Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Public fear of the reintroduction of smallpox as a biological weapon or agent of bioterrorism has led to a renaissance of interest in small pox. Naturally, there has been a resurgence of research on the causative organism, variola virus, and its vaccine. This includes vaccinia-virus (VV.) mechanisms such as VV-specific ligands and signaling pathways exhibited by VV. which are unknown. The identification of poxvirus ligands/antigens is promising for the development of subunit-based vaccines. One could envision the creation of a combination biodefense vaccine similar to the measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine (MMRV). The proposed research is expected to result in identification of VV. specific immunity including TCD8+ responses to VV, identification VV-specific toll-like receptors (TLRs) ligands, signal transduction pathways as well as shed light on the role(s) played by TLRs in shaping adaptive immune responses to VV. TLRs are the predominant cellular receptors used in this research to identify pathogens. Collectively, fundamental knowledge gained from the proposed research will set a foundation for future research to work to improve therapeutic vaccination strategies and help in the global fight against bioterrorism.