Project description
Making vaccines for mosquito-transmitted viruses ever safer
Live-attenuated viral vaccines represent successful vaccine approaches but come with a risk of reversion or recombination of the vaccine to a virulent form. An important consideration for mosquito-transmitted viruses is that they should not replicate in mosquito vectors to prevent vaccine-derived virulent strains. The EU-funded VIVARNAsilencing2 proof-of-concept project aims to enhance the safety of live-attenuated vaccines for mosquito-transmitted viruses by preventing their replication in mosquitoes. The researchers will exploit a small RNA-based gene regulatory network of the mosquito vector to target viral RNA for degradation. The initial focus will be on the viruses with a large disease burden, such as the dengue virus, Zika virus and chikungunya virus.
Objective
Live-attenuated viral vaccines are among the most successful vaccine approaches and have been used for decades. However, live-attenuated vaccines come with a risk of reversion or recombination of the vaccine to a virulent form. An important consideration for live-attenuated vaccines for arthropod-borne (arbo-) viruses is that they should not replicate in their mosquito vectors to prevent unwanted spread of the vaccine and vaccine-derived virulent strains. In this ERC Proof-of-Concept project (VIVARNAsilencing2), we will develop an innovative approach to enhance the safety of live-attenuated vaccines for mosquito-transmitted viruses, by preventing their replication in mosquitoes. To this end, we will exploit a small RNA-based gene regulatory network of the mosquito vector to target viral RNA for degradation in the mosquito. The mechanism and natural function of this gene regulatory network had been characterized in an ERC Consolidator Grant, which we will now develop into a commercial and societal valuable product. We will focus on important epidemic human arboviruses with a large disease burden such as dengue virus, Zika virus, and chikungunya virus, but the approach is readily applicable for all arboviruses that are transmitted by mosquitoes of the Culex and Aedes genera, including pathogens of livestock. VIVARNAsilencing2 meets an urgent need in the face of the enormous disease burden and strong global push to develop vaccines for the important class of mosquito-transmitted pathogens.
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 health sciences infectious diseases RNA viruses
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- natural sciences biological sciences genetics RNA
- natural sciences biological sciences zoology invertebrate zoology
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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-POC - Proof of Concept Grant
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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.
(opens in new window) ERC-2020-PoC
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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
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.