Research Topics

Translational vaccine immunology

©UNIGE, Didierlaurent, JI, 2009. Vaccine components (green: adjuvant and red: antigen) entering the lymph node after immunization.

The laboratory focuses on understanding the role of innate immunity in vaccine response. The ability of a vaccine to induce a long-lasting antibody and T cell response is conditioned by the initial stimulation of the innate immune system, in particular antigen-presenting cells. Individuals with immunocompromising conditions, such as transplant patients or those taking immunomodulatory drugs, are generally less responsive to vaccines. Understanding the mechanisms involved in this hypo-responsiveness can allow the design of improved and more targeted vaccination strategies for these populations, who remained at higher risk of infections. Through a translational approach, combining clinical research studies and animal studies, we aim at defining which alterations in the innate immune response to vaccines (changes in gene expression level, inflammatory mediators..) due to the disease or drugs translate into a change in the quality of the antigen-specific response (antibodies, T and B cell response).

In addition, the lab is interested in exploring the mechanism of action of various vaccines technologies in animal models, including adjuvants, focusing on the role of local innate immunity in vaccine response. Finally, through affiliation to the Center for Emerging Viral disease, the lab is currently involved in clinical research studies on SARS-Cov2.

Specific expertise

  • Biology of innate cells, incl macrophages, dendritic cells, monocytes, NK cells
  • Innate pathways analysis (transcriptomics, metabolomics)
  • System biology
  • Clinical research

Selected publications

Vono M, Huttner A, Lemeille S, Martinez-Murillo P, Meyer B, Baggio S, Sharma S, Thiriard A, Marchant A, Godeke GJ, Reusken C, Alvarez C, Perez-Rodriguez F, Eckerle I, Kaiser L, Loevy N, Eberhardt CS, Blanchard-Rohner G, Siegrist CA*, Didierlaurent AM*#. Robust innate responses to SARS-CoV-2 in children resolve faster than in adults without compromising adaptive immunity. Cell Rep. 2021 Sep 15:109773. *co-senior authors, #corresponding author

Vu DL#, Martinez-Murillo P, Pigny F, Vono M, Meyer B, Eberhardt CS, Lemeille S, Von Dach E, Blanchard-Rohner G, Eckerle I, Huttner A, Siegrist CA, Kaiser L*, Didierlaurent AM*#. Longitudinal Analysis of Inflammatory Response to SARS-CoV-2 in the Upper Respiratory Tract Reveals an Association with Viral Load, Independent of Symptoms. J Clin Immunol. 2021 Nov;41(8):1723-1732. *co-senior authors, #corresponding author

Vetter P#, Eberhardt CS, Meyer B, Martinez Murillo PA, Torriani G, Pigny F, Lemeille S, Cordey S, Laubscher F, Vu DL, Calame A, Schibler M, Jacquerioz F, Blanchard-Rohner G, Siegrist CA, Kaiser L, Didierlaurent AM*, Eckerle I*. Daily Viral Kinetics and Innate and Adaptive Immune Response Assessment in COVID-19: a Case Series. mSphere. 2020 Nov 11;5(6):e00827-20. *co-senior authors, #corresponding author.

De Mot L, Bechtold V, Bol V,Callegaro A, Coccia M, Essaghir A, Hasdemir D, Ulloa-Montoya F, Siena E, Smilde A, van den Berg RA, Didierlaurent AM*, Burny W*, van der Most RG*#.Transcriptional profiles of adjuvanted vaccines display variable interindividual homogeneity but a shared core signature. Sci Transl Med. 2020 Nov 11;12(569):eaay8618. *co-senior authors, #corresponding author.

Burny W, Marchant A, Hervé C, Callegaro A, Caubet M, Fissette L, Gheyle L, Legrand C, Ndour C, Tavares Da Silva F, van der Most R, Willems F, Yarzabal J*, Didierlaurent AM*. Inflammatory parameters associated with systemic reactogenicity following vaccination with adjuvanted hepatitis B vaccines in humans. ECR-008 study group. Vaccine. 2019 Mar 28;37(14):2004-2015


11 Apr 2022

Host response to pathogens