MRC Centre for Genomics and Global Health

医学研究的最大挑战包括：（1）开发有效的疫苗，防治疟疾、艾滋病毒/艾滋病和结核病，这些疾病共同构成了全球特别是发展中国家的巨大疾病负担;（2）消除疟疾、艾滋病毒/艾滋病、结核病、肠道细菌、侵入性细菌和其他病原体的抗药性;（3）防止大流行性流感等致命病原体的出现。在全球健康中这些实际问题的基础是基因组多样性这一生物现象。病原体基因组不断进化，以应对人类免疫压力和普遍的药物使用;而与此同时，传染病是人类基因组进化选择的主要力量。虽然基因组多样性是传染病问题的一个重要组成部分，但它也为理解疾病和免疫的自然机制提供了一条科学途径。对病原体基因组变异的临床后果进行流行病学分析可能会对病原体的毒力、耐药性和免疫逃避机制提供大量信息。同样，对人类基因组变异的临床后果进行流行病学分析，可能会对宿主的防御和保护性免疫机制提供大量信息。该转化中心提案的目的是发展将基因组流行病学应用于疾病预防实践所需的科学环境和技术基础设施。特别是关于抗药性和疫苗开发的。

Among the biggest challenges in medical research are (1) to develop effective vaccines against malaria, HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, which together account for a massive global burden of disease, particularly in the developing world; (2) to combat drug resistance in malaria, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, enteric bacteria, invasive bacteria and other pathogens; (3) to combat the emergence of virulent pathogens such as pandemic influenza. Underlying these practical problems in global health is the biological phenomenon of genome diversity. Pathogen genomes are continually evolving in response to human immune pressure and prevailing drug usage; while at the same time infectious diseases are a major force for evolutionary selection of the human genome. Although genome diversity is a large part of the problem in infectious disease, it also offers a scientific route to understanding natural mechanisms of disease and immunity. Epidemiological analysis of the clinical consequences of pathogen genome variation may be highly informative about pathogen mechanisms of virulence, drug resistance and immune evasion. Equally, epidemiological analysis of the clinical consequences of human genome variation may be highly informative about host mechanisms of defence and protective immunity. The aim of this Translational Centre proposal is to develop the scientific environment and technical infrastructure needed to apply genomic epidemiology to practical lessons about disease prevention ? particularly about drug resistance and vaccine development.