Oceanian populations suffer from a heavy human and economic burden caused by DENV infections. In New Caledonia (NC), an island territory of 270,000 inhabitants located in the South Pacific region, dengue outbreaks have become increasingly recurrent over the last decade, involving the co-circulation of several DENV serotypes, and presenting enhanced severity. Dengue represents a major health issue in NC, with individuals of Oceanian ancestry paying a heavy toll to dengue. Although genetic drivers of severe outcome in dengue have been identified in other populations, their distribution in Oceanian populations remain unknown, partly because Oceanian populations remain highly neglected in human genomic studies. In this context, we hypothesize that the specific demographic and adaptive history of Oceanian populations have shaped their present-day genetic background that, in turn, contributes to variation in immune responses and differences in susceptibility to certain viral infections, and especially dengue.
The main objective of GEDIPOP is to characterize Oceanian populations’ anti-viral immune response and identify its genetic drivers. Using dengue as an epidemiologically relevant disease in the specific context of New Caledonia, where present-day populations recapitulate the genetic diversity of the South Pacific region, the specific objectives of the GEDIPOP project are:
– to describe the genetic diversity of Melanesian and European populations from New Caledonia;
– to characterize their innate immune response to dengue virus (DENV);
– to define the human genetic determinants of variation in antiviral immune responses.
Elaborating on NC rich genetic ancestry, GEDIPOP represents a unique opportunity to tackle Public Health issues affecting the neglected Oceanian populations, which are under tremendous ecological pressure. Knowledge generated by GEDIPOP will inform strategies to limit the risk and improve the management of dengue in the Pacific region.
