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Vaccines and Infectious Diseases in the Ageing PopuLation

Descripción del proyecto

Eficacia de la vacunación en ancianos

La vacunación es una de las estrategias clave de protección contra las enfermedades infecciosas. Sin embargo, el avance natural de la edad conlleva el deterioro del sistema inmunitario, lo que resta eficacia a las vacunas. El proyecto VITAL, financiado con fondos europeos, investigará los factores responsables de la falta de respuesta inmunitaria y desarrollará estrategias novedosas para abordar el problema. Mediante el uso un enfoque multidisciplinario, los investigadores asociarán los perfiles inmunitarios de las personas mayores con las respuestas a las vacunas, ofreciendo un conocimiento sin precedentes basado en datos sobre la eficacia de las vacunas existentes. Es importante destacar que el proyecto ofrecerá un marco diseñado especialmente para inmunizar a las personas mayores con el objetivo de promover un envejecimiento saludable.

Objetivo

Today’s major challenge is to improve efficacy of vaccines to protect the growing ageing population against infectious diseases (ID). The VITAL project aims to address this challenge by assessing the ID burden and mechanisms of immunosenescence to provide evidence-based knowledge on vaccination strategies to establish healthy ageing. Links with existing projects containing data sources combined with novel data acquired through our extensive network
of data registries across Europe will result in a database of epidemiology, risk factors and burden of disease of both vaccine-preventable (VP) and potential vaccine-preventable ID. Crucial knowledge on factors that hamper immune responsiveness and in-depth analyses of immune compartments involved in inducing effective immune responses to different vaccines in the ageing host will be gathered. We will identify novel predictive, potentially universal immune profiles of vaccine responses using novel technologies, unique experimental models and (infection) cohorts of elderly subjects in which (bio)markers of frailty have already been identified. Novel strategies to address the problem of immunosenescence will be tested, in particular whether vaccination of middle-aged individuals can maintain proper memory immune responses in the elderly, to improve memory immunity before reaching old age. Using data on epidemiology of VPID and immune responsiveness, novel agent-based models will be developed to build a user- friendly tool to be used by health care professionals for optimal implementation of vaccination strategies for older people and to develop dissemination protocols for the obtained knowledge for the healthcare field. Finally, we will deliver a framework that forms the basis for designing, implementing and regularly updating vaccination schemes for the ageing population. Thereby, VITAL will initiate an important impetus to a more targeted immunization program for the elderly in Europe that will enhance healthy aging.

Régimen de financiación

RIA - Research and Innovation action

Coordinador

UNIVERSITAIR MEDISCH CENTRUM UTRECHT
Aportación neta de la UEn
€ 603 686,00
Dirección
HEIDELBERGLAAN 100
3584 CX Utrecht
Países Bajos

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Región
West-Nederland Utrecht Utrecht
Tipo de actividad
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Enlaces
Coste total
€ 681 186,00

Participantes (24)