Researchers at WashU Medicine are establishing the foundation to swiftly react to potential upcoming pandemics triggered by viruses from five lesser-known families.

This initiative — aimed at creating strategies and tools for producing vaccines and antibody-based treatments ahead of future pandemic risks — is backed by two significant grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which will collectively amount to over $90 million in financial support over the next three years.

One grant, amounting to approximately $15.6 million annually for three years, concentrates on the alphavirus and flavivirus families. These viruses, transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks, lead to arthritis, brain infections, and congenital disorders. The most recognized members include dengue, Zika, West Nile, and chikungunya viruses. The second grant, worth $14.7 million per year for three years, targets virus families that encompass respiratory pathogens such as the mumps virus, alongside insect-transmitted viruses that induce high fevers like the Oropouche and Rift Valley fever viruses. Both grants are components of NIAID’s newly formed Research and Development of Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibodies for Pandemic Preparedness (ReVAMPP) Network, with researchers from WashU Medicine spearheading two aspects of the network.

“If the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that readiness can save lives,” states Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD, the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine at WashU Medicine and the director of the ReVAMPP flavivirus and alphavirus initiative led by WashU Medicine. Diamond also holds professorships in molecular microbiology and in pathology and immunology at WashU Medicine. “We were somewhat prepared for the COVID-19 pandemic due to prior studies on the related SARS and MERS viruses. However, there are other viruses with the potential to cause pandemics for which we are even less equipped. We lack specific treatments for any of the flaviviruses or alphaviruses, and we do not know how to promptly create safe and effective vaccines for them, either.”

The investigative programs concentrate on one or two prototype viruses from each family, utilizing them to cultivate and assess vaccine platforms and antibody-based therapeutic methods that can be swiftly modified to produce safe and effective vaccines and medications for other members of the families in the event of an emerging pandemic.

Moreover, the teams are focused on enhancing antibody-based treatments. These medications, frequently used for cancer and infections, constitute a vital aspect of the pandemic response arsenal since they can be developed significantly faster than other types of medications for infectious ailments. The difficulty lies in the fact that viruses can evolve resistance, hindering their effectiveness, which is why all the antibody-based treatments initially authorized for COVID-19 lost utility as the virus evolved and were ultimately withdrawn.

“There’s no way to foresee when and where the next pandemic virus will surface, so we need to be ready for every possibility,” remarks Sean Whelan, PhD, the Marvin A. Brennecke Distinguished Professor and leader of the molecular microbiology department. Whelan directs the ReVAMPP paramyxovirus, peribunyavirus, and phlebovirus program led by WashU Medicine. “We’re identifying the fundamentals that dictate a robust immune response for these virus families, allowing us to apply those fundamentals to swiftly design and produce protective vaccines as needed.”

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