Infectious Disease

Linqi Zhang of Tsinghua University in China, working with Tongqing Zhou of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., will design a broadly protective vaccine against HIV-1 derived from the atomic structure of the viral envelope protein from the dominant transmitted founder HIV-1 strain isolated from a high-risk population in China. HIV is a rapidly evolving virus that continually alters its structure to elude the immune system and antiretroviral drugs. This makes it challenging to develop an effective vaccine.

Ling Ye of Emory University in the U.S., working with Lu Lu of Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University in China, will design a potent HIV vaccine using selected sequences of one of the virus's envelope proteins to trigger the production of broadly neutralizing antibodies. This has been problematic due to the diversity of the viral envelope glycoprotein and its glycosylation shield which prevent the immune system from recognizing it.

Qian Gao of Shanghai Medical College Fudan University in China, working with Clif Barry of The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases in the U.S., will support a clinical trial to shorten the treatment time for tuberculosis (TB) from six months to four months by helping to identify predictive biomarkers in individuals that only require the shorter treatment. Shortening treatment when possible will substantially reduce costs and the emergence of drug resistance which is a major barrier to eradicating this deadly disease.

Paul MacAry of the National University of Singapore in Singapore, working with Babak Javid of Tsinghua University in China, will study human monoclonal antibodies that protect individuals from infection by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and could be used to develop a tuberculosis vaccine. Tuberculosis is the world's most deadly infectious disease and the causative bacteria are present in latent form in up to a quarter of the global population.

Tongqing Zhou of the National Institutes of Health in the U.S., working with Linqi Zhang of Tsinghua University in China, will design a broadly protective vaccine against HIV-1 derived from the atomic structure of the viral envelope protein from the dominant transmitted founder HIV-1 strain isolated from a high-risk population in China. HIV is a rapidly evolving virus that continually alters its structure to elude the immune system and antiretroviral drugs. This makes it challenging to develop an effective vaccine.

Michael Schrader of Vaxess Technologies Inc. in the U.S. will develop a microneedle patch that stabilizes vaccines and can deliver multiple doses through the skin at defined times thereby reducing cost waste and the need for repeat immunizations. Vaccinations delivered intradermally via microneedles are at least as effective as intramuscular delivery via injection but reduce the requirement for needles and trained health workers.

Sebastian Ulbert of the Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology in Germany will develop a simple and safer method to inactivate viruses to reduce the cost of vaccine production. Currently the production of inactivated viral vaccines requires treating the viruses over several weeks with toxic chemicals which then need removing. This procedure is time-consuming, hazardous and costly and reduces vaccine activity.

Development of portable instrument for low income group countries which will be cost effective, time effective and highly efficient.

Understanding dengue virulence is the key to design better vaccine. We will combine a novel virus-construction tool with existing high-throughput assays to effectively search for new vaccine candidates that account for relevant immune response.

Provide a very low-cost, automated reminder/drug-dispensing machine through "missed call" signals that also allows phone calls between patients and clinics, free of charge to patients, in order to enable patients to manage their disease effectively.