Bringing a stronger tularemia vaccine closer to people
Official title: Translation of a highly protective tularemia vaccine to the NHP model
Funded at Albany Medical College · NIH-11245768 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are testing a promising tularemia vaccine in primates to find immune signs that could predict protection for people.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Albany Medical College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | January 15, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $779,878 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI179706-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11245768 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People most likely to benefit in the future include those at higher risk of tularemia exposure, such as laboratory personnel, military members, or people in outbreak settings.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals with unrelated health concerns or those not at risk for tularemia exposure are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this animal-focused work.
What this research studies
This project moves vaccine candidates that worked in mice and rabbits into non-human primates to see which one best prevents inhaled tularemia and to identify immune markers linked with protection. Scientists will give different vaccine versions, expose animals to aerosolized Francisella tularensis at high doses, and measure blood and immune responses over time. The team will compare outcomes across vaccines and look for correlates of protection that could guide future human trials under the FDA Animal Rule. Results aim to make it clearer which vaccine and which immune tests should be used when testing in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a vaccine that better protects people from inhaled tularemia and immune tests that speed safe human testing.
How similar studies have gone: Older human work showed partial protection with the live vaccine strain and recent mouse and rabbit studies identified promising candidates, but strong protection at high aerosol doses and human-relevant immune markers remain unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Albany Medical College
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hazlett, Karsten R.o. — Albany Medical College
- Study coordinator: Hazlett, Karsten R.o.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.