DIVERGE (DIVErsity in Rsv GEnomes)
A multinational collaboration that aims to improve our understanding of RSV disease.
In 2015, work led by researchers at University of Edinburgh estimated that infection with Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) resulted in 33.1 million episodes of lower respiratory infection (bronchiolitis and pneumonia), leading to 3.2 million hospitalizations and 120,000 deaths worldwide in children younger than five years [1]. The majority of these deaths occur in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs), where access to hospital facilities is limited. Little data exists on RSV genomic variability in LMICs, limiting our understanding of the worldwide transmission dynamics of the virus, and how new strains emerge and compete with one another. Several RSV vaccine candidates using a variety of approaches (from maternal immunization to live attenuated vaccines) are in clinical development, and it is likely that one or more of these vaccines will be available in the next five years. A better understanding of viral genomic variability will assist stakeholders in making decisions regarding the introduction of these vaccines into national programmes.
We have published a paper that looked at genetic variability in the RSV F protein - the protein most likely to be targeted by immunisation campaigns- and found a considerable degree of variability in the limited number of strains available in public databases. Variability was concentrated in particular epitopes (antibody binding regions), which has implications for the type of immunisation campaign that is most likely to be effective.
Given the limited RSV genomic data available, DIVERGE (DIVErsity in Rsv GEnomes) is a multinational collaboration that aims to improve our understanding of RSV disease. It brings together researchers working in LMICs with the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the J.Craig Venter Institute, the Fogarty International Center (all in the United States), and the University of Edinburgh. We will be carrying out whole genome sequencing of over eight hundred RSV samples taken from children under five years of age. These samples will come from six LMICs located in five of the World Health Organisation regions, extending the global coverage of our knowledge of RSV variability from its current limited base. With samples dating from 2010 to 2017, we aim to achieve a better understanding of RSV transmission dynamics, and relate genetic variability in the virus to clinical presentation. By carrying out deep sequencing of the samples, we will examine whether host-pathogen interactions may be driving within host genetic variability, which if the case, will have implications for decisions on which immunisation strategies are likely to be most effective.
Diverge Partners Map
Countries with complete RSV genomes available
On the 28th and 29th of June partners in the DIVERGE consortium participated in a workshop in Edinburgh facilitated by the UK Government's Global Challenges Research Fund. The meeting report is now available.
People |
|
Professor Quique Bassat | Lead investigator for Morocco and Mozambique |
Professor Fernando Polack | Lead investigator for Argentina |
Professor Aubree Gordon | Lead investigator for Nicaragua |
Professor Abdullah Brooks | Lead investigator for Bangladesh |
Dr. Erik Karlsson | Lead investigator for Cambodia |
Dr. Thomas Williams | Principal Investigator |
Professor Gene Tan | Lead for sequencing |
Professor David Spiro | Co-investigator |
Professor Martha Nelson | Co-investigator |
Professor Harry Campbell | Co-investigator |
Professor Harish Nair | Co-investigator |
Professor Kate Templeton | Co-investigator |
RSV vaccines in development
Site Investigators
Name: Professor Quique Bassat
Role: Lead investigator for Morocco and Mozambique
Research Institute: ISGlobal Barcelona Institute for Global Health, Spain
ISGLOBAL Barcelona Institute for Global Health
Name: Professor Fernando Polack
Role: Lead investigator for Argentina
Research Institute: Fundacion INFANT, Argentina
Name: Professor Aubree Gordon
Role: Lead investigator for Nicaragua
Research Institute: School of Public Health University of Michigan, USA
Name: Professor Abdullah Brooks
Role: Lead investigator for Bangladesh
Research Institute: Center for Global Health Johns Hopkins University, USA
Name: Dr. Erik Karlsson
Role: Lead investigator for Cambodia
Research Institute: Virology Unit Institut Pasteur, Cambodia
Name: Dr. Thomas Williams
Role: Principal Investigator
Research Institute: Institute of Genetics and Cancer, University of Edinburgh, UK
Taylor Lab Evolutionary Genetics and Genomics
Name: Professor Gene Tan
Role: Lead for sequencing
Research Institute: Infectious Disease Group, J. Craig Venter Institute, USA
Name: Professor David Spiro
Role: Co-investigator
Research Institute: Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA
Name: Professor Martha Nelson
Role: Co-investigator
Research Institute: Fogarty International Center, National Institutes of Health, USA
Name: Professor Harry Campbell
Role: Co-investigator
Research Institute: Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics, University of Edinburgh, UK
Harry Campbell - Professor of Genetic Epidemiology and Public Health
Name: Professor Harish Nair
Role: Co-investigator
Research Institute: Usher Institute of Population Health Sciences and Informatics
Harish Nair - Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases and Global Health
Name: Professor Kate Templeton
Role: Co-investigator
Research Institute: Division of Infection and Pathway Medicine, Edinburgh Medical School, UK
RESCEU – REspiratory Syncytial virus Consortium in EUrope
Key Publications
Mas V, Nair H, Campbell H, Melero JA, Williams TC. Antigenic and sequence variability of the human respiratory syncytial virus F glycoprotein compared to related viruses in a comprehensive dataset. Vaccine (2018). doi:10.1016/J.VACCINE.2018.09.056.
Grants
£3 815 EGR&PF – 171809 (UK Government Global Challenges Research Fund).