Understanding vaccine-elicited protective immunity against pre-erythrocytic stage malaria in endemic regions.

Recent malaria vaccine trials in endemic areas have yielded disparate results compared to studies conducted in non-endemic areas. A workshop was organized to discuss the differential pre-erythrocytic stage malaria vaccine (Pre-E-Vac) efficacies and underlying protective immunity under various conditions. It was concluded that many factors, including vaccine technology platforms, host genetics or physiologic conditions, and parasite and mosquito vector variations, may all contribute to Pre-E-Vac efficacy.

Workshop report: Optimization of animal models to better predict influenza vaccine efficacy.

Animal models that can recapitulate the human immune system are essential for the preclinical development of safe and efficacious vaccines. Development and optimization of representative animal models are key components of the NIAID strategic plan for the development of a universal influenza vaccine. To gain insight into the current landscape of animal model usage in influenza vaccine development, NIAID convened a workshop in Rockville, Maryland that brought together experts from academia, industry and government.

A Universal Influenza Vaccine: The Strategic Plan for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

A priority for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases is development of a universal influenza vaccine providing durable protection against multiple influenza strains. NIAID will use this strategic plan as a foundation for future investments in influenza research.

Advances in geroscience: impact on healthspan and chronic disease.

Population aging is unprecedented, without parallel in human history, and the 21st century will witness even more rapid aging than did the century just past. Improvements in public health and medicine are having a profound effect on population demographics worldwide. By 2017, there will be more people over the age of 65 than under age 5, and by 2050, two billion of the estimated nine billion people on Earth will be older than 60 (http://unfpa.

NIAID meeting report: improving malaria vaccine strategies through the application of immunological principles.

A highly efficacious vaccine to prevent malaria infection or clinical disease is still far from reality despite several decades of intensive effort and a growing global commitment in malaria vaccine development. Further understanding of the mechanisms required for induction of effective host immune responses and maintenance of long-term protective immunity is needed to facilitate rational approaches for vaccine design and evaluation. The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) conducted a workshop on June 18-19, 2012 with experts in the fields of malaria vaccine development, malaria immunology, and basic immunology to address issues associated with improving our current understanding of malaria vaccine immunity.

The role of inflammation in age-related disease.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Geroscience Interest Group (GSIG) sponsored workshop, The Role of Inflammation inAge-Related Disease, was held September 6th-7th, 2012 in Bethesda, MD. It is now recognized that a mild pro-inflammatory state is correlated with the major degenerative diseases of the elderly. The focus of the workshop was to better understand the origins and consequences of this low level chronic inflammation in order to design appropriate interventional studies aimed at improving healthspan.

NIAID workshop on immunity to malaria: addressing immunological challenges.

The US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases convened a workshop of malaria investigators and immunologists to foster collaborations and attract more immunologists into malaria research. Discussions highlighted research gaps and underscored the incomplete understanding of basic immune mechanisms that contribute to the pathogenesis of or protection against malaria.

Animal models for radiation injury, protection and therapy.

Current events throughout the world underscore the growing threat of different forms of terrorism, including radiological or nuclear attack. Pharmaceutical products and other approaches are needed to protect the civilian population from radiation and to treat those with radiation-induced injuries. In the event of an attack, radiation exposures will be heterogeneous in terms of both dose and quality, depending on the type of device used and each victim's location relative to the radiation source.