Objective
Chronic liver disease and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with chronic HBV infection are among the most important human health problems in high-prevalence regions. World-wide, HBV is probably the most common single cause of chronic liver disease and HCC in man. The available evidence indicates that specific cellular immune response to HBV-encoded proteins rather than viral factors are decisive in determining the outcome of HBV infection. This grant application will study the therapeutic value of selected HBV vaccine formulations in informative preclinical animal models. The complementary expertise of the involved groups in basic research (lipid and polymer biochemistry and biophysics, hepatology, virology, immunology), industrial vaccinology and vaccine licensing offers a unique chance to interactively develop the design, critical evaluation and industrial interest in therapeutic vaccines. The project has generic implications for the development of safe, therapeutic vaccines against infectious agents taking HBV as a relevant model. The project comprises the following tasks.
1. The construction of DNA- and protein-based vaccines derived from the major HBV and WHV antigens.
2. The design of delivery systems for DNA- and protein-based vaccines. Vaccines will be delivered to animals using biodegradable carrier systems, i.e. Iiposomes and lipoplexes, polymers and virosomes. The systems are designed to support the co-delivery of cytokines to the in situ priming milieu with the aim of modulating the magnitude and type of the induced immune responses.
3. The study of the immunogenicity of the vaccine formulations in relevant preclinical animal models. The specific cellular (T) and humoral (B) immune responses against the antigens inducible by the vaccine delivery techniques will be tested in inbred mice of different genetic backgrounds. Because selected T cell subsets are expected to play a central role in the control of HBV infection, and priming of these subset depends on the cytokine and co-stimulatory profile of professional antigen presenting cells (APC), handling of the antigen formulations by APC will be studied. Vaccine formulations that show immunogenicity for Th1 T cells in mice will be tested in woodchucks.
4. The therapeutic value or efficacy of selected vaccine candidates in controlling persistent hepatic HBV replication and expression will be tested in informative animal models. The effect of different vaccination protocols on the prevention, pathogenesis and therapy of HBV-associated liver disease will be studied in transgenic mice expressing HBV gene products or the complete HBV genome in the liver. Furthermore, studies will be performed in woodchucks chronically infected with WHV to assess the effect of vaccination on WHV replication, transcription, mRNA stability or protein stability. We will try to identify immune correlates (e.g. cytokines) of protection, immune pathogenesis and therapeutic HBV/WHV clearance. Some protocols will include antiviral therapy in addition to therapeutic vaccination.
5. The tolerability and toxicity of candidate vaccines will be evaluated by established procedures, in an attempt to define the risk/benefit correlation for a therapeutic vaccine. This may be submitted to different rules than the evaluation of toxicity and tolerability for prophylactic vaccines. A side by side comparison of the efficacy and side effects of therapeutic vaccine candidates in preclinical models is an essential prerequisite before going into clinical trials.
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 immunology immunisation
- natural sciences biological sciences microbiology virology
- medical and health sciences health sciences infectious diseases DNA viruses hepatitis B
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs vaccines
- medical and health sciences clinical medicine hepatology
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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.
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.
Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
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.
Coordinator
89081 Ulm
Germany
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.