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Uganda Virus Research Institute

REPUBLIC OF UGANDA

WORMVACS2.0

Elucidating Protective Immune Signatures During Natural Human Infection with Schistosoma mansoni 

Our work 

Schistosomiasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) causing a massive health burden in Uganda. It is estimated that close to a quarter of the population is infected and half is at risk. Uganda’s pioneering mass drug administration (MDA)-based control programmes have reduced helminth infection-associated morbidity, but endless MDA is not sustainable. Interrupting transmission in regional or local hotspots is achievable with innovations, including vaccines. Still, effective vaccines to enable this do not exist. One primary reason for this is that protective immune mechanisms effective against these complex multicellular infectious organisms are only partially clarified at best. 

The project applies state-of-the-art immunological profiling to identify correlates and signatures of protection. This is part of the larger consortium WORMVACS2.0 which aims to establish an effective pipeline to support helminth vaccine development and ultimately the control and elimination of some of the world’s most devastating and persistent Neglected Tropical Diseases. WORMVACS2.0 is developing and implementing an innovative program based on application of controlled and natural human infection models, novel platforms for helminth vaccine/vaccine antigen production, experimental animal models, and improved target discovery methodology. This work is grouped in work packages WP 1-6: 

  • WP1 Controlled and natural human infection sample and data management 
  • WP2 Protective immune signatures and target antigen selection 
  • WP3 Innovative vaccine production platforms 
  • WP4 pre-clinical vaccine testing in rodent models 
  • WP5 Clinical evaluation of sm-p80 mRNA vaccine 
  • WP6 Management of WORMVACS2.0 

 

UNHRO UVRI is undertaking WP1 and WP2 where we are generating big biomedical data from microarrays, glycomics, and functional assays working collaboratively with WORMVACS2.0 partners LUMC, ISGlobal, and GENOS. 

General Goal: 

The goal is to identify effective vaccine candidates and elucidate protective immune signatures initiated during natural human infections. 

Specific Objectives of the Project 

In this study, we will: 

  • investigate target (protein and glycan) antigens of protective immune responses 
  • assess avidity and functionality of antibodies against specific parasite antigens  
  • analyse adaptive cellular responses at critical time points before, during natural infections, and after treatment  
  • explore innate immune responses before, during natural infections, and after treatment 
  • investigate glycosylation of total serum/plasma glycoproteins and immunoglobins 

Activities  

Engagement Activities  

  1. UVRI/UNHRO and Dr Moses Egesa hosted WORMVACS2.0 Coordinator Prof. Cornelis Hokke (LUMC) and collaborator Dr James Hewitson (University of York) for an open seminar and talks Schistosoma glycobiology and animal models respectively (28th June 2024) 

 

 

Capacity Building 

  1. Capacity building activity Workshop on the theme “Schistosomiasis Research after the COVID-19 pandemic” with students at Makerere University College of Health Sciences (26th June 2024)  
  2. Tour of laboratories at UVRI for Makerere University MSc students (27th June 2024) 

Uganda Team 

  1. Dr Moses Egesa – UNHRO Lead and Senior Research Officer ORCID 
  2. Prof. Alison Elliott – Professor of Tropical Medicine ORCID 
  3. Emmanuella Driciru – PhD Student ORCID 
  4. Obed Kamulegeya – Laboratory Technologist ORCID 
  5. Dorothy Kakai – PhD Student ORCID 
  6. Victoria Bukirwa – Project Manager 
  7. Raymond Muganyizi – Project Officer 

Recent Impact /Achievements by the Project 

It will be highly resourceful for you to share some impact numbers that are recent to help the institution stand out. 

  1. Ms Dorothy Kakai started her PhD studies at Makerere University funded by WORMVACS2.0 project to contribute to capacity building at UVRI and UNHRO (1st October 2025). 
  2. Dr Moses Egesa was awarded Schistosomiasis Research Grant by Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany to develop antibody functional assays for schistosomiasis research at UVRI/UNHRO (12th November 2024). 
  3. Dr Moses Egesa undertook training on glycan microarray analysis at Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Centre, The Netherlands (17th October – 1st November 2024). 

Relevant Meetings 

  1. WORMVACS2.0 Annual Consortium Meeting, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, Siena, Italy, 28th – 29th October 2025 
  2. Annual National Research Ethics Conference, Kampala, Uganda, 21st – 22nd  October 2025 
  3. The Hydra Helminth Conference, Bratsera Hotel, Hydra, Greece, 7th – 12th  September 2025 

Major Funders 

WORMVACS2.0 is funded by Horizon Europe (WORMVACS2.0 Grant agreement ID: 101080784). This project is part of an international collaborative Consortium, coordinated by the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), The Netherlands (https://www.lumc.nl/en/).  Along Uganda National Health Research Organisation in Uganda, the partners are: 

Recent Publications 

NB: Please attach suitable photos if you already have them. 

Important links  

 

Click here to visit project website