Objective There is an urgent need for progress in developing prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination strategies that induce polyfunctional, strongly protective cytotoxic CD8 T cell responses. These could shield us from pathogens against which the presently available, neutralizing antibody-inducing vaccine approaches confer limited or no protection and they could be used to eliminate tumors or chronic infections. In contrast to this need, we currently fail to induce effector and memory CD8 T cells in numbers high enough to effectively impact an infection or the growth of tumors. As protective CD8 T cell responses are readily generated during several viral infections, we need to improve our insight into how pathogen protection is naturally achieved, identify why immune protection sometimes fails, and use this knowledge to develop novel vaccine strategies. We will use a well balanced approach of hypothesis stimulated and unbiased multisystem observations to exploit novel mechanisms and to find ways to augment the CD8 T cell response to a vaccine. We have established model systems that are uniquely suited to extract and test molecules that determine T cell differentiation and expansion magnitude. Along with that we aim to enhance our insight of immune responses in vaccinated individuals to prevent creating situation in which vaccines fail to confer protection or may cause adverse effects. We recently made very unexpected observations that challenge our current concept of T cell differentiation in chronic infections, which proposes that T cells terminally differentiate and become senescent. We therefore aim to redefine our understanding of T cell responses in such infections. This will also be pursued to unravel novel strategies to reactivate T cells in persisting infections. Overall, the project will strongly further our insight into CD8 T cell responses during infections and will support the development of more effective vaccine strategies to induce antigen-specific CD8 T cells Fields of science medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologymedical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccines Programme(s) FP7-IDEAS-ERC - Specific programme: "Ideas" implementing the Seventh Framework Programme of the European Community for research, technological development and demonstration activities (2007 to 2013) Topic(s) ERC-SG-LS6 - ERC Starting Grant - Immunity and infection Call for proposal ERC-2013-StG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-SG - ERC Starting Grant Coordinator TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen Germany See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Dietmar Zehn (Prof.) Administrative Contact Claudia Ziem (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window EU contribution € 958 414,11 Beneficiaries (2) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Germany EU contribution € 958 414,11 Address Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen See on map Region Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Principal investigator Dietmar Zehn (Prof.) Administrative Contact Claudia Ziem (Dr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window CENTRE HOSPITALIER UNIVERSITAIRE VAUDOIS Participation ended Switzerland EU contribution € 541 435,89 Address Rue du bugnon 21 1011 Lausanne See on map Region Schweiz/Suisse/Svizzera Région lémanique Vaud Activity type Public bodies (excluding Research Organisations and Secondary or Higher Education Establishments) Administrative Contact Davide Mercuri (Mr.) Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window
