Vaccine Research Center

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Vaccine Research Center
Vaccine Research Center
Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (35406793185).jpg
Headquarters of Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center in Bethesda, Maryland, United States
Agency overview
Formed1997;29 years ago (1997)
Agency executive
Parent department National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Parent agency National Institutes of Health
Website www.niaid.nih.gov/about/vrc

The Vaccine Research Center (VRC), is an intramural division of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The mission of the VRC is to discover and develop both vaccines and antibody-based products that target infectious diseases. [1]

Contents

The broad research portfolio of the VRC includes basic, clinical, and translational[ clarification needed ] research into vaccines for HIV, Ebola, Marburg, and RSV, among other viruses, [2] and therapeutic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (the virus responsible for COVID-19) and other pathogens. [3]

History

John R. Mascola, Director of the Vaccine Research Center John R. Mascola, M.D.jpg
John R. Mascola, Director of the Vaccine Research Center
Bill Gates, Francis Collins, Anthony Fauci, John R. Mascola, and NIH Vaccine Research Center scientists Bill Gates, Francis Collins, and NIH Vaccine Research Center scientists.jpg
Bill Gates, Francis Collins, Anthony Fauci, John R. Mascola, and NIH Vaccine Research Center scientists

The origins of the Vaccine Research Center date back to 1996 following discussions between President Bill Clinton and NIAID Director Dr. Anthony Fauci regarding research addressing HIV/AIDS. Recognizing the potential impact a vaccine could make in decreasing the global public health burden of HIV, President Clinton in 1997 announced a plan to establish an HIV vaccine research center on the NIH campus. [4] The dedication ceremony for the VRC took place in 1999 with President Clinton delivering the opening remarks. [5]

Named in honor of immunization advocates former Governor of Arkansas Dale Bumpers and his wife Betty Flanagan Bumpers, the Vaccine Research Center opened its doors as Building 40 on the NIH campus in 2000. [6] The founding investigators leading the new center came from a range of scientific disciplines including virology, immunology, structural biology, bioengineering, manufacturing, clinical research and regulatory science. While HIV vaccine research and development remains a core focus, the scope of activities has expanded to include advancing scientific understanding and developing biologics for a broad array of infectious pathogens.

Leadership

Director

No.PortraitDirectorTook officeLeft officeRefs
1 Gary J. Nabel April 11, 1999November 2012 [7] [8] [9] [10]
acting John R. Mascola, M.D.jpg John R. Mascola November 2012October 17, 2013
2October 17, 2013March 31, 2022 [11] [12] [13]
actingRichard A. KoupApril 1, 2023April 2023
3Ted C. PiersonApril 2023Present [14]

Deputy Director

No.PortraitDeputy DirectorTook officeLeft officeRefs
1 John R. Mascola, M.D.jpg John R. Mascola September 20002013 [15]
2Richard KoupJanuary 2014Present [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26]
3 Barney Graham Headshot.jpg Barney S. Graham January 2014October 2021 [27] [16] [17] [18] [20]
4 Ledgerwood.jpg Julie E. Ledgerwood November 2019April 2022 [18] [19] [20] [21] [22]
actingKarin BokSeptember 2022September 2023 [23] [24] [25] [26]

Organization

The VRC is composed of an Office of the Director, basic research laboratories and major programs.

Office of the Director:

Laboratories:

Programs:

Research Areas

To advance scientific understanding of infectious pathogens and develop investigational biologics, the VRC maintains programs in the following:

Key scientific areas [30] [29] [28] :

Primary disease-specific programs:

Projects

HIV

In July 2010, a collaboration between the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and officials at the Vaccine Research Center found that two human HIV antibodies, named VRC01 and VRC03, could potentially be used against a wide range of types and mutations of HIV in the design of a preventive HIV vaccine for human use, as well as in the formation of better antiretroviral therapy drug cocktails. The discovery, a potentially landmark one in the drive to find a vaccine for AIDS should it be validated and further improved.

