SERCEB Southeast Regional Centers of Excellence for Bio*

描述(由申请者提供)：第四地区RCE是东南地区新兴感染和生物防御卓越中心，简称SERCEB。SERCEB统一了第四地区的主要研究机构，并与田纳西州橡树岭的橡树岭国家实验室、佐治亚州亚特兰大的疾病控制和预防中心以及美国国立卫生研究院的疫苗研究中心建立了合作关系。SERCEB的目标是开发新的疫苗、疗法和诊断方法，以更好地保护国家免受潜在的生物恐怖威胁。这将通过使用尖端科学的跨学科和协作研究来实现。一个主要的研究重点是针对正痘病毒、炭疽芽孢杆菌和鼠疫耶尔森菌的新型疫苗开发，每个项目都由一个国际知名的研究团队领导(项目1、3、4和5)。两个免疫学计划将与疫苗计划协同作用：计划6将制定调节先天免疫的策略，以增强对选定制剂和疫苗的免疫反应，计划7将制定策略，以增强对选定制剂和疫苗的适应性T和B免疫反应。新药开发将包括快速筛选现有化合物和开发针对正痘病毒的全新药物(计划2)，以及针对先天性免疫(计划6)、炭疽(计划5)和鼠疫耶尔森氏菌(计划4)的治疗药物。多个复杂的核心将为疫苗、药物和诊断的开发提供强有力的帮助。SERCEB还将通过教育计划、支持创新的新项目以及国内相关研究中一些最好的研究人员之间的协同互动，帮助将新的研究人员带入生物防御工作。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Region IV RCE is the Southeastern Regional Center of Excellence in Emerging Infections and Biodefense or SERCEB. SERCEB has unified the major research institutions in Region IV, and has established collaborations with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, TN, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and the Vaccine Research Center at the NIH. The goals of SERCEB are to develop new vaccines, therapeutics, and diagnostics to better protect the nation against potential bioterrorist threats. This will be accomplished by interdisciplinary and collaborative research using cutting edge science. A major research focus is on novel vaccine development for orthopoxviruses, Bacillus anthracis and Yersinia pestis, with each program led by a team of internationally renowned investigators (Programs 1, 3, 4, and 5). Two immunology programs will interact synergistically with the vaccine programs: Program 6 will develop strategies to modulate innate immunity to enhance immune responses to select agents and vaccines, and Program 7 will develop strategies to enhance adaptive T and B immune responses to select agents and vaccines. New drug development will include rapid screening of existing compounds and development of entirety novel drugs against orthopoxviruses (Program 2), as well as therapeutics directed at innate immunity (Program 6), Anthrax (Program 5), and Yersinia pestis (Program 4). Multiple sophisticated cores will provide powerful assistance for development of vaccines, drugs, and diagnostics. SERCEB also will help to bring new investigators to the biodefense effort, through a combination of educational programs, support of innovative new projects, and synergistic interactions among some of the best investigators in relevant research in the nation.