During the first reporting period, the project successfully designed and manufactured vaccine candidates across the four platforms (DC-targeting, nanoparticles, MVA, and mRNA). Their immunogenicity was evaluated in vivo in murine models using homologous prime-boost strategies. Based on these results, one lead candidate per platform was selected for further development.
Preparations for an Experimental Medicine Trial (EMT) also progressed significantly. Regulatory submissions are underway in three European clinical centres. The trial design was refined, recruitment and sampling procedures harmonised, and participant information materials prepared. The trial will evaluate immune responses across multiple timepoints in healthy volunteers, comparing select vaccine candidates with two authorized vaccines.
In parallel, extensive preparatory work was conducted to set up all immunological analyses. Assays and data analysis pipelines for the characterization of innate and adaptive immune responses were established and validated, including high-dimensional cytometry for immune cell profiling, transcriptomic analyses, antibody and memory B cell assessments, and T cell repertoire evaluation. Expression and characterization of viral proteins were completed to support humoral response measurements, ensuring that once EMT samples are collected, high-quality, reproducible immunological data can be generated promptly.
On the data science front, a secure LabKey-based data warehouse (SOLVE data space) was established to receive and organize all experimental and clinical datasets. Processes and documentation for future data transfer were validated, enabling integrative analyses across vaccine strategies.
On the social science side, research focused on understanding vaccine hesitancy and public preferences. Literature reviews and systematic analyses identified key vaccine attributes and strategies to counter misinformation. Interviews with healthcare professionals highlighted barriers and facilitators to communication, while a Discrete Choice Experiment was designed to capture public preferences regarding both biomedical and contextual aspects of vaccines.
