COVID transmission and morbidity in malawi (COVID-TMM)

Active Project Grant Awarded Last action

Award ID
R01AI164686
Recipient
Awarding agency
Obligated
$7,829,835

Award facts

Assistance listing
93.855 Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research
Completion date 92% complete
Funding
  • $7,168,773.00 Federal
  • $661,062.00 Non-federal
Place of performance
Roxbury, MA 02118, USA

Award details come from USAspending.gov.

Description

As the agency reported it.

Abstract
Sars-COV-2 transmission was expected to have a devastating impact in sub-saharan african countries. Instead, morbidity and mortality rates in nearly the whole region are an order of magnitude lower than in europe and the americas. To identify what is different requires a better understanding of the underlying immunological substrate of the population, and how these factors affect susceptibility to infection, progression of symptoms, transmission, and responses to sars-COV-2 vaccination. These populations are assaulted by many infectious diseases, including malaria. Exposure to these pathogens can produce long-lasting changes in the innate immune system, which may confer decreased susceptibility to heterologous infections. By generating rapid responses to the virus, the innate immune system can decrease the susceptibility to sars-COV-2 infection and the risk of progression from infection to disease. On the other hand, malaria infections and helminthiasis can impair the acquisition and longevity of antibody (AB)- induced immunity through several mechanisms, including tolerogenic innate immune responses. In addition to malaria, other CO-morbidities, e.g., anemia and chronic undernutrition, are likely to affect AB-mediated immunity. We hypothesize that malaria and helminthiasis affect morbidity of sars-COV-2 in sub-saharan africa. Compared to western populations, both uninfected and infected-but-asymptomatic subjects will have enhanced innate immune phenotypes. Most infections will be asymptomatic. Once infected, though, malaria, infections with intestinal parasites, anemia, and mild undernutrition will decrease the acquisition and longevity of AB responses, increasing the risk of RE-infection. These comorbidities will also reduce longevity of AB responses elicited by the astrazeneca vaccine. To test these hypotheses, we will enroll 200 symptomatic individuals (index cases), their household contacts, and 300 vaccinees. We will assess the specific innate immune phenotypes that differentiate uninfected malawians from western controls and whether those responses are protecting malawians from infection and/or progression of disease. We will follow infected participants and vaccinees for 1.5 years to assess acquisition and longevity of AB responses and memory B cells. The work will be supported by a platform established on the basis of long-term collaborations with the ministry of health and the university of malawi. As global vaccination campaigns launch, data to optimize vaccination in sub-saharan countries are urgently needed. Identifying groups at high risk of infection and disease and understanding the susceptibility of the local population will help to define optimal vaccination policies to control transmission. Identifying "hypo- responders" and those whose AB responses wane more quickly will help to optimize vaccination regimen. In summary, data generated by this study will improve our general understanding of sars-COV-2 transmission and pathogenesis and will allow regional vaccination programs to be designed for maximum effectiveness.

Transactions

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Original award $661,062 $0
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Subawards

Subrecipient Amount Awarded
Michigan State University MSU is the primary institution of Sub PI Dr. Karl Seydel, although he spends only a few month per year at the MSU campus. During the majority of the year, Dr.… $33,444
Trustees Of Indiana University Dr. Jaroslaw Harezlak will participate in the project titled "COVID-19 Transmission and Morbidity in Malawi (COVID-TMM)" by providing scientific and statistical… $127,552
Kamuzu University Of Health Sciences The College of Medicine of Blantyre (COM-Blantyre) of the University of Malawi is the host institution of one of the four Principal Investigators of the… $728,528
The Macfarlane Burnet Institute For Medical Research And Public Health LTD Dr. James Beeson from the Burnet Institute is one of the four Principal Investigators of this study. He will oversee all the following assays that will be… $423,612

Quick answers

Who received award R01AI164686?

R01AI164686 was awarded to Trustees Of Boston University by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (National Institutes of Health) on April 1, 2022.

How much is award R01AI164686 worth?

$7,829,835 has been obligated on R01AI164686: $7,168,773 in federal funding and $661,062 in non-federal funding.

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