Novel vaccine strategies for induction of immune response in mucosal and systemic compartments

Dr. Ali Azizi, Sanofi Pasteur, Toronto

Friday, April 25th – 3:30PM – CTTC 4440Q

Faculty Host: Ashkan Golshani

Immunology • Vaccines • Viral Infections

I am interested in the design and development of oral vaccines. I would like to apply oral vehicle delivery systems such as dendrimers, ISCOMs and sodium alginate to characterize and compare the specific immune responses in animal models. It would be also interesting to study how the intestinal immune system responds robustly to antigens or remains tolerant. I would like to characterize, and compare the immunophenotype of DCs and macrophages in gut-associated lymphoid tissues (GALT), in response to oral/ mucosal vaccination, in various animal models. I am also interested to investigate the signals that occur early in the response to viral infections that promote the development and function of each memory cell subtype. Since most infections start at mucosal surfaces and since specific mechanistic details regarding the signaling pathways critical to the induction of protective immune responses to the orally administered commercialized vaccines are currently unknown, a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the induction of protective immune responses at mucosal sites would assist to design and develop a better mucosal vaccine for other infections.