Objective
Vancomycin-reistant enterococci (VRE) have become the paradigm of the post-antibiotic era. Nosocomial VRE-infections are rising in all European countries, with proportions >10% among enterococcal bloodstream infections in 5 countries in 2004. From a microbial perspective, emergence of VRE represents a dual-edged sword: they are amongst the most resistant opportunistic nosocomial pathogens with an increasing impact on patients' health care. Moreover, and maybe even more important, their unprecedented capacity of genetic exchange make them perfect hubs for resistance genes facilitating horizontal gene transfer amongst bacterial species.
Genetic population analyses of Enterococcus faecium revealed the presence of a High-Risk Enterococcal Clonal Complex (HiRECC) resistant to multiple antibiotics and responsible for the vast majority of nosocomial VRE infections and hospital outbreaks worldwide. In this proposal, the evolutionary development of HiRECC in E. faecium and E. faecalis will be further unraveled and combined with new knowledge on intra- and inter-species gene transfer (including antibiotic resistance genes) and biological fitness costs of hospital adaptation. This will improve our understanding on the ecological abundance of HiRECC in hospitals. Based on this we will develop novel strategies to control spread of HiRECC through modulation of gut colonization by 1) probiotics, specifically selected to out compete HiRECC and 2) vaccination with Lactococcus lactis particles carrying HiRECC specific antigens. In addition, a novel therapeutic approach will be explored by identifying targets of HiRECC for passive immunization with human monoclonal antibodies.
In contrast to MRSA, widespread nosocomial endemicity of VRE has not yet been established in European hospitals and, therefore, immediate development of alternatives for increasingly ineffective antibiotics is needed, both for patient treatment as well as to control further spread of antibiotic resistance.'
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 medical biotechnology genetic engineering gene therapy
- medical and health sciences basic medicine immunology immunisation
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs antibiotics
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy drug resistance antibiotic resistance
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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.
FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-6
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
85500 UTRECHT
Netherlands
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.