Dr. George Mutwiri, D.V.M., Ph.D.
Contact
Responsibilities:
♦ Program Manager: Vaccine Formulation & Delivery
♦ Coordinator: CpG Immune Modulation, Polyphosphazenes in Formulation/Delivery
♦ Member: Science Management Team
♦ Member: Vectored Vaccines, Equine Vaccines, Neonatal Immunization
Education and training:
♦ University of California, San Diego. Postdoctoral research training 1994-97.
♦ Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Canada. Ph.D,
Bacterial Immunology, 1994.
♦ Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Nairobi, Kenya. D.V.M., 1985. |
Research interests:
♦ Immune modulation with CpG DNA: Synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) containing CpG motifs are perceived by the mammalian immune system as a danger” signal and can stimulate innate and specific immunity similar to an infection. Our strategy is to use CpG ODN to direct the development of the appropriate immune responses for the control of infectious diseases of bacterial or vial origin. We are focusing on optimizing CpG-induced immunity in the respiratory tract for the control of respiratory infections in animals. Results from these investigations will provide information relevant in the use of CpG as a therapy in the event of deliberate release of unknown pathogens in the environment (bioterrorism). CpG ODN can also be used as an adjuvant when given with vaccines.
♦ Novel vaccine adjuvants and delivery systems: It has been reported that delivery is one of the top 10 technologies that will have a great impact on global health. We are studying a number of novel adjuvants and delivery systems (including CpG ODN and polyphosphazenes) to improve the efficacy of available vaccines. We have shown in small animal models that polyphosphazenes can dramatically improve the quality of immune responses induced by vaccines, and do not cause tissue damage. We have also demonstrated that these novel compounds stimulate the innate immune system to produce cytokines, suggesting a novel mechanism by which polyphosphazenes mediate their adjuvant activity. Also, we plan to develop polyphosphazenes as a microparticle-based mucosal vaccine delivery systems.
♦ Mucosal immunity: We are interested in improving the efficacy of mucosal vaccines. Most pathogens that cause disease invade the body through mucosal surfaces (lungs, gut, genitourinary tract), but most current vaccines are injected parenterally and do not provide sufficient protection at mucosal surfaces. A challenge in successful mucosal immunization is a lack of details on how mucosal immune responses are induced. For example we found that immune cells isolated from the intestines respond poorly to CpG ODN compared to cells from blood and lymph nodes. Understanding why cells from mucosal tissues respond differently may provide new opportunities for improving vaccine-induced immunity in the mucosae. |
