Wellcome Trust-funded influenza research
International
The Trust funds a number of Major Overseas Programmes around the world, including at sites in South-east Asia that are at the forefront of influenza activities and research in the region. The centres of this programme form part of the South-east Asia Infectious Disease Clinical Research Network - a collaborative partnership of hospitals and research institutions in South-east Asia.
Together with the UK Medical Research Council, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Inserm, Li Ka Shing Oxford Global Health Programme and the Singapore Ministry of Health, the Trust provided seed funding for the International Severe Acute Respiratory Infection Consortium (ISARIC), a global collaboration of hospital-based clinical research networks. The Consortium aims to facilitate and coordinate clinical research across the globe in patients with severe acute respiratory infection of all ages during the inter-pandemic periods, with the flexibility and capacity to respond quickly to rapidly emergent public health threats. ISARIC was launched at the annual meeting of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in December 2011 (see press release).
An award of £385 000 to Dr Cameron Simmons at the Wellcome Trust’s Major Overseas Programme in Vietnam supports a collaboration with groups in Switzerland and the USA, which aims to investigate whether monoclonal antibodies derived from people who survived H5N1 infection can provide protection against this strain of virus.
Pandemic H1N1
In response to the pandemic H1N1 outbreak in early 2009, the Wellcome Trust, MRC, BBSRC, Defra and the Department of Health have facilitated and accelerated funding for pandemic H1N1 influenza research.Projects relating to immediate public health benefit and clinical management have in particular been prioritised.
Recently awarded pandemic influenza projects are listed below.
Wellcome Trust-MRC consortium grants
The following two pandemic H1N1 research proposals were developed following a workshop convened by the Wellcome Trust, Department of Health and the MRC in May 2009.
FluWatch
Led by Professor Andrew Hayward, University College London
FluWatch will investigate influenza transmission, serology and T cell responses in a cohort of up to 10 000 volunteers within households.The award is funded 50:50 by the Wellcome Trust and MRC, to a total of approximately £2.1 million.
Mechanisms of severe acute influenza consortium (MOSAIC)
Led by Professor Peter Openshaw, Imperial College London
MOSAIC aims to investigate the virology, immunology and genetics of hospitalised influenza-infected patients through a collaborative network of UK centres. The award is funded 50:50 by the Wellcome Trust and MRC, to a total of approximately £2.7 million.
Wellcome Trust-MRC-BBSRC-Defra consortium grants
A second workshop was convened by funders in June 2009 in order to discuss priority research towards understanding the potential impact of pandemic H1N1 in swine. Two interlinking grants were subsequently funded under the Combating Swine Influenza (COSI) initiative. COSI is funded by the BBSRC, Defra, the MRC and the Wellcome Trust to approximately £1.7m.
Epidemiological and evolutionary investigations of pandemic H1N1 influenza virus in pigs and associated occupational risks.
Led by Professor James Wood, University of Cambridge
Transmission, infection dynamics, and immunopathology of pandemic H1N1 virus in pigs and comparability to human infection.
Led by Professor Ian Brown, Veterinary Laboratories Agency Weybridge
Wellcome Trust pandemic influenza research projects
The Wellcome Trust has recently funded the following project through its influenza fast-tracking process:
A reverse genetics system for the study of swine influenza H1N1 virus: a resource for the UK influenza research community
Led by Professor Wendy Barclay, Imperial College London
Involving the development of a reverse genetics system for the pandemic H1N1 virus. Award funded at £23 000.
Household transmission of respiratory viruses: Who acquires infection from whom
Led by Dr James Nokes, Warwick University
The study will be based at the Wellcome Trust-KEMRI Major Overseas Programme in Kenya. Award funded at £294 000.
News and press releases
A snapshot of research funded by the Trust that has improved our understanding of influenza is highlighted below:
- New international consortium to prepare research community for future pandemics (press release, 8 December 2011)
- Swine flu variant linked to fatal cases may have disabled the clearing mechanism of lungs (news, 25 Oct 2010)
- Protecting the lungs against ‘collateral damage’ from the immune system (press release, 3 Sep 2010)
- Pandemic flu containment bought valuable time, Vietnam study suggests (press release, 19 May 2010)
- Research shows H1N1 swine flu can infect cells situated deeper in the lungs (press release 11 September 2009)
- Vaccinating children may be effective at helping control spread of influenza (press release, 18 June 2009)
- Scientists examine bird flu infections to monitor for ‘pandemic’ mutations 1 (press release, September 2008)
- Controlling lung inflammation (news, 28 July 2008)
- Avian influenza survivors’ antibodies effective at neutralising H5N1 strain (press release, 19 May 2007)
- ‘State of the art’ science boosts fight against influenza pandemics (press release, 10 October 2006)
- Symptoms of avian flu could be more diverse than previously suspected (news, 17 February 2005)
