Project description
New vaccines train the immune system in older people
One of the challenges of old age is a dramatic decrease in the efficacy of vaccination, particularly where adaptive immunity is concerned when the immune system tries to eliminate specific pathogens. However, innate immunity (the general immune system response to pathogens) in the elderly remains relatively intact. This EU-funded project is focusing on the induction of innate immunity to improve vaccination efficacy in the elderly. Recently, project researchers discovered the trained immunity phenomenon, when certain vaccines and mild infections induce reprogramming of innate immunity cells for a subsequent strong general immune response to pathogens. The current project aims to understand the cellular and molecular pathways of trained immunity responses, and enable the development of better vaccines for the elderly.
Objective
The host defense, especially the adaptive immunity, is defective in the elderly, with a dramatic drop for the efficacy of vaccination with old age. Interestingly however, the innate immunity of older individuals is relatively intact, and we recently described that epigenetic and functional reprogramming of innate immune cells by certain vaccines and mild infections, termed ‘trained immunity’, induces potent heterologous protection against infections. I propose that induction of trained immunity is an important novel approach to improved vaccination in the elderly. Induction of trained immunity is regulated by the interaction between the host genome, microbiome, and the epigenetic and metabolic programs of specific populations of myeloid cells, and we need to understand how these factors are impacted by age and gender of the host. By understanding the factors that impact the response to BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guerin), the prototype vaccine that induces trained immunity, we will be able to design better vaccines for the elderly. The Key objectives of the project are: Key objective 1: To describe the innate immune cell (sub)populations, and their heterogeneity at single-cell level, responsible for mediating trained immunity in the young and elderly adults. Key objective 2: To identify the complex genetic, epigenetic, microbiome, and metabolic programs that represent the molecular and biochemical substrates of trained immunity in the myeloid cells of the elderly individuals. Key objective 3: To use systems biology to map the heterogeneity of trained immunity response determined by host (epi)genome, microbiome, and environmental factors in the elderly. Expected results: We will understand the main cellular and molecular mechanisms for the induction of trained immunity responses in vivo and the specificities of the response in the elderly. These findings will enable the design of innovative approaches to improve vaccination strategies.
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 basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics epigenetics epigenomes
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics genomes
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
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.
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H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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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.
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.
ERC-ADG - Advanced Grant
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2018-ADG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
6525 GA Nijmegen
Netherlands
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