Ralph Tripp to Present at Influenza Conference on July 9-11, 2014, in Boston, MA

Monrovia, CA, May 11, 2014 --(PR.com)-- Ralph Tripp, Professor and Georgia Research Alliance Chair in Vaccine and Therapeutic Development at the University of Georgia will give a presentation on “Understanding the Influenza Virus – Host Interface to Advance Mammalian Vaccine Cell Line Development and Novel Therapeutics” at the 3rd Annual Influenza Research and Development Conference on July 9-11, 2014 in Boston, MA by GTCBio.

Influenza virus is a worldwide global health concern causing seasonal morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Chemotherapeutics is available however rapid emergence of drug resistant influenza strains has reduced their efficacy, thus there is a need to discover novel anti-viral agents. In Dr. Tripp’s study, RNA interference (RNAi) was used to screen host genes required for influenza virus replication. Several genes were validated as pro-viral that when silenced resulted in low or no influenza virus replication while others were validated as antiviral that when silenced resulted in enhanced influenza virus replication. These findings identified host druggable gene targets for anti-influenza virus therapy, as well as allowed for the identification of gene modulation events that enhance influenza virus production in vaccine manufacturing cell lines. Dr. Tripp will discuss translation of this technology into repositioned antiviral drugs, and the production of stable vaccine cell lines that promise to increase overall vaccine manufacturing capabilities.

Prof Tripp received his doctorate from Oregon State University, was awarded a National Research Service Award, and studied adenovirus mechanisms of immune evasion at Emory University as a post-doctoral fellow. Subsequently, as a senior fellow, he studied the mechanisms of T cell memory to influenza virus with 1996 Laureate Professor, Peter C. Doherty at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He then led an immunology group at the Respiratory and Enteric Viruses Branch at the CDC in Atlanta. Prof Tripp now is at the University Georgia studying vaccine and antiviral drugs countermeasures for emerging infectious diseases.

GTCBio’s 3rd Annual Influenza Research and Development Conference will bring together experts from industry, government and academia to discuss the issues facing the influenza field. Topics will range from basic science of the influenza virus itself to pandemic preparedness to vaccination and clinical development. Attend this conference to learn, discuss and network with fellow scientists and researchers involved in various sectors of the influenza filed in an intimate setting.

This conference is also part of the Infectious Diseases World Summit 2014, which consists of this and two other conferences:
1) 12th Vaccines Research & Development: All Things Considered Conference
2) 11th Anti-Infectives Partnering and Deal-Making Conference

For more information, please visit www.gtcbio.com