Dr. Robert Anderson seeks to develop vaccines against dengue virus and RSV
Infectious diseases are the third-leading cause of death worldwide. Yet, vaccines do not exist for many of these diseases. Dr. Robert Anderson is determined to develop vaccines for at least two major viruses: respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and dengue virus.
“We are learning how these viruses trigger disease,” says Dr. Anderson, an infectious diseases researcher at Dalhousie Medical School and the Canadian Center for Vaccinology at the IWK Health Centre. “From there we can find ways to prevent infection.”
RSV causes respiratory infections in almost everyone. However, this common virus can be serious, even deadly, in the very young and the very old. There is no vaccine – yet, that is. Dr. Anderson has patented a new vaccine technology against RSV, in collaboration with GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, and is optimistic about its future.
Spread by mosquitoes and related to the West Nile Virus, the dengue virus causes flu-like symptoms, aching bones and skin rashes. As many as 100 million people are infected with dengue virus each year, including Maritimers who contract the virus while traveling to warmer climates. In severe cases, it can lead to internal bleeding.
“Dengue causes an immune response that damages the blood vessels,” Dr. Anderson notes. “We are studying how this response occurs so we can block it.”
Dr. Anderson works closely with virus researchers in Thailand and Taiwan, where epidemic strains like avian flu and SARS have emerged. “We are pooling our resources and sharing ideas to better understand these viruses and how to combat them,” he says.
Dr. Anderson joined Dalhousie Medical School from the University of Calgary in 1993. Dalhousie Medical Research Foundation has provided him with ongoing support through a research associateship award, equipment grants and other funding.