated laboratory and office space.
With this robust investment, Wistar aims to capitalize on global momentum in cure-directed research and bring us closer to a world free from HIV.
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