Dr. Alexis Kalergis, BMRC researcher, gives a keynote plenary lecture at the World Congress on Respiratory Syncytial Virus

The Clinical Molecular Biomedicine Technology Consortium (BMRC) celebrates and highlights the participation of Dr. Alexis Kalergis—consortium researcher, academic at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and director of the Millennium Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy (IMII)—in the 13th International RSV Congress, one of the most relevant scientific meetings globally on respiratory viruses, organized by the International Society for Influenza and other Respiratory Virus Diseases (ISIRV).

At this important event, Dr. Kalergis was invited to present a plenary talk where he addressed the complex effects that respiratory viruses have on communication between doth the immune and the nervous system, and their implications on the design of vaccines and diagnostic methods.

His presentation, titled "Respiratory viruses alter cytokine patterns, impairing immunological and neurological synapses: Implications for vaccine design," delved into how these viruses can modify cytokine patterns—fundamental proteins in cellular communication—which directly affects the immunity of the body response and can lead to significant neurological consequences. These alterations, he explained, are a crucial challenge for the development of more effective vaccines that protect against infection without generating negative long-term health impacts.

“Understanding how respiratory viruses interact with the immune and nervous systems is key to designing vaccines that are not only effective in preventing disease but also are safe for the body. This allows us to move toward more precise, preventive, and personalized immunization” said Dr. Kalergis.


A key contribution: The Metapneumovirus Vaccine

In addition to the studies, Dr. Kalergis is leading the development of the first vaccine against Human Metapneumovirus (hMPV), a respiratory virus that primarily affects young children and the elderly. This breakthrough is especially relevant since hMPV is a leading cause of severe respiratory infections, but there are no specific vaccines or treatments to fight it.

The vaccine developed by Dr. Kalergis's team has shown promising results in preclinical models, providing a high level of immune protection and generating new possibilities for the treatment of the infection, which, in some cases, can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and severe respiratory obstruction.

At BMRC, we highlight and value these kinds of contributions, which communicate our research and connect us with the international scientific community. The knowledge generated by researchers like Dr. Kalergis directly contributes to the development of biomedical solutions that seek to improve the quality of life of people facing high load diseases, such as respiratory infections.

We thus reaffirm our commitment to excellent, interdisciplinary, and forward-looking biomedicine, serving health in Chile and around the world.