EMVI is one of twenty partners in this five year EC funded project, coordinated by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois, University of Lausanne with a total budget is €1 248 127, of which EMVI will receive €799 732.

The four major objectives of IDEA are to determine:

1.      The worm-induced modulation of the functional and molecular profile of HIV-, TB- and malaria-specific immune responses. In particular to determine how worm innate and adaptive immune responses instruct the subsequent development of HIV-, TB-, and malaria-specific immune responses,

2.      the impact by worm co-infections on measures of disease activity for HIV, TB and malaria. This investigation will promote the understanding of interactions between various pathogens and their influence on disease activity,

3.      the immunologic markers of worm-, HIV-, TB-, and malaria-specific immune responses associated with better control of pathogen replication and associated disease,

4.      the modulation by worm co-infections of vaccine-induced immune responses.

EMVI will primarily be involved in the work package concerning the interaction of worm infections with the immune responses to vaccines being developed for malaria, TB and HIV.

The proposal submitted to the EC in December 2008 was successful. Grant negotiations are on-going and the project will be launched Q1 2010.