Studies to search for the process from the birth of AIDS virus in the heart of African continent to its pandemic transmission route to the whole world

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26257505
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 海外学術
• Research Field: Virology
• Research Institution: Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Principal Investigator: IDO Eiji 東京医科歯科大学, 大学院医歯学総合研究科, 非常勤講師 (70183176)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 伊吹 謙太郎 京都大学, 医学研究科, 准教授 (00273524) ; 亀岡 正典 神戸大学, 保健学研究科, 准教授 (60281838) ; 中村 昇太 大阪大学, 微生物病研究所, 特任准教授(常勤) (90432434)
• Research Collaborator: Muyembe Jean Jacques 国立生物医学研究所, 所長 ; Ahuka Steve キンシャサ大学, 医学部, 助教授 ; Parra Henri Joseph 国立公衆衛生研究所, 所長 ; Taty Raphael Taty ポイントノアール感染症診療所, 所長
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: ウイルス / 感染症 / エイズ / 進化 / アフリカ / HIV / コンゴ盆地

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Concerning the origin of HIV, it is generally believed that the virus might have been generated somewhere in the central part of African continent because its current genetic diversity is the highest there. We attempted to elucidate its birth place and the transmission route how the subsequent AIDS pandemic occurred to the whole world by visiting several places in the Congo basin and examining the distribution profiles of the viral genotypes historically and molecular epidemiologically. The respective districts showed their own regional specific patterns, and we finally clarified that the most spreaded subtype B(D) in the developed countries can be still existing in eastern part of Democratic Republic of Congo. We also investigated into the HIV drug resistances and found that the invasion of drug resistant mutations is unexpectedly limited in the Congo basin but that the viral genome is even now dynamically changing by recombination as well as vigorous mutations.

Free Research Field

ウイルス学