Vaccines for emerging pathogens: from research to the clinic

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Vaccinology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Recent outbreaks of viral diseases (SARS, MERS, Ebola, Marburg, Zika, Lassa fever) and bacterial infections (plague, melioidosis, tularaemia) highlight the need for effective interventions.
• The review series addresses emerging and re-emerging pathogens, including multi-drug resistant tuberculosis, emphasizing their significant global morbidity and mortality.

Discussion:

• Focuses on vaccine research and development for emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.
• Examines pathogen life cycles and disease epidemiology to identify potential intervention points for preventing human infection.
• Considers zoonotic origins of many emerging pathogens, suggesting intervention strategies at the animal/insect/environmental reservoir level.

Key Insights:

• Vaccine development is crucial for combating novel and re-emerging infectious threats.
• Understanding pathogen transmission dynamics is key to designing effective prevention and control strategies.
• Interventions targeting zoonotic reservoirs offer a promising approach to mitigate emerging disease outbreaks.

Outlook:

• Continued investment in vaccine research and development is essential for global health security.
• Integrated approaches combining surveillance, diagnostics, and therapeutics are needed to manage infectious disease threats.
• International collaboration is vital for a coordinated response to emerging and re-emerging pathogens.