Vaccine immunogenicity using tuberculosis and dengue fever as models
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Vaccine immunogenicity using tuberculosis and dengue fever as models
IRAS ID
239627
Contact name
Rajko Reljic
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
St Georges, University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
It is estimated that in 2015, 10.4 million people were infected with tuberculosis. Dengue Fever infects an estimated 390 million people each year. The current vaccine against TB, the BCG vaccine, and the Dengvaxia vaccine against dengue, only offer partial protection. New vaccines against TB and dengue are urgently needed.
We are testing the effectiveness of new vaccines against tuberculosis and Dengue Fever.
For this project we use tonsils maintained in the laboratory to mimic immune system. These tonsils are used as a platform for testing new vaccines. Human tissue from tonsils is a good model of the complex interactions required to control infectious diseases.
Mice are usually used to test new vaccines. Unfortunately, mice and humans mount different immune responses against tuberculosis. This work will test whether cell lines and human tissue could be a useful alternative to the use of animals in experiments.
Vaccines work by stimulating the immune responses. All vaccines generate different immune responses. To determine which vaccines will be protective, we are measuring the activation of immune cells. We are also monitoring the production of cytokines, which cells use to signal to each other. We are gathering information on the levels of antibody generated by each vaccine. We also measure the survival of immune cells and the elimination of Tuberculosis bacteria.
Testing these parameters for all the vaccines currently in development should allow us to select the most effective new vaccines.REC name
South Central - Oxford C Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/SC/0203
Date of REC Opinion
18 May 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion