How the measles vaccine affects children's immune systems
Immunological and Physiological Responses to Measles Vaccine
This project looks at how the live measles vaccine triggers antibody and T cell responses in infants and young children to understand protection and long-term immune effects.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11285233 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If I or my child took part, researchers would collect blood and other samples around the time of measles vaccination to measure antibody levels, antibody-secreting cells, and T cell responses. They will compare those responses to patterns seen after natural measles infection and use data from a well-characterized rhesus macaque model to learn where the vaccine replicates and how it is attenuated. The team will track viral RNA in immune cells and lymphoid tissues over time to see how long immune stimulation continues and how antibodies mature. Findings will help explain immediate and lasting immune effects after vaccination and guide safer or more effective vaccine uses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are infants and children up to about 11 years old who are receiving measles vaccination or whose blood samples can be safely collected for immune studies.
Not a fit: People outside the pediatric age range or those not providing samples or receiving the vaccine are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could improve understanding of how the measles vaccine protects children and inform safer vaccine designs or new vaccine-vector uses.
How similar studies have performed: The live attenuated measles vaccine has a long record of clinical success in preventing disease, but the detailed cellular and molecular immune mechanisms remain less well described.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pekosz, Andrew S. — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Pekosz, Andrew S.
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 below.