TBVAC (HORIZON-RIA)
Start date: 1 April 2023
End date: 31 March 2027
Project summary
Tuberculosis (TB) remains one of the most devastating infectious diseases worldwide, killing more than 4,000 people every day. Preventing TB infection through new vaccines would provide the most cost-effective approach to achieving the goals of the WHO's End TB strategy and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
While there are few promising TB vaccine candidates available, innovation through new platforms and strategies is needed to ensure that the most effective and affordable vaccines are developed.
TBVACHORIZON will innovate and diversify the global TB vaccine portfolio by pursuing four objectives:
- To define the composition, spatial organisation and functioning of protective immune responses in the Mycobacterium tuberculosis-infected lung.
- To assess whether mucosal revaccination with BCG and other live attenuated vaccines enhances protective efficacy against tuberculosis infection in mice, non-human primates and humans.
- Identify host immune response profiles and biomarkers of natural and vaccine-induced immune protection in the lung.
- Support the development of next generation TB vaccines through standardised head-to-head testing of selected vaccine candidates in animals and the establishment of new delivery systems, adjuvant formulations and GMP platforms for live attenuated vaccines.
TBVACHORIZON will increase our understanding and develop tools related to immune protection in the lung, the main site of TB infection. This knowledge will be exploited to develop mucosal strategies that will be translated into clinical evaluation and possible implementation. The intertwined activities will consolidate Europe's leading role in TB vaccine research and innovation, with the ultimate goal of accelerating the availability of affordable, accessible and more effective TB vaccines.
More information here