U of T and Moderna partner to advance vaccine science, cancer treatment and AI-driven therapeutics

Rick Lu, postdoctoral researcher in the Li Lab.

From COVID-19 to the seasonal flu and RSV, vaccinations for respiratory viruses are typically delivered via intramuscular injection, which generates antibodies in the bloodstream.

But the first line of defence against these viruses is actually the upper airway, where mucosal antibodies known as immunoglobin A (IgA) can stop pathogens before they even enter the body.

Harnessing IgA responses to provide this sterilizing immunity remains an unmet goal in vaccine development – one that University of Toronto scientists, with the support of Moderna Canada, are laying the groundwork for through fundamental research.

“We want to look at how an IgA response is generated because we don’t know too much about how that works at mucosal surfaces,” said Natalie Edner, a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Jennifer Gommerman, a professor and chair of immunology in U of T’s Temerty Faculty of Medicine whose team is carrying out research at the forefront of harnessing mucosal immunity to counter respiratory infectious diseases.

Edner is one of two U of T researchers to receive Moderna Global Fellowships, which support emerging researchers whose work can improve preparedness and treatment against various diseases. 

A second fellowship will support Rick Lu, postdoctoral researcher in the lab of Bowen Li, an assistant professor in the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy whose research group has world-leading expertise in the use of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) to deliver mRNA medicines.

Lu is developing a way to modify immune cells by delivering precise instructions using LNPs, instead of viral vectors, that could result in safer and more scalable cancer treatments. 

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