{"id":5662,"date":"2024-10-11T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-10-11T13:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/csb\/?p=5662"},"modified":"2024-10-18T09:28:41","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T14:28:41","slug":"meiler-lab-receives-funding-to-advance-vaccine-research-against-alphaviruses","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vanderbilt.edu\/csb\/2024\/10\/11\/meiler-lab-receives-funding-to-advance-vaccine-research-against-alphaviruses\/","title":{"rendered":"Meiler lab receives funding to advance vaccine research against alphaviruses"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>The Meiler lab is leading a multi-institution team that was awarded up to $46 million in funding to drive groundbreaking vaccine research<\/a> from ARPA-H<\/a>‘s Antigens Predicted for Broad Viral Efficacy through Computational Experimentation (APECx<\/a>) program. The funding will support a consortium of 14 principal investigators (PIs) across eight institutions, enabling a collaborative effort to push the boundaries of vaccine development and create a revolutionary “super-vaccine” to protect against all alphaviruses, which include serious pathogens like Chikungunya and Eastern Equine Encephalitis.<\/p>\n

The award will fuel research aimed at developing next-generation vaccines that use cutting-edge computational techniques in epitope-focused immunogen design. By precisely targeting immune responses, these vaccines promise to generate immunogens that provide broader and longer-lasting protection against a wide range of viral strains with the goal of significantly improving global public health responses to future pandemics.<\/p>\n

Led by Dr. Jens Meiler<\/a>, lead investigator, Dr. Cristina Elisa Martina<\/a>, project scientific director, and Carie Fortenberry<\/a>, project administrative director, at 91ºÚÁÏÍø (VU), the research project integrates state-of-the-art approaches like computational modeling, AI-driven predictions and structural biology. The focus on glycan masking\u2014strategically hiding viral elements that help the virus evade immune detection\u2014while exposing key epitopes, aims to trigger robust immune responses. These approaches are designed to outsmart viruses’ ability to evade the immune system, providing stronger and more durable immunity.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur research tackles some of the most critical challenges in modern vaccine design. This funding empowers us to take significant steps toward creating next-generation vaccines that offer reliable, long-lasting protection against diverse strains within the same viral genus,” said Martina.<\/p>\n

The initiative brings together a multidisciplinary team of scientists, including experts in virology, structural biology, artificial intelligence and clinical research. Key collaborators include:<\/p>\n