Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a growing global public health challenge, with annual deaths linked to AMR pathogens expected to reach numbers up to 10 million annually by the year 2050 (UN Environment Programme 2023).
The NAC’s AMR team leverages established expertise in immunology to discover and develop vaccines and monoclonal antibodies to counter antimicrobial-resistant bacteria. The AMR team focuses on select pathogens, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis and gram-negative bacterial pathogens such as Shigella spp., which are chosen based on their rates of AMR, global health burden, and scientific tractability. By studying immunological responses against these pathogens, IAVI aims to better understand what is needed to protect people against disease. The immunotherapies IAVI plans to develop will be complimentary and distinct from current antimicrobials — meaning that they will retain efficacy independent of a bacteria’s antimicrobial susceptibility and provide tools for both slowing the growth of AMR and treating infections by resistant pathogens.
Our Projects:
- Reducing Enteric disease through Scientific Innovation and Sustainable Translation of Antibodies (RESISTANT)
Our Partners:
- University of Cambridge
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center (WNPRC)
Our Funders:
- Wellcome Trust