Studying the impact of common childhood infections on vaccine-induced immunity in HIV-exposed uninfected infants in Cameroon

• Applicant: Dr. Christiane Krystelle Nganou Makamdop
• Subject Area: Parasitology and Biology of Tropical Infectious Disease Pathogens ; Immunology ; Virology
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 468571579

Abstract (EN): An increasing number of newborns are exposed to HIV in utero. Although not infected, these HIV-exposed uninfected (HEU) infants still have a higher risk of severe infections, infection-related hospitalizations, and death compared to HIV-unexposed uninfected (HUU) infants. In Sub-Saharan Africa, that has the majority of persons living with HIV, infants are recurrently at risk for various illnesses including malaria, cytomegalovirus (CMV), rotavirus and Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections. The proposed project seeks to unravel the immunological impact of these childhood infections in HEU and to assess effects on vaccine immune responses. Here, we will recruit HEU and HUU infants and measure inflammation and T cell function; as well as the burden of malaria, CMV, RSV and rotavirus infections. In these infants, we will next assess innate and antigen-specific T cell responses following vaccinations against tetanus toxin, hepatitis B, measles virus and yellow fever virus. As the gut microbiome is increasingly acknowledged to influence vaccine-induced immunity, we will finally assess the gut and circulating microbiome in our study cohort. Altogether, this study will advance our understanding of the impact and mechanisms by which recurrent childhood infections impair immunity, particularly in HIV-exposed uninfected infants.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Cameroon
• International Co-Applicant: Livo Esemu, Ph.D.
• Cooperation Partner: Dr. Michael Besong