With evidence that microRNA can interfere with host immune response, Qian Gao of Fudan University in China will compare microRNA expression profiles of those with active and latent TB to detect which genes which have significant differences in expression.

Gregory Moseley, Stephen Rawlinson and David Jans at Monash University in Australia will engineer a live virus with a self-destruct sequence for use in a vaccine. This virus would be identical to a wild-type virus, but contain destabilizing domains fused to key proteins that can be regulated to first allow the virus to replicate and induce an immune response, and then be destroyed.

Charani Ranasinghe of The Australian National University will test a new vaccine technology that modulates a host cytokine response to HIV vaccines. If successful, this “cytokine trap” technology may also enhance T-cell mediated immunity to other vaccine antigens, such as Tuberculosis.

DNA vaccines, which can elicit killer T-cell response, have thus far failed to elicit reliable, strong immune response in humans. Cevayir Coban of Osaka University in Japan will use newly identified intracellular signaling molecules as components of DNA vaccines against malaria.