Access To Advanced Health Institute

Programs: Vaccine research - vaccines are composed of several components: (a) antigens that stimulate the immune system to combat a particular infectious disease and (b) adjuvants, substances that enhance the ability of antigens to stimulate the body's immune response. Put another way, antigens determine the specificity of the immune response (e. G. , for influenza or tetanus) whereas adjuvants affect the magnitude of the body's immune response. Idri's scientists are using the latest techniques to identify the best antigens for new vaccines to combat diseases that impact global health. Idri's candidate vaccine for leishmaniasis is currently in clinical testing and vaccines for tuberculosis and leprosy are poised to start clinical testing.

adjuvant research - an important area of research for idri is improving adjuvants and how they are combined with antigens to improve vaccines. Better adjuvants can increase and broaden the immune response to an antigen, as well as reduce the amount of antigen necessary for a good response. This last characteristic can make our vaccine stocks go further and potentially reduce the cost. Idri is collaborating with partners all over the world to improve vaccines for additional challenging diseases such as malaria and pandemic influenza.

tuberculosis drug discovery - in addition to working on better diagnostic tests and vaccines for tuberculosis (tb), idri has an early discovery program to identify new chemical compounds that are candidates to treat tb. There is an urgent need for new types of tb drugs; the ones currently used were developed over 40 years ago and we are faced with an increasing threat from bacteria that are resistant to many of these drugs. The drug discovery group combines the skills of microbiologists, chemists, and molecular biologists and collaborates with pharmaceutical companies and other research institutions to maximize our chance of success.