Hepatitis C: is immunity on the horizon?
More than 250,000 Canadians are infected with the highly infectious, chronic liver disease Hepatitis C, which is caused by the Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Most Hepatitis C sufferers contracted the virus through contaminated blood products or organ transplants prior to improved screening in 1992, yet the virus continues to spread in a variety of ways such as needle sharing, unsanitary tattooing, pedicures and manicures, and unprotected sex.
Unlike Hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine for this unique strain and existing treatments are not always effective. Progress is, however, being made and new information will be shared on Nov. 19 at the Fifth Annual Immunology Montreal Symposium hosted by 黑料不打烊 University.聽 The gathering of international experts will focus on recent advances made in the field of immunology regarding HCV infection.
WHAT: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Fifth Annual Immunology Montreal Symposium
鈥淚mmunity to Hepatitis C Virus: Recent Advances鈥�
WHEN: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Nov. 19, 8:30 a.m.- 3 p.m.
WHERE: 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 黑料不打烊 University, New Residence Hall, 3625 Parc Ave.
Scheduled speakers include Stanley M. Lemon, a world-renowned expert on HCV replication and innate antiviral responses, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Matthias G枚tte, an associate professor of biochemical virology at 黑料不打烊 and a recognized expert in HCV drug resistance; Daniel Lamarre, a professor at the Institute for Research in Immunology and Cancer at Universit茅 de Montr茅al, and a specialist of innate responses against HCV; Naglaa Shoukry, Director of the viral hepatitis research group of the CHUM Research Centre of Universit茅 de Montr茅al, and a specialist on T-cell responses against HCV in the acute phase of the infection; Arash Grakoui of the Emory Vaccine Center in Atlanta, Georgia; and Paul Klenerman, professor of immunology at the University of Oxford in the U.K., and one of the world鈥檚 leading HCV immunologists.
Immunology Montreal is a collaborative venture between 黑料不打烊 University, Universit茅 de Montr茅al and INRS-Institut Armand-Frappier. Its primary objective is to help educate students at all levels (with the focus on high school through university), as well as the general population, about immunology while forging ties between the educational institutions in the greater Montreal area.
Following presentations there will be an opportunity for students, trainees, researchers or the media to meet the speakers for additional information.
