The Swiss HIV Cohort Study Core Project Metabolism and Aging
Research Project
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01.01.2014
- 31.12.2017
The Swiss HIV Cohort Study (SHCS), established in 1988, is an ongoing, longitudinal, clinic-based cohort of HIV-1 infected adults. Until to date, cumulatively, 17'795 persons have been enrolled. The strength of the cohort is the comprehensive collection of clinical, laboratory and socio-demographic data as well as biological samples from enrolled individuals every 3 - 6 months accompanied by a strict quality control program. The size and duration of the cohort allowed for the formation of a world-wide exceptional biobank which currently contains > 1.3 mio specimens from HIV infected individuals and thereby provides a unique research platform for clinical, translational, epidemiological, social and basic research worldwide. Due to its continuing success in recruiting patients, the SHCS is representative of the Swiss HIV-1 infected population. Likewise, due to its longevity, comprehensive and high quality data collection, the SHCS will continue to provide invaluable data for public health as best evidenced by the major impact on the high quality of HIV care the SHCS has had in Switzerland. An important reason for this success remains that all key players in Swiss HIV medicine are participating in the SHCS which guarantees that research results are rapidly transformed into clinical care. With its drug resistance database containing > 19000 pol genotypes and its host genetic database of > 2500 whole human genomes, the SHCS is in a position to actively contribute to large international collaborations to resolve research questions that cannot be resolved by single cohorts. Key to success of the SHCS are also two further important factors, the clear dedication to a multidisciplinary approach which promotes crossing of conventional research areas and the system of nested research projects that allows to rapidly respond to the needs of the continuously changing HIV epidemic.
