Application Built by J2 Supports Innovative Research into Elite Controllers
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, October 20, 2009 — At the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard, immunology researchers are studying “elite controllers”—patients who contract the HIV virus, but show a natural ability to avoid developing AIDS—to understand how their immune systems are so successful at fighting the disease. Their findings may ultimately lead to new HIV drugs, or even a vaccine, for the general population.
In collaboration with J2 Interactive, the Ragon Institute has developed a comprehensive database of anonymized demographic and genetic data for HIV patients from around the world. A web application built by J2 allows Ragon Institute staff to identify patients with particular demographic or genetic attributes, track blood samples, conduct assays, and analyze the results over time.
The Wall Street Journal has the full story.
