Objective
Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), a vector borne disease caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Leishmania, is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and constitutes a major public health problem particularly in poorer countries. There is also recognised risk that the disease may become more prevalent in Europe as a consequence of global warming and migration. Treatment is prolonged and expensive and has been complicated by the emergence of drug resistant Leishmania. While attempts to develop an effective vaccine have been shown to be feasible, there is no vaccine in active clinical use. The past decade has seen increasing interest in the use of dietary lactic acid bacteria (LAB) as mucosal vaccine delivery vehicles and a number of prototypes have demonstrated efficacy in experimental models of infectious diseases. Furthermore, some strains of LAB have been shown to promote T helper 1 or mixed T helper (Th) cellular responses to expressed or co-administered antigen, which are considered advantageous in vaccination strategies targeting VL. The goal of this proposal is therefore to develop a new immuno-prophylactic paradigm for preventing VL. We will bioengineer harmless Lactococcus lactis (an LAB) to express conserved immunogenic antigens from Leishmania infantum, the causative agent of VL in Europe. Using animal models, we will demonstrate that these bioengineered strains can prevent disease after parasitic challenge when administered as a mucosal vaccine. We will also test the properties of a L. lactis strain producing interleukin-12 (a potent cytokine that induces Th1 cells) when co-administered as a mucosal adjuvant. If successful, this program of research has enormous potential to create a new path to preventing VL disease and other leishmaniases that is both inexpensive and amenable to large-scale vaccination programmes in populations who are at risk. There may also be scope to expand this approach to target other neglected diseases.
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 public health
- social sciences sociology demography mortality
- natural sciences chemical sciences organic chemistry organic acids
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
You need to log in or register to use this function
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.
FP7-PEOPLE-IEF-2008
See other projects for this call
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.
Coordinator
28029 MADRID
Spain
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.