Objective
Emerging infectious diseases are occurring at increasing frequency in Europe and other regions of the world, having profound impacts on public and/or veterinary health as well as disruptive effects on sector, regional or even global economy. The predominantly zoonotic nature of emerging pathogens calls for a One Health approach uniting the human medical and veterinary fields, dedicated to swiftly controlling upon emergence pathogens both at the source and in the human population. In this project, human and veterinary medical institutions, governmental regulatory agencies, expert academic groups and industrial partners, building on existing EU-funded consortia and initiatives, collaborate in establishing a universal platform for the rapid characterization, design and surge production of vaccines and neutralizing reagents against known as well as novel emerging pathogens, in particular viruses. This platform aims at ensuring a fast track for the development, registration and implementation of innovative control tools immediately after severe outbreak events are detected.
The platform will include the identification and characterization of key protective immunogens and corresponding neutralizing antibodies, based on both in silico and in vitro studies, and supported by in vivo studies that have or will generate knowledge on the pathogenesis and immune-kinetics of ZAPI target viruses in model and target animal species. These animal models will be used to characterize protective or therapeutic efficacy of developed vaccines and neutralizing reagents. In silico B-cell epitope mapping and state-of-the-art immune-structural analyses will further predict key immunogens of target as well as related viruses, and demonstrate potential of immuno-profiling technologies to be applied in the face of emerging virus outbreaks. Multi-specific antibody libraries will be constructed based on the swift generation of a broad range of conventional murine monoclonal antibodies as well as completely defined genetically-engineered humanized antibodies and nanobodies. High Throughput Sequencing assays will be developed to efficiently characterize the neutralization capacity of these antibodies within the framework of an automated workflow. Upon an incursion of a novel virus, tailor-made HTS assays will be developed to screen the established antibody libraries for virus neutralizing activity, and to identify B cells from infected individuals, that produce neutralizing antibodies. In both cases, the sequences of these antibodies will be determined to develop recombinant antibodies using systems suitable for rapid, large-scale production. The most promising and potent immunogens and neutralizing reagents will be fed into a universal platform, independent of mammalian cell cultures, for rapid and high-yield production.
Because a unique expression and production system leading to vaccine and/or neutralizing reagent production is unlikely to be successful for the full range of newly emerging viruses in the future, it is essential to develop a universal platform relying on complementary expression and production systems, to be used according to a built-in decision-tree. We therefore include several options within the development pipeline to avoid shortcomings associated with a particular expression or production system. Key immunogens will be either expressed as purified subunits preferably in prokaryotic, fungal or insect cells, or be expressed from the genome of DNA-launched RNA virus replicons. Their immunogenicity will be screened in small-animal models. Selected candidates will further be tested for immunogenicity and efficacy in small animal models and target animal species. At least two expression systems will be validated at medium production scale. Classical benchmark vaccines, produced by existing mammalian or avian cell-based systems, will be used as positive controls in vaccination-challenge experiments. Key neutralizing antibodies will be enginee
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
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Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
IMI-JU-11-2013
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Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
JTI-CP-IMI - Joint Technology Initiatives - Collaborative Project (IMI)
Coordinator
69007 Lyon
France
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Participants (19)
3015 GD Rotterdam
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3584 CS Utrecht
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6708 PB Wageningen
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17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems
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53127 BONN
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3029 AK Rotterdam
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28006 MADRID
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75724 Paris
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13284 Marseille
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2629 JD Delft
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08140 CALDES DE MONTBUI BARCELONA
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30559 HANNOVER
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69443 Lyon
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2333 ZA Leiden
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55218 Ingelheim
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6709 PA Wageningen
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151 85 Sodertaelje
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3013 AK Rotterdam
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69003 Lyon
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