NIH Research Projects

UTMB Center for Population Health and Health Disparities - P50CA105631

The overall theme of the UTMB Center for Population Health and Health Disparities is to understand the mechanisms responsible for lower cancer incidence, lower prevalence of other diseases, and lower mortality associated with the increasing percent of Hispanics in the neighborhood. Projects are stimulated by our recent preliminary findings that more homogeneous Hispanic neighborhoods (higher percent Hispanic) have a protective impact on cancer incidence and mortality. The center aims thus to extend the literature on the "Hispanic Paradox"---relatively good health despite relatively poor socioeconomic conditions---to the community context.

See our presentation at the NIH conference:
http://obssr.od.nih.gov/CPHHD/Meeting04/Agenda.htm

Virus-Specific Immunity in Aging - R03AG21247

The overall goal of this project is to investigate latent herpesvirus immunity in aging. Herpesviruses commonly establish infections in humans. These infections are usually characterized by an acute phase associated with minor morbidity and mortality followed by a chronic latent phase reflecting a balance between viral replication and the host immune response. Control over herpesvirus reactivation is primarily mediated by cellular immunity which declines with advancing age. As a result, herpesvirus infections are important pathogens in the elderly and result in considerable cost to the health care system. The immunological decrements associated with stress are of particular concern in the elderly because they already have age-related reductions in cellular immunity. Studies outlined in this proposal will provide preliminary data regarding age-related declines in herpesvirus- specific T-cell immunity and subsequent latent virus reactivation.