The Institute for Translational HIV Research is located on the campus of the University Hospital Essen (UK Essen) and is integrated into the Medical Faculty of the University of Duisburg-Essen. It was founded in 2016 by Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck as the Institute for HIV Research, making it the first virological institute in Germany that was exclusively dedicated to research into the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). After the change from Prof. Dr. Hendrik Streeck to the University of Bonn in 2019, the directorship of the institute was transferred to the well-known virologist Prof. Dr. Ulf Dittmer and the experienced HIV doctor Prof. Dr. Stefan Esser. Under the new dual leadership, the institute was renamed the Institute for Translational HIV Research (ITHF) in order to emphasize the focus of the scientific work on application-oriented research. The ITHF was then restructured and completely re-staffed, so that it is now an incubator for new and innovative translational basic HIV research through the involvement of several junior research groups and a junior professorship. A broad portfolio of clinical research in connection with HIV is also carried out at the ITHF, so that basic translational research and clinical research are in constant communication with one another.

The ITHF serves as a competence center for applied HIV research. For this purpose, translational basic research is closely linked with clinical research on site. The research carried out is aimed at generating a vaccine against HIV, improving the treatment of HIV-infected patients and developing new approaches to cure HIV-infected people. In order to achieve the best possible results, a close exchange with other HIV researchers, researchers from other disciplines, applied medicine and the biomedical industry is sought. In addition, the ITHF is supported by a scientific advisory board made up of renowned experts from various research areas (Prof. Dr. Dunja Bruder, Prof. Dr. Klaus Überla, Prof. Dr. Georg Behrens and Prof. Dr. Jan Münch). The ITHF is also committed to the promotion of young scientists and passes on basic and specialist knowledge about HIV to biologists, biomedical and medical professionals as part of their training.

The translational basic research at the ITHF is dedicated to the investigation of the immune response against HIV with the aim of preventing, better controlling or curing an infection with HIV. The research group of PD Dr. Kathrin Sutter investigates the immune response against HIV mediated by interferon I, which occurs immediately after infection. The working group of Jun.-Prof. Elisabeth Littwitz-Salomon is dedicated to researching the antiviral function of natural killer cells and whether these cells can be modulated for therapeutic purposes. It is also analyzed what constitutes an immune response that protects against HIV in detail. For this purpose, research is carried out on the one hand with the help of the mouse leukemia virus model (Prof. Dr. Ulf Dittmer) and, on the other hand, the non-neutralizing antibody response after HIV infection is examined (Prof. Dr. Christina Karsten). Based on the knowledge gained, new strategies for vaccine development are tested in which the sugar-covered surface is modified by HIV immunogens (Prof. Dr. Christina Karsten). Furthermore, the working group of Dr. Roland Schwarzer is dedicated to the development of new strategies to eradicate the HIV reservoir, which represents the greatest barrier to healing an HIV infection.

The translational basic research takes place in modern laboratories with security level S1/B2 and S2/B3 **, as well as in a laboratory with security level S3 through cooperation with the Institute of Virology. The laboratories at the ITHF are equipped with 6 high-quality cell culture banks, as well as special devices for protein production and purification, cell metabolite analysis and for performing high-throughput flow cytometry and ELISAs. Access to further high-quality infrastructure for e.g. animal husbandry, high-resolution imaging or genome analysis is possible via various technology centers at UK Essen.

Since 1985, the University Hospital Essen has been providing inpatient and outpatient care for people living with HIV infection. Meanwhile, the HIV outpatient clinic with its focus on HIV has developed into the largest center for HIV and AIDS patients in the entire Ruhr area and the largest clinic participating in the North Rhine-Westphalian AIDS agreement with approximately 2000 medically treated HIV-infected persons per year. The outpatient care of HIV patients takes place in the HPSTD-Outpatient Clinic(outpatient clinic for HIV/AIDS, proctology, STD (sexually transmitted diseases)) (Head: Prof. Dr. med. Stefan Esser) of the Clinic for Dermatology and Venereology (clinic director: Prof. Dr. med. Dirk Schadendorf), while inpatient care is mainly provided on the wards of the Clinic for Infectiology(Clinic Director: Prof. Dr. med. Oliver Witzke). The HPSTD Outpatient Clinic works clinically, psychosocially and scientifically in an interdisciplinary, interinstitutional and broadly networked manner with various cooperation partners.

At the UK Essen the HPSTD outpatient clinic and the ITHF is parts of the West German Center for Infectious Diseases (WZI). The WZI is a superordinate organization that brings together all institutes and clinics at the UK Essen which are involved in the research, prevention, diagnosis and therapy of infectious diseases. The integration of the ITHF into the WZI therefore strengthens the active exchange and joint research with other departments, especially virology, immunology and infectiology at the location. Nationwide, the HPSTD outpatient clinic and the ITHF are associated with the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF) a broad network of virologists, microbiologists and immunologists working in Germany. The HPSTD outpatient clinic continues to work directly with the biomedical industry, including ViiV Healthcare, Gilead Sciences, MSD, Janssen and GSK. In this context, research projects initiated by researchers at the ITHF are funded by the industry partners and additionally contract research is conducted to improve the treatment options for HIV-infected patients. The institute members of the ITHF also belong to a number of professional associations (ASM, DAGNÄ, DDG, DGFI, DGI, SFG) and are represented on the board of some of them (DAIG, DSTIG, GfV). Furthermore, the head of the institute, Prof. Dr. Stefan Esser, is chairman of the state commission AIDS NRW , participates in the work of the Quality Assurance Commission for the AIDS Agreement of KV Nordrhein and integrates the AIDS Hilfe Essen, Caritas (CSE) and regional public health departments in the care of patients and prevention.