Thematic Support - Vaccines and Immunity
Medical Research Council
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
The Vaccines & Immunity (V&I) Theme aims to contribute to the evidence‐based development and delivery of vaccines through integration of laboratory science with clinical trials and longitudinal cohort studies, including for tuberculosis. Using cutting‐edge immunological methods and bioinformatic approaches, we investigate host responses in individuals of different ages and dissect the interactions between host and pathogen under vaccine or disease pressures. We have worked towards a better understanding of the ontogeny of immunity to inform the next generation of vaccines, and we have a large portfolio of clinical trials to assess safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of novel vaccines and to nurture trust in these interventions. There are several specific workstreams: 1. New interventions to protect pregnant women and their infants against vaccine‐preventable morbidity and mortality Amongst the interventions to improve the unacceptably high morbidity and mortality in women and young children, vaccination of pregnant women could be a valuable approach; this concept is already established for neonatal tetanus in Africa and for influenza and pertussis in high‐income settings. New vaccines aimed at licensure for use specifically in pregnancy are on the horizon (RSV, Group B streptococcus) and our theme is playing an active role in their assessment and implementation through clinical trials and embedded laboratory science to learn more about the immune responses the vaccines induce. 2. Optimising vaccines, schedules and delivery against key pathogens affecting the health of women and children Our research supports the WHO’s Immunization agenda to make sure that ultimately, everyone, everywhere, at every age, can fully benefit from vaccines. We run clinical trials that lead to licensure of highly protective and more cost‐effective vaccines, e.g against causes of bacterial meningitis and pneumonia, viral diseases e.g. cervical cancer, polio, and we work towards optimisation of vaccine delivery and -schedules. We use geospatial mapping methods and social science approaches to understand why not all children in the region receive timely vaccinations. 3. Understanding immune ontogeny through systems biology Systems biology provides new tools to unravel the complex interactions between the different immune compartments; vaccination represents a controlled intervention which allows probing in unprecedented depth the pathways for immune development. We conduct in depth multi-omic analyses of different immune compartments, incl mucosal immunity using optimised laboratory protocols that require minimal blood volumes. 4. Tuberculosis (TB) in adults and children The Gambia remains endemic for TB, with a prevalence rate of 128/100 000 and an average of 3,800 new cases per year. We are ideally placed for in‐depth immunological and microbiological analyses, using a well characterised household contact cohort (the TBCC) approach which facilitates long‐term follow up and has resulted in longstanding track record in TB transmission dynamics research. We work towards identification of novel biomarkers of TB susceptibility and risk of progression to inform correlates of protection which in turn will serve vaccine development, and to develop novel diagnostics, prevent childhood TB and understand long‐term TB sequelae.
3.4 Vaccines / Unit