Research
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports research on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of infections caused by microbes, including those that have the potential for use as biological weapons. The research program to address biodefense includes both short- and long-term studies targeted at designing, developing, evaluating, and approving specific tools (diagnostics, therapies, and vaccines) needed to defend against possible bioterrorist-caused disease outbreaks.
NIAID research goals to diagnose, prevent, and treat tularemia include
- Supporting basic research to identify mechanisms of F. tularensis virulence and pathogenesis, and to define host responses to pathogen
- Developing quick and inexpensive ways to diagnose tularemia
- Developing antimicrobials and immunotherapies with novel mechanisms of action to treat tularemia
- Identifying new F. tularensis vaccine candidates that can prevent or modulate infection both before and after exposure
- Conducting clinical trials of vaccine candidates