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Improving vaccination in early life

Objective

The objectives of Neavac-Ec are :
1) to increase knowledge of immunological factors which, in early infancy, lead to a high susceptibility to infectious diseases and to relatively weak vaccine-induced responses;
2) to define optimal vaccine design and new immunization strategies for the rapid induction, in early life, of protective vaccine responses and long lasting immunological memory; 3)to identify and standardize suitable evaluation procedures (in vitro/in vivo, animal models/human, Dendrite Cell (DC), T and B cells responses) for the initial assessment of future vaccines/ delivery systems/ adjuvant considered for use in early life. A Tran disease approach has been adopted, focusing on
(I) analysis of the Maturation of early life immune responses in humans and animal models and
(ii) optimisation of vaccines against 3 selected important early life pathogens (S.pneumoniae B. peruses, Respiratory Syncytial Virus). This should contribute to establishing the generic principles of early life immunization and promote their concrete application to the industrial development of vaccines of high priority for both human and veterinary diseases.
The overall achievements of Neovac have been more extensive that what could be expected. Substantial progress has been made towards a better understanding of the basic aspects of immune responses to vaccines in the neonatal period, particularly at the level of dendritic cells, opening the way to the design of appropriate vaccine formulations. In addition, results of considerable practical importance were obtained:
- A new vaccinations strategy has been defined that may open the way to neonatal prevention of early life Pertussis.
- Innovative immunisation approaches that are based on novel adjuvants, new formulations or new carriers were shown to be effective in models of early life diseases caused by RSV or Pneumococcus.
These discoveries have a real potential to influence future vaccination programmes and to have an impact on disease burden resulting from these infections, not only in Europe but as well at global level.

Fields of science

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Topic(s)

Call for proposal

Data not available

Funding Scheme

CSC - Cost-sharing contracts

Coordinator

AVENTIS PASTEUR SA
Address
1541,avenue marcel mérieux 1541
69280 Marcy-l'etoile
France

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EU contribution
€ 0,00

Participants (11)

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Last update: 12 April 2005

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Permalink: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/QLK2-CT-1999-00429

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