GENOS joins WORMVACS2.0 in the search for a vaccine against parasitic worm infections
Just as the WORMVACS2.0 project hit its 18-month mark, a new partner joined the consortium. GENOS is a leader in high-throughput glycomics, and their specialist knowledge will importantly contribute to the project’s quest to better understand human immunology, including protective immunity against parasitic worm infections. WORMVACS2.0 coordinator Prof Dr Cornelis Hokke and GENOS’ principal investigator Dr Maja Pučić Baković explain the new collaboration and how it contributes to the project’s goals.
Dr Pučić Baković speaking at WORMVACS2.0’s annual meeting in 2024.
WORMVACS2.0 research revolves around parasitic worm infections, where immunity generally develops slowly, and re-infections are common. The consortium aims to better understand how immunity against these infections develops in order to establish an effective pipeline to support helminth vaccine development. “The collaboration will strengthen the project’s capacity to achieve its goals by combining GENOS' expertise in glycomics with cutting-edge vaccine research,” Dr Pučić Baković explains GENOS’ contribution. “Leveraging advanced high-throughput glycoanalytical technologies, GENOS will identify glycomic signatures of host immune components, such as antibodies, that play a crucial role in protective immunity. Despite their growing recognition as key factors in long-lasting protection, these aspects have been largely overlooked in human helminth vaccine development. By bridging this gap, the collaboration will enhance our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and immune responses, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective vaccines.”
“The collaboration will enhance our understanding of host-pathogen interactions and immune responses, ultimately contributing to the development of more effective vaccines.”
The expanded partnership is exciting in many ways, says Dr Hokke: “One of the most exciting aspects will be the opportunity to conduct in-depth investigations of glycomic signatures and biomarkers associated with immunity using clinical samples from controlled human helminth infection and challenge trials.” Additionally, for GENOS, “inclusion of samples from Africa, an underserved region in glycomics research, offers a unique chance to explore population-specific glycosylation patterns and immune responses,” says Dr Pučić Baković. “This not only broadens the scientific impact of the project but also contributes to a more inclusive and globally relevant approach to helminth vaccine development.”
“One of the most exciting aspects will be the opportunity to conduct in-depth investigations of glycomic signatures and biomarkers associated with immunity using clinical samples from controlled human helminth infection and challenge trials.”
The use of controlled human infection models in endemic and non-endemic countries is an essential feature of the consortium’s work and by joining the project, “GENOS will be provided with access to unique knowledge and collaborations in the field of human tropical worm parasite infections and vaccine development,” adds Dr Hokke. This exemplifies the consortium’s commitment to international research collaboration and knowledge exchange. With the addition of a new partner, these activities will be strengthened further, as the “project partners across four continents, specialised in helminth infections, immunology, vaccine discovery and development, will benefit from exposure to state-of-the-art glycomics knowledge,” concludes Dr Hokke.
The new collaboration started on 1 March 2025 and will run until the end of the project.
