SNOT: Sampling the Nose Of Toddlers and Young Children

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Nasal samples from healthy children: towards prevention of pneumonia

  • IRAS ID

    236509

  • Contact name

    Andrea Collins

  • Contact email

    Andrea.Collins@lstmed.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine (LSTM)

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 6 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    •Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a type of bacteria that is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide. At the same time healthy people often have this bacteria in the upper airway (nasopharynx) without any sign of disease (colonised) which is the main source for transmission to other people. The current pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) does not protect against all types of this group of bacteria. Novel vaccines aim to provide broader protection against pneumococcus and are currently being developed.

    To test these new vaccines in future we need to learn more about how the body responds to this bacteria. We have observed in adults who are colonised for research purposes (experimentally) with this bacteria that a specific immune cell 'monocyte' is present in the airway that correlates with protection against carriage of this bacteria. Understanding whether these immune mechanisms control carriage in children is vital to the early testing of new vaccines as this is the target population for such vaccines.

  • REC name

    North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    17/NW/0663

  • Date of REC Opinion

    2 Jan 2018

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion