Objective
The overall objective is to develop a new generation of potent viral vector vaccines with optimised host immune activating properties. Poxviruses engineered to express foreign genes are recognized as potent delivery systems for heterologous antigens. One of these vectors, the safety-tested modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), a product of European research, serves world-wide as the vaccinia virus strain of choice for clinical investigations research experimental vaccination against AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria.
Recent work performed by our network consortium significantly increased our knowledge about versatile poxviral gene products exploited by these viruses to regulate virus-host interactions and to counteract innate and adaptive host immune responses. In this project application, vaccinia virus MVA serves as the basis to specifically inactivate viral gene functions that have immune inhibitory potential. We will use the research experience and the highly competitive bioengineering capabilities of the network partners to establish a unique technology platform for poxviral vector design in vaccine development.
On the basis of important results from research performed under our previous contract EC QLK2-2002-01867 we will test combinations of genetic modifications targeting MVA gene products interfering with host cytokine and chemokine function or apoptosis-triggered danger signalling. In addition, we will design novel strategies for viral vector associated antigen presentation and adjuvant delivery. Comparative vaccination experiments in animal model systems for immunization against viral and parasitic will allow us to determine the relative enhancement of antigen-specific immune responses (T cells, antibodies) and to analyse the protective capacity of MVA vector vaccines. The results obtained from these experiments will enable to derive state-of-the art second generation, safe and optimised MVA vectors as candidate vaccines against poverty-related 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.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques.
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicineimmunologyimmunisation
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologyvirology
- medical and health sciencesmedical biotechnologygenetic engineering
- medical and health scienceshealth sciencesinfectious diseasesRNA virusesHIV
- medical and health sciencesbasic medicinepharmacology and pharmacypharmaceutical drugsvaccines
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Call for proposal
FP6-2005-LIFESCIHEALTH-6
See other projects for this call
Funding Scheme
STREP - Specific Targeted Research ProjectCoordinator
LANGEN
Germany