While a wealth of vaccines has been developed, natural evolution and engineering for bioterrorism purposes creates a novel biothreat for which novel vaccines are needed. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a central role in the differentiation of immune effectors and thus are a major target for vaccination. Given the fact that distinct human DC subsets differentially control lymphocytes, it is important to understand how distinct DC subsets modulate vaccine immunity in vivo. Such knowledge will permit us to design targeted vaccines that will induce a desired type of immunity. Vaccines need to be tested in vivo but studies in mice often cannot be directly extrapolated to humans because of biological differences. Hence, the need for pre-clinical models of the human immune system for testing vaccine efficacy.

With this in mind, the goal of the Baylor/NIAID Center for Translational Research on Human Immunology and Biodefense is to develop effective diagnostic, prognostic and therapeutic measures against NIAID Category A-C pathogens through a focus on human dendritic cell subsets, which act as innate effectors as well as initiators and coordinators of adaptive immune responses.

Projects of the Center:

• Targeting dendritic cells for enhanced mucosal immunity
• Enhancing vaccine induced T and B cell memory through DC targeting
• Eliciting mucosal immunity in humanized mice
• Eliciting mucosal immunity in non-human primates

Technical Development Projects of the Center:

• New DC-targeting vaccine constructs and antibody reagents
• Measuring high affinity mucosal antibody responses

This Center is a member of the Cooperative Centers for Translational Research on Human Immunology program that is funded by the National Institutes of Health.