Title: Improved Live Attenuated Brucella Vaccines to Reduce Human Disease
Funding Institution: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Description: The goal of the proposed research is the development of a Brucella melitensis vaccine that is safe and efficacious in humans. Our approach, described here, employs a controlled release method designated “microencapsulation” coupled with the use of a highly attenuated (weakened), live vaccine strain for brucellosis (a reproductive disease of ruminants). Through this approach, we hope to provide superior immune protection from vaccination without evidence of disease resulting from the slow release of the vaccine from the capsules over time. We anticipate that our vaccine delivery system will be storage stable, administrable to humans as well as animals, and applicable to a number of vaccines against different infectious diseases, including improvements to inactivated (heat-killed) or subunit (pieces) vaccines as well as live attenuated vaccines. This work will serve as a pathway to an FDA Biological License Application and ultimately clinical Investigational New Drug application and studies. Our long-range goal is to provide immune protection directly in humans using a safe, self-administered and storage-stable vaccine.