The University of Maryland School of Medicine Center for Vaccine Development is joining a research partnership to try to develop a vaccine to combat several types of Gram-negative bacteria that are known for causing infections in hospital patients.
The research partnership will include several American biotechnology companies and a pharmaceutical company based out of Tokyo.
UM professor of medicine Alan S. Cross, MD, and two assistant professors of medicine — Raphael Simon, PhD, and Sharon Tennant, PhD — will lead the Center for Vaccine Development project.
Even though healthcare-associated infections afflict millions of patients a year, there are no licensed vaccines currently available for any of the major HAIs.
"This is a response to a serious unmet need. We think this partnership has enormous potential," said Dr. Cross. "We think we can make a significant dent in the effect these infections have in the U.S., and around the world."
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