Addressing viral resistance through vaccines.

Antimicrobial resistance is a serious healthcare concern affecting millions of people around the world. Antiviral resistance has been viewed as a lesser threat than antibiotic resistance, but it is important to consider approaches to address this growing issue. While vaccination is a logical strategy, and has been shown to be successful many times over, next generation viral vaccines with a specific goal of curbing antiviral resistance will need to clear several hurdles including vaccine design, evaluation and implementation. This article suggests that a new model of vaccination may need to be considered: rather than focusing on public health, this model would primarily target sectors of the population who are at high risk for complications from certain infections.

The role of biomedical research in global tuberculosis control: gaps and challenges: A perspective from the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health.

Tuberculosis (TB) has been a persistent public health concern for hundreds of years. Despite advances in medicine and science, eliminating this disease has been beyond our reach. Several organizations, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have expressed their commitment to advancing biomedical research in TB in order to increase our understanding of the causative pathogen and the disease. This basic knowledge is a critical first step in the development and implementation of new therapeutics, vaccines and diagnostics. Collaboration between researchers is a key component to accomplishing this goal; product development can no longer be limited to separate programs. Rather, the interconnectedness and possible combination of interventions must be investigated. This review will discuss ongoing TB research including NIAID's role, as well as future research that is needed to improve TB control. Emphasizing the importance of coordination among researchers, funders and advocacy groups, we aim to illustrate the fact that biomedical research, and particularly basic research, is a vital part of a complementary approach to eliminating TB across the globe.

Future directions in vaccines: the payoffs of basic research.

Vaccine development has historically relied on approaches such as live attenuated, subunit, and whole-cell vaccine designs to present antigens to the immune system. These strategies are no longer nimble enough to rapidly address public health threats, particularly emerging infectious diseases. New vaccines will require a strong scientific base partnered with the leveraging of emerging and enabling technologies so that candidate vaccines can be developed more rapidly and with the greatest chance of proving effective. This paper focuses on new strategies, technologies, and immunologic research that will provide important opportunities for the development of new and improved vaccines.