For Patients

Our Vision

Bacterial infections are responsible for over a quarter of all deaths in children worldwide. This has persisted despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines. We intend to increase our understanding of how our immune system reacts to infection. This will help us to develop better treatments.

Our project

Bacterial meningitis causes inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. Bacterial sepsis, caused by blood stream infection, causes shock and organ failure.While the majority of patients fully recover, these conditions can lead to life-changing disabilities or death.The EUCLIDS project is studying the genetics of children with bacterial meningitis and sepsis in Europe and West Africa.

It aims to determine which genes:
• affect the likelihood of someone getting meningitis.
• affect the severity of the disease’s after effects.
• are involved in the immune response to vaccination against bacterial pathogens.
To answer these questions, we are using the latest approaches and developing innovative techniques to analyse samples collected in the clinical trials. Bacterial infections are responsible for over a quarter of all deaths in children worldwide. This has persisted despite the availability of antibiotics and vaccines. We intend to increase our understanding of how our immune system reacts to infection. This will help us to develop better treatments. EUCLIDS researchers are focussing on bacterial meningitis and sepsis to develop a new approach that can be used to study any childhood bacterial infectious disease, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia, and salmonella.

Project Facts

• ~5000 people are anticipated to be involved in the clinical studies.
• 12 Million Euros in project funding provided by the European Commission.
• 5 years of funding for the project started on 1/12/2011.
• EUCLIDS has 14 partners spread over 3 continents, coordinated by Prof Mike Levin from Imperial College London.

Our legacy

The EUCLIDS project will increase our understanding of the genes that are involved in a child’s immune response to bacterial meningitis and sepsis.

This will help future researchers to:
• better identify those at risk of infection or having severe after effects.
• develop novel treatments.
• develop better preventative strategies.
• apply this approach to other bacterial diseases
• to improve the treatment of childhood infectious diseases
 

If you are interested in taking part in the study please see the contact details in the downloadable brochures below or use the contact form.