Vaccines

Even better than curing a disease is never having the disease at all. Vaccines are the key to preventing the world’s deadliest diseases. SBRI is taking a leading role in vaccine development for pregnancy malaria through its Malaria Antigen Discovery Program and mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS through its Viral Vaccines Program.

Malaria Antigen Discovery Program
Led by Patrick Duffy, M.D., along with Jean Feagin, Ph.D., Malcolm Gardner, Ph.D., Stefan Kappe, Ph.D., Joe Smith, Ph.D.,  and Ruobing Wang, M.D., Ph.D., SBRI’s Malaria Antigen Discovery (MAD) Program combines vaccine candidate discovery with clinical field studies in Tanzania to develop viable malaria vaccines. Studies are focused on pregnancy malaria, malaria in children, and liver stage malaria. 

Considerable progress has already been made in identifying antigens, proteins that stimulate the immune system, that may be part of an effective vaccine against malaria in pregnant women. A similar strategy is being applied to develop a vaccine against a form of malaria that strikes children.  SBRI scientists have also demonstrated in a laboratory model that a genetically attenuated whole-organism malaria vaccine that prevents infection is possible.

Viral Vaccines Program
The Viral Vaccines Program, headed by Leo Stamatatos, Ph.D., with Nancy Haigwood, Ph.D., targets the discovery of protein-based vaccines that elicit broad-based protection against many HIV variants and conducts experimental testing as a basis for clinical trials for an HIV/AIDS vaccine. The focus of the program is to create vaccines that elicit long-lasting immunity and protect against different strains of HIV, anywhere in the world. Researchers at SBRI are seeking “smart” vaccines delivering a “one-two punch” to block infection as the first line of defense and to kill infected cells if the virus slips by. Our researchers are the first to demonstrate that treatment with high levels of antibodies, immediately post-HIV infection, significantly prolongs life.

In addition, SBRI is implementing new strategies for vaccine delivery. Safe and effective delivery is critical for successfully protecting against infection and disease progression. SBRI leverages its efforts through collaborations and connections with the scientific community of HIV researchers locally and globally.

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