Rajko Reljic

Professor of Immunology

St George's University of London (SGUL), UK

Tel: +44 (0)208 725 0554

Email: rreljic@sgul.ac.uk

VALIDATE Role:

Network Management Board Member 2017+, Network Investigator

Research Keywords:

TB, Vaccines, Immunotherapy, Aerosol, Immunity

Biography:

Prof Reljic’s TB work involves the use of several mucosal vaccine delivery systems, including nanoparticles, inactivated bacterial spores, liposomes and self-adjuvanting recombinant immune complexes. The main feature of these new vaccine candidates is that they are designed to target specific cell surface receptors and tissues in the mucosa of the lung in order to improve vaccine delivery and induce appropriate immune responses. Prof Reljic is also focused on immunotherapy as an adjunct treatment for TB, especially in drug-resistant disease.

Related Websites:

Profile page at SGUL

Key Publications:

Reljic, R., L. Sibley, J. M. Huang, I. Pepponi, A. Hoppe, H. A. Hong, and S. M. Cutting. 2013. Mucosal vaccination against tuberculosis using inert bioparticles. Infection and immunity 81: 4071-4080.

Stylianou, E., G. R. Diogo, I. Pepponi, C. van Dolleweerd, M. A. Arias, C. Locht, C. C. Rider, L. Sibley, S. M. Cutting, A. Loxley, J. K. Ma, and R. Reljic. 2014. Mucosal delivery of antigen-coated nanoparticles to lungs confers protective immunity against tuberculosis infection in mice. European journal of immunology 44: 440-449.

Pepponi, I., G. R. Diogo, E. Stylianou, C. J. van Dolleweerd, P. M. Drake, M. J. Paul, L. Sibley, J. K. Ma, and R. Reljic. 2014. Plant-derived recombinant immune complexes as self-adjuvanting TB immunogens for mucosal boosting of BCG. Plant biotechnology journal. (2014) 12; 840-50.

Diogo GR, Reljic R. Development of a new tuberculosis vaccine: is there value in the mucosal approach? 2014. Immunotherapy. 6: 1001-13

Balu S, Reljic R, Lewis MJ, Pleass RJ, McIntosh R, van Kooten C, van Egmond M, Challacombe S, Woof JM, Ivanyi J. A novel human IgA monoclonal antibody protects against tuberculosis. J Immunol. 2011, 186: 3113-9.