ISIDORe project home / Research scope and priority pathogens

RESEARCH SCOPE AND PRIORITY PATHOGENS

ISIDORe preparedness actions: anticipation avoids escalation

To try to avert future pandemics, and advance the development of the appropriate countermeasures, the ISIDORe project proposes calls for proposals to support research on the pathogens with epidemic potential from the list of ISIDORe Priority Preparedness Pathogens (PPPs).

Diagnostics
Surveillance and epidemic management
Vector biology and vector control
Natural history of infectious diseases / Deciphering & understanding pathogens’ biology, host-pathogen interactions and host responses to infection
Therapeutics
Vaccines

Proposals focusing on research that would improve preparedness to a range of pathogens are especially encouraged.

For example:

Development of multi-pathogen and/or flexible diagnostic strategies
Development of broad-spectrum antiviral therapeutics
Development of versatile vaccine platforms

A stylized globe, with the EU area emphasized

Priority Pathogens

Limitations apply to pathogens marked with a * – please see the dedicated subsection below

RG4 PATHOGENS

Ebola virus*

This refers to all species of the Ebolavirus genus.

Marburg virus

This refers to all members of the Marburg marburgvirus species.

Nipah virus

This refers to all members of the Nipah henipavirus species.

Hendra virus

This refers to all members of the Hendra henipavirus species.

Lassa virus

This refers to all members of the Lassa mammarenavirus species.

New World arenaviruses

This refers to species within the Mammarenavirus genus which cause viral haemorrhagic fevers, including but not necessarily limited to the members of the Guanarito, Junin, Lujo, Brazilian, Chapare and Machupo mammarenavirus species.

CCHF virus

This refers to all members of the Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever orthonairovirus species.

RESPIRATORY PATHOGENS

Zoonotic betacoronaviruses

This refers to all members of the subgenera and species of the Betacoronavirus genus, known to cause human disease, or with a potential to, including, but not necessarily limited to, the Sarbecovirus subgenus and Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-related coronavirus species as well as the Merbecovirus subgenus and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-related coronavirus species.

Influenza A

This refers to all the members of the Alphainfluenzavirus influenzae species. The members of the Beta-, Delta– and Gammainfluenzavirus species are eligible for support in projects proposing pan-influenza approaches applicable to Influenza A.

Y. pestis*

This refers to all members of the Yersinia pestis species. The focus for ISIDORe’s scientific programme is pneumonic plague.

M. tuberculosis / bovis*

This refers to all members of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium bovis species.

C. burnetii

This refers to all members of the Coxiella burnetii species.

VECTOR-BORNE PATHOGENS & THEIR VECTORS

Rift valley fever virus

This refers to all members of the Rift valley fever phlebovirus species.

Zika virus

This refers to all members of the Zika virus species.

Chikungunya virus

This refers to all members of the Chikungunya virus species.

West Nile virus

This refers to all members of the West Nile virus species.

Dengue virus*

This refers to all members of the Dengue virus species.

Japanese encephalitis virus*

This refers to all members of the Japanese encephalitis virus species.

Yellow fever virus*

This refers to all members of the Yellow fever virus species.

Tick-borne encephalitis virus

This refers to all members of the Tick-borne encephalitis virus species.

Plasmodium*

This refers to all members of the species known to cause malaria in humans: Plasmodium i) falciparum, ii) vivax, iii) malariae, iv) ovale curtisi, v) ovale wallikeri and vi) knowlesi.

B. burgdorferi*

This refers to all members of the Borellia burgdorferi species.

OTHER PATHOGENS WITH EPIDEMIC OR PANDEMIC POTENTIAL

Pathogen X

This refers to the causative agent of Disease X that “represents the knowledge that a serious international epidemic could be caused by a pathogen currently unknown to cause human disease” (WHO). Please note that here, we are targeting projects proposing universal solutions to infectious threats (e.g., “universal” vaccine platforms, highly flexible diagnostic tests, etc.). Applicants are not expected to identify certain know pathogens as potential future Pathogens X.

Orthopoxviruses

This refers to all members of the Orthopoxvirus genus known to cause human disease, or with a potential to, including but not necessarily limited to the Variola virus and Monkeypox virus species.

Non polio enteroviruses

This refers to all members of the species within the Enterovirus genus (except those listed below) and known to cause non polio human disease, or with a potential to.

Polio enteroviruses

This refers to the serotypes (1, 2 & 3) within the Enterovirus C species known to cause polio in humans.

limitations

Limitations on some topics apply, due to the existence of countermeasures, as well as current dedicated funding channels or support programmes, for some of the ISIDORe PPPs.

SECTION	Zaire ebolavirus	Y. pestis	Dengue virus	Japanese encephalitis & yellow fever viruses	M. tuberculosis/bovis	Plasmodium	B. burgdorferi	Leishmania
Surveillance, transmission & epidemic risk management	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED
Natural history / Host-pathogen interactions	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS
Diagnostics	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	Projects eligible if focused on improving diagnostics of pneumonic plague	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED	Projects eligible if focused on improving diagnostics	EXCLUDED
Therapeutics	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	Projects eligible if focused on approaches overcoming resistance	Projects eligible if focused on approaches overcoming resistance	EXCLUDED	Projects eligible if focused on better and/or cheaper, safer therapeutics
Vaccines	Projects eligible if focused on cross-protective vaccines	Projects eligible if focused on improving vaccine against pneumonic plague	Projects eligible if addressing antibody-dependent enhancement phenomenon	Projects eligible if focused on cross-protective vaccines	EXCLUDED	Projects eligible if focused on improving current vaccine (efficacy + safety)	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED
Social sciences	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED	EXCLUDED
Vector biology & vector control			NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS		NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS	NO SPECIFIC LIMITATIONS