A priority for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is development of a universal influenza vaccine providing durable protection against multiple influenza strains. NIAID will use this strategic plan as a foundation for future investments in influenza research.
Over 30 key leaders in the field participated in a 1-day workshop entitled 'Recent Advances and Opportunities in the Development and Use of Humanized Immune System Mouse Models' to discuss the benefits and limitations of using human fetal tissue versus non-fetal tissue sources to generate mice with a humanized immune system. This Comment summarizes the workshop discussions, including highlights of some of the key advances made through the use of humanized mice in improving the understanding of immune system function and developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of infectious, immunological and allergic diseases, as well as current challenges in the production, characterization and utilization of these animal models.
African-Americans and Blacks have low participation rates in clinical trials and reduced access to aggressive medical therapies. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is a high-risk investigational but potentially curative therapy for sickle-cell disease (SCD), a disorder predominantly seen in African-Americans. We conducted focus groups to better understand participation barriers to HCT clinical trials for SCD. Nine focus groups of youth with SCD (n=10) and parents (n=41) were conducted at three sites representing the Midwest, South Atlantic and West South Central US. Main barriers to clinical trial participation included gaps in knowledge about SCD, limited access to SCD/HCT trial information and mistrust of medical professionals. For education about SCD/HCT trials, participants highly preferred one-on-one interactions with medical professionals and electronic media as a supplement. Providers can engage with sickle cell camps to provide information on SCD/HCT clinical trials to youth and local health fairs for parents/families. Youth reported learning about SCD via computer games; investigators may find this medium useful for clinical trial/HCT education. African-Americans affected by SCD face unique barriers to clinical trial participation and have unmet HSCT clinical studies education needs. Greater recognition of these barriers will allow targeted interventions in this community to increase their access to HCT.
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