New EU research alliance with BMC participation
Anne Krug and Maria Colomé-Tatché are part of the new EU-funded Yellow4FLAVI project, which is investigating the mode of action of the yellow fever vaccine.
Climate change and urbanization are the principal reasons for the worldwide occurrence of vector-borne diseases caused by flaviviruses. The flavivirus genus includes several human pathogens such as Zika, dengue, West Nile Virus (WNV), and yellow fever, which continue to pose a major threat to global health.
The new EU-funded Yellow4FLAVI project mobilizes international experts to close knowledge gaps about the mechanism of action of the most effective vaccine currently available against the yellow fever virus. The collaborative project has 13 partner institutions from seven countries and is being supported by the European Union with funding of 8 million euros.
“There are no specific antiviral therapies for the treatment of flavivirus infections,” explains LMU professor and BMC group leader Anne Krug. The biomedical scientist from the Institute for Immunology is the leader of a subproject in the consortium. Vaccines are currently the most effective weapon against these viruses, she observes. “However, there are just a few authorized vaccines on the market at present, some of which are suitable only for a subsection of the target population. People who are too old or sick, or who are pregnant, often cannot be vaccinated with them,” says Professor Simon Rothenfußer from the Department of Clinical Pharmacology at LMU University Hospital, who also leads a subproject in the consortium.
YF17D is a vaccine which has proven its safety and long-lasting effectiveness after a single injection. However, the underlying molecular mechanisms have not yet been sufficiently clarified. By investigating the structure of the virus particle in conjunction with the host’s immune response, the researchers plan to decode critical aspects of the immune response to the vaccine with the help of state-of-the-art technology. “We’re creating the framework for a broader based vaccine design that can be employed against various flaviviruses,” says Krug. “In the Yellow4FLAVI consortium, we’re investigating the yellow fever vaccine response from early immune activation and cell communication at the injection site through to the development of immunological memory,” adds Professor Maria Colomé-Tatché from the BMC, who is also involved in the consortium.
More information: LMU News (25.04.2024)
Website of the EU project: Yellow4FLAVI