Ebola

In 2016 research efforts led by Nancy Sullivan at Vaccine Research Center and J. J. Muyembe-Tamfum from the Institut National de Recherche Biomedicale (INRB) in the Democratic Republic of Congo resulted in the discovery of a monoclonal antibody, mAb114, from a survivor from the 1995 Kikwit outbreak of Ebola virus disease. [34] [35] mAb114 is a monoclonal antibody therapy that is being evaluated as a treatment for Ebola virus disease and has shown great success by lowering the mortality rate from 70% to about 34% in the 2018-2020 Kivu Ebola Virus Outbreak. In August 2019, Congolese health authorities, the World Health Organization, and the U.S. National Institutes of Health promoted the use of mAb114, alongside a similar Regeneron-produced treatment, over other treatments yielding higher mortality rates, after ending clinical trials during the outbreak. [36] [37]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "Vaccine Research Center Mission and History | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved December 30, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Vaccine Research Center Brochure" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on August 1, 2019.
  3. ↑ Philippidis, Alex (March 16, 2020). "To Develop Coronavirus Treatment, Lilly Taps AbCellera Antibody Platform". GEN: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News . Retrieved March 19, 2020.
  4. ↑ "Commencement Address at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland | The American Presidency Project". www.presidency.ucsb.edu. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  5. ↑ "Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center". clintonwhitehouse4.archives.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  6. ↑ "Building 40, Vaccine Research Center". orf.od.nih.gov. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  7. ↑ Malakoff, David (March 10, 1999). "Nabel to Head AIDS Vaccine Institute" . science . doi:10.1126/article.38636. Archived from the original on February 12, 2022. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  8. ↑ McManus, Rich (May 18, 1999). "Intramural HIV Vaccine Work Moves Forward" (PDF). The NIH Record. pp. 1, 4.
  9. ↑ McManus, Rich (June 1, 1999). "Nabel Outlines Plans for Vaccine Center" (PDF). The NIH Record. pp. 1, 6.
  10. ↑ Levin, Jennifer (November 15, 2012). "Sanofi Appoints Dr. Gary J. Nabel as Chief Scientific Officer". Fierce Biotech.
  11. ↑ "NIAID selects new director of the Vaccine Research Center". National Institutes of Health (NIH). October 17, 2013. Archived from the original on February 21, 2025. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
  12. ↑ "Director of NIAID's Vaccine Research Center Announces Retirement | NIAID: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". March 16, 2022. Archived from the original on December 23, 2023.
  13. ↑ Fauci, Anthony S. (February 16, 2022). "Leadership Transition at the NIAID Vaccine Research Center". NIAID.
  14. ↑ "NIAID Appoints Ted Pierson as New Vaccine Research Center Director". NIAID. April 25, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Mascola Named VRC Deputy Director" (PDF). The NIH Record. September 5, 2000. p. 5.
  16. 1 2 "Organizational Chart". NIAID. Archived from the original on January 4, 2014. Retrieved June 19, 2025.
  17. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on October 8, 2019.
  18. 1 2 3 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on January 9, 2020.
  19. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center Senior Leadership". NIAID. Archived from the original on October 20, 2021.
  20. 1 2 3 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on January 23, 2022.
  21. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on April 23, 2022.
  22. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on May 17, 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center (VRC) Contacts". NIAID. Archived from the original on October 12, 2022.
  24. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center Senior Leadership". NIAID. Archived from the original on July 13, 2022.
  25. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center Senior Leadership". NIAID. Archived from the original on July 10, 2023.
  26. 1 2 "Vaccine Research Center Senior Leadership". NIAID. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023.
  27. ↑ MacAuley, Sheridan; Fisher, Devin (October 29, 2021). "VRC's Graham Retires After More Than 20 Years". The NIH Record.
  28. 1 2 "Immunology Laboratory | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  29. 1 2 "Virology Laboratory | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  30. 1 2 "Viral Pathogenesis Laboratory | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  31. ↑ "Lesia Dropulic, M.D. | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  32. ↑ "Ruth Woodward DVM | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Archived from the original on April 9, 2021. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  33. ↑ "Adrian McDermott, M.Sc., Ph.D. | NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases". www.niaid.nih.gov. Archived from the original on January 5, 2017. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  34. ↑ Corti D, Misasi J, Mulangu S, Stanley DA, Kanekiyo M, Wollen S, et al. (March 2016). "Protective monotherapy against lethal Ebola virus infection by a potently neutralizing antibody". Science. 351 (6279): 1339–42. Bibcode:2016Sci...351.1339C. doi: 10.1126/science.aad5224 . PMID   26917593.
  35. ↑ Hayden EC (February 26, 2016). "Ebola survivor's blood holds promise of new treatment" . Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2016.19440. ISSN   1476-4687. S2CID   211835755.
  36. ↑ McNeil DG (August 12, 2019). "A Cure for Ebola? Two New Treatments Prove Highly Effective in Congo". The New York Times. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  37. ↑ Molteni M (August 12, 2019). "Ebola is Now Curable. Here's How The New Treatments Work". Wired. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
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