Human Immunology Project Consortium

Project #:1U19AI090019-01

Title: Vaccination and Infection: Indicators of Immunological Health and Responsiveness

PI: Mark M. Davis

Website: iti.stanford.edu

Primary Projects Pilot Projects IOF Projects

The HIPC Center at Stanford University aims to use a systems biology approach, such as high throughput HLA sequencing technique, selected Immunoglobulin and T Cell Receptor repertoire analysis, combinatorial peptide-MHC tetramer analysis, and advanced bioinformatics analysis such as our new cell type specific SAM algorithms (csSAM), to survey immune responsiveness across a range of different vaccines, including influenza, both seasonal and the new pandemic H1N1v, Varicella zoster, and the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. These investigations will compare different age groups-children, young adults, and the elderly-to look for specific markers and assays of immune competence and especially those that might be common across different pathogens and age groups. We will also survey the influenza vaccine responses of individuals with impaired or dysregulated immune systems in order to see how these might deviate from healthy individuals, and assess the natural immune responses to influenza and Varicella zoster infection.

Analysis of a variety of different disease/vaccine models will aid in defining common and unique characteristics of responder and non-responder individuals to develop new informative tools and assays that should be illuminating both to specific questions regarding these study groups and may also be of benefit generally with respect to "metrics" of immunological health and dysfunction.