The Mucosal Immunity in Human Coronavirus Challenge (MusiCC) project was launched in 2024 to develop advanced coronavirus vaccines capable of preventing infection at the point of entry. Co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe Program and CEPI, the initiative will employ human challenge studies to test inhaled and nasal vaccines designed to induce mucosal immunity, aiming to block the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other betacoronaviruses.
The Human Infection Challenge Vaccine (HIC-VAC) Network hosted within the National Heart & Lung Institute of the Imperial College London, supports the development and use of vaccine-challenge studies, with more than 500 members from 30 countries, including 15 LMICs; the 2024 annual meeting focused on capacity-building for CHIMs in LMICs.