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SARSVAC - Immunoprevention and immunotherapy of SARS infection

People

 

Lanzavecchia A.

(Responsible)

Abstract

The 114 days-lasting epidemic wave of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) swept 30 countries, sickened a reported 8422 people, left 916 patients dead in its wake, and almost completely paralysed Asia's economy. Aggressive quarantine measures and rising summer temperatures successfully terminated the first eruption of SARS and provided at least a temporal break, which allows us to consolidate what we have learned so far and plan for the future. Thus, this project was prepared in response to urgent medical and societal needs for ¡mmunopreventive (vaccination) and immunotherapeutic measures for the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). An integrated strategy for developing effective vaccines and for establishing effective therapeutic treatment will be developed. The strategy for vaccine development will follow two parallel approaches: 1. the preparation of a classical inactivated vaccine (as already done for other coronaviruses), 2. the definition of potential antigens and T/B protective epitopes through the study of SARS-CoV derived virus-like particles (VLP), pivotal to the understanding of SARS-CoV morphogenesis and virion maturation. The immunotherapeutic strategy will rely on development and validation of neutralising human antibodies to SARS-CoV. Under this project, academia experts in immunology, vaccinology, and molecular biology have joined forces with industrial vaccine production experts, in order to develop preventive and therapeutic measures for SARS'.

Additional information

Acronym
SARSVAC
Start date
01.03.2004
End date
28.02.2007
Duration
36 Months
Funding sources
European Commission
Status
Ended
Category
European and International Programmes / Framework Programme 6