Influenza

Biography

Biography: David Charles Jackson

Abstract

Promising new approaches to combat infectious disease involve modulation of the host’s innate immune system using agents which stimulate appropriate responses against a pathogen. Because these agents directly target the host rather than the pathogen, they are unlikely to result in the development of anti-microbial resistance even after repeated use. With the development of anti-microbial resistance to antibiotics and the need to update vaccines to accommodate pathogen evolution, the development of alternative forms of prophylactic agents with a broader spectrum of activity has emerged as an unmet medical need. The rapid response time and broad nature of the innate immune system indicates that treatment with these agents will provide a broader spectrum of protection and could be used in combination with other anti-microbial agents including vaccines. This presentation will demonstrate the potential of Pam2Cys as an agent that can stimulate the innate immune system to provide short term but immediate and antigen-independent protection against infection with respiratory pathogens and also provide a means of simultaneously delivering a vaccine to provide long term, antigen-specific immunity.