Description du projet
Les populations vulnérables pourraient bientôt disposer d’un bouclier contre la schistosomiase
Les communautés pauvres, en particulier dans les pays en développement d’Afrique, n’ont souvent pas accès à l’eau potable ni à un assainissement approprié, ce qui accroît la présence menaçante d’agents pathogènes et d’organismes vecteurs d’agents pathogènes. Six espèces de schistosomes, un trématode parasitaire, pénètrent dans la peau des personnes exposées aux eaux douces infestées par les larves. Au fur et à mesure que les vers mûrissent, ils traversent le système circulatoire, finissant par infecter et endommager massivement de nombreux tissus et organes. VASA pousse un vaccin candidat prometteur et breveté à travers le processus clinique tout en garantissant l’accès dans des zones aux ressources limitées. Soutenu par un consortium mondial, VASA est dédié à l’éradication de la schistosomiase.
Objectif
Schistosomiasis is a poverty-related neglected tropical disease, impacting one billion people in 74 countries. Science ranked a schistosomiasis-vaccine as one of the top-10 vaccines urgently needed. Chemotherapy is the preferred method for schistosomiasis control; but the effectiveness of mass-treatment programs is compromised by reinfection requiring regular re-treatment. An efficacious vaccine, with long-lasting protection against all schistosomiasis forms, would impact disease control. We request funding for the clinical development of our SchistoShield®-vaccine (Sm- p80 antigen+GLA-SE adjuvant) in Burkina Faso and Madagascar, where Schistosoma mansoni (causing intestinal/ hepatic schistosomiasis) and S. haematobium (causing urinary schistosomiasis) are endemic. In baboon studies, SchistoShield® has been effective against all major schistosome species. It is the only vaccine candidate having consistently exhibited potent prophylactic, anti-fecundity, egg-induced pathology resolving, transmission-blocking and therapeutic efficacy. The objectives are to 1) assess the safety/immunogenicity of SchistoShield® in a Phase I clinical study in healthy adults from Africa; 2) refine and develop a female worm schistosome human challenge model; 3) identify correlates of protection, innate and adaptive immune signatures, gene expression and the role of antibodies in the prevention/control of Schistosoma infections; and 4) foster a global consortium to advance research on schistosomiasis disease burden, vaccines and address downstream access constraints in resource-poor settings. The funding requested will allow the clinical development of SchistoShield®. African site research capacity will be improved and epidemiological burden data using novel diagnostic techniques will be used to advance clinical development to Phase 2 and potential future elimination project
Champ scientifique
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Programme(s)
Régime de financement
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinateur
CB2 1TN Cambridge
Royaume-Uni