Thirty years have passed since the first case report on AIDS in the United States in 1981. Despite tremendous progress in biological science including development of anti-HIV drugs during this period, HIV is still prevalent all over the world. In the current estimation by UNAIDS, more than 30 million people are living with HIV and 1.8 million people died of AIDS in 2009. Global HIV prevalence is in thus serious conditions. Even in Japan, the number of HIV-infected people is increasing. Under these circumstances, AIDS Research Center (ARC) is conducting integrated research toward the control of HIV infection.

Combination of social prevention activities, vaccines, and therapeutics would be required for HIV control. Social prevention activities including education may be the most important but are not sufficient for the containment of HIV inducing chronic and persistent infection. Development of a prophylactic AIDS vaccine is an urgent need, but even when a successful regimen is developed, social activities remain indispensable. While development of anti-HIV therapeutics have been proceeding, our bitter experience of allowing the emergence of multi-drug resistant bacteria reminds us of the absolute necessity of taking comprehensive strategies. Therefore, ARC is promoting comprehensive research toward HIV control by well-balanced combination of social prevention activities, vaccines, and therapeutics. We believe that our effort would contribute to global HIV control and establishment of the sophisticated system for infectious disease control with the next generation of capable researchers.

July 01, 2011

Tetsuro Matano
Director
AIDS Research Center
National Institute of Infectious Diseases