Safe and Protected — Dr. William Jacobs, Jr. has been awarded a $6 million grant over five years from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to develop a novel vaccine for tuberculosis (TB), a bacterial disease whose extensive drug resistance, along with socioeconomic realities, has stymied global control efforts. Using a genetically engineered strain of bacteria called IKEPLUS, which was shown to be safe and to stimulate an enhanced protective immune response in a mouse model, the researchers will evaluate the efficacy of IKEPLUS used both alone and in combination with the traditional BCG vaccine. Additionally, the laboratory will develop a manufacturing process for a human IKEPLUS vaccine and will establish biomarker assays to determine how well the vaccine protects against TB. This project represents a key effort to develop and optimize a promising vaccine for TB. Dr. Jacobs is professor of microbiology & immunology and of genetics at Einstein, and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.
Posted on: Monday, May 21, 2012