“Chemists Respond to the Challenge of AIDS”
Drew University, Madison, NJ
Hall of Sciences Room 4
Monday November 9, 2009 &ndash 7:00 - 9:00 PM
Attendance is free, but please
[ register below ]
Presention
I.
“Challenges Designing and Implementing an Emerging Pharmaceutical Infrastructure in Africa”
Rolande Hodel,
President, AIDSfreeAfrica
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Abstract:
AIDSfreeAFRICA, is a group of professional volunteers responding to the challenge, enabling Africans to meet their health needs. AIDS has dramatically shortened the life span throughout Africa. Proud natives claim they are not dying from AIDS, but rather the many complications of their impaired immune system. Primitive health care systems and limited financial resources prevent many modern drugs and treatments systems from being utilized.
With limited resources AIDSfreeAFRICA, a non profit volunteer organization, has considerable accomplishments enabling local companies in Cameroon to actively participate in the delivery of needed materials. Now activities are expanding to neighboring countries as new solutions are being researched that can be implemented in country with local talent.
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Presention
II.
Using basic scientific approaches to discover agents targeting drug-resistant HIV
Professor Eddy Arnold,
Center for Advanced Biotechnology and Medicine,
Rutgers University, Department of Chemistry & Chemical Biology
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Abstract:
Studies of reverse transcriptase (RT), an essential component of the AIDS virus and the target of many of the most widely used anti-AIDS drugs will be presented. Using the techniques of X-ray crystallography, Dr. Arnold's team has solved the three-dimensional structures of HIV-1 RT in complex with antiviral drugs and pieces of the HIV genome. These studies have illuminated the working of an intricate and fascinating biological machine in atom-by-atom detail and have yielded numerous novel insights into polymerase structure-function relationships, detailed mechanisms of drug resistance, and structure-based design of RT inhibitors. Synthesis of the information being developed has lead to the development of inhibitors that show great promise as potential treatments for AIDS.
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