The symposium is aimed at honoring the extraordinary lifetime achievements of Dr. Robert C. Gallo the impact of his research on human health, and to stimulate discussion about the unmet needs for research in human disease. Dr. Gallo’s vision and relentless research into the pathogenesis of human disease led to the discovery of IL-2, a cytokine essential for the in vitro growth of human T cells, which, in turn enabled the identification of HTLV-1 and HTLV-2, the first human retroviruses.
These groundbreaking findings were crucial for identifying HIV, a member of the lentivirus genus, a few years later. Dr. Gallo’s ability to culture T- cells infected with HIV allowed the establishment of a serologic test that allowed the epidemiologic link between HIV infection and AIDS, thus saving millions of lives. In addition, the ability to grow HIV in vitro enabled its rapid genetic characterization, providing the basis not only for the development of the sensitive RNA-based HIV test used in the clinic today, but also the identification of enzymes such as reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase, which are the targets of the current highly effective anti-retroviral therapy. Antiretroviral therapy not only prevents AIDS, but also reduces the transmission of the virus. However, much remains to be done to eliminate the burden of HTLV and HIV infections in humans. It is estimated that more than 35 million people are infected with HIV, while the number of people infected with HTLV is still unknown. The symposium will bring together scientists who have benefited from Robert Gallo’s leadership, including trainees, collaborators and colleagues. A group of scientists and friends who will present cutting-edge research in virology, immunology and oncology and will discuss remaining challenges.