Prevention of childhood hearing loss through the development of a vaccine against Moraxella catarrhalis: an understudied cause of otitis media.

 描述（由申请人提供）：沿着拟议的研究项目，培训计划将解决免疫学培训的差距，并帮助发展成为独立研究科学家所需的专业技能。免疫学的教学课程将解决基础知识的差距，而与由疫苗研究和免疫学教师组成的指导小组的季度会议将有助于指导我的工作。参加以疫苗和免疫学为重点的会议，并与同行讨论当前的免疫学主题，将进一步加强疫苗研究成功所需的免疫学技能。此外，从季度会议的反馈与辅导团队，在几个专业发展研讨会和计划的参与，并在多个会议上提出研究将有助于发展必要的专业技能进行独立研究。 卡他莫拉菌是中耳炎和COPD恶化的主要原因，这两种疾病在世界范围内造成巨大的人类痛苦和经济负担。基于PCR的检测显示严重低估了M。中耳炎中的卡他。此外，缺乏确定的相关保护M。卡他和缺乏研究这种生物体的小组已经导致了M.粘膜炎疫苗。该项目将通过研究体液和细胞免疫对M.在用OppA（一种有前途的疫苗抗原）接种后，因此，目标1的目标是通过评估人和OppA免疫动物中对OppA的抗体应答来鉴定保护性B细胞应答;目标2的目标是鉴定OppA免疫小鼠中的保护性T细胞应答。完成拟议的研究将推进该领域的发展，并有助于发展一个M。预防中耳炎和COPD恶化的卡他疫苗。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Along with the proposed research project, the training plan will address gaps in immunology training and aid in development of professional skills needed to become an independent research scientist. Didactic courses in immunology will address gaps in basic knowledge, while quarterly meetings with a mentoring team comprised of faculty members with a focus in vaccine research and immunology will help guide my work. Attending vaccine and immunology focused conferences and discussion of current topics in immunology with peers will further strengthen immunology skills needed to be successful in vaccine research. Additionally, feedback from quarterly meetings with a mentoring team, participation in several professional development workshops and programs, and presenting research at multiple conferences will aid in development of professional skills necessary to conduct independent research. Moraxella catarrhalis is a leading cause of otitis media and exacerbations of COPD, two diseases that cause tremendous human suffering and economic burden worldwide. PCR-based detection has revealed severe underestimation of M. catarrhalis in otitis media. Furthermore, the lack of identified correlates of protection against M. catarrhali and lack of groups working on this organism has contributed to the delay in the development of an M. catarrhalis vaccine. The proposed project will address this gap in the field by examining the role of humoral and cellular immunity against M. catarrhalis following vaccination with OppA, a promising vaccine antigen. Therefore, the goal of Aim 1 is to identify protective B cell responses by assessing the antibody response to OppA in humans and OppA-vaccinated animals; the goal of Aim 2 is to identify protective T cell responses in mice immunized with OppA. The completion of the proposed studies will advance the field and aid in development of an M. catarrhalis vaccine to prevent otitis media and exacerbations of COPD.