Wednesday, November 26, 2025 11/26/2025

Analysis of a novel Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever vaccine and its mechanism of protection in rodent models

Award Number: R01AI167295
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/25/2022
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

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Analysis of a novel Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever vaccine and its mechanism of protection in rodent models - Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) causes severe disease in humans, with fatality rates reaching 40%. CCHFV is endemic to parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, specifically to regions where the tick vector, species of the Hyalomma genus, is present. Classified as an NIH/NIAID Category A and WHO high- priority pathogen, CCHFV poses the highest possible risk to national security and public health. CCHFV is a negative-sense single-stranded RNA virus in the order Bunyavirales. CCHFV is an Emerging Infectious Disease, posing a high risk of a widespread outbreak. An inactivated whole virus vaccine was the only CCHFV vaccine to be tested in humans and was ineffective. We propose the use of inactivated rabies virus (RABV)- and vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV)-based CCHFV vaccines, as inactivated rhabdoviral vectors have not yet been explored. Inactivated rhabdoviral-based vaccines are safe and effective at inducing immunity and protection against multiple hemorrhagic fever viruses, and a VSV-based surrogate challenge virus is an effective tool in another hemorrhagic fever model. The goal of this project is two-fold: first, to compare RABV- and VSV-based CCHFV/RABV bivalent vaccines in terms of their production, immunogenicity; second, to establish a non-BSL-4 VSV-based surrogate mouse challenge system for CCHFV to determine mechanism of protection. We hypothesize that inactivated rhabdoviral-based CCHFV vaccines will protect against the CCHFV challenge through non-neutralizing antibodies directed against GP38. Toward this hypothesis, we propose three Aims: Aim 1: Characterization of Rhabdoviral-based CCHFV vaccine constructs. This aim does characterize and test the immunogenicity of RABV- and VSV-based CCHFV vaccines and compare them to the Bulgaria human vaccine and an mRNA-based vaccine provided by collaborators. Aim 2: Determine rhabdoviral-based CCHFV vaccine mechanism of protection by establishing a surrogate challenge virus model. This aim aims to develop a non-BSL-4-requiring surrogate challenge model for CCHFV and compare it to the established BSL-4 WT CCHFV model in vaccine efficacy studies. Aim 3: Evaluate the protective efficacy of rhabdoviral-based vaccine candidates in a wildtype CCHFV lethal challenge model using needle and tick challenge. The goal of this aim is to determine the efficacy of our rhabdoviral-based vaccines and control vaccines against WT CCHFV challenge in two different lethal challenge model.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2025 ( Subtotal = $788,659 )
2025	2025	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	4	8/29/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$788,659
														Subtotal = $788,659

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $788,347 )
2024	2024	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	3	8/21/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$788,347
														Subtotal = $788,347

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $788,347 )
2023	2023	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	2	7/27/2023	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$788,347
														Subtotal = $788,347

Issue Date FY: 2022 ( Subtotal = $779,687 )
2022	2022	THOMAS JEFFERSON UNIVERSITY	1020 WALNUT ST STE 1	PHILADELPHIA	PA	19107	PHILADELPHIA	USA	Allergy and Infectious Diseases Research	000	1	8/25/2022	NEW	$779,687
														Subtotal = $779,687

Grand Total All Awards = $3,145,040

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Analysis of a novel Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever vaccine and its mechanism of protection in rodent models

Award Number: R01AI167295

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ALLERGY & INFECTIOUS DISEASES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 08/25/2022

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 07/31/2026

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