Category: Vaccine

The European Medicines Agency (EMA) has accepted GSKs regulatory application seeking expansion of its adjuvanted recombinant respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine, Arexvy, to include adults aged 50 to 59 years.

If approved, the vaccine would become the first to be available for protecting this age group against RSV.

Arexvy is currently indicated for use in individuals aged 60 years and above to prevent RSV-associated lower respiratory tract disease in Europe.

The application is based on positive data from a Phase III trial, which demonstrated non-inferior immune responses in adults aged 50 to 59 compared to those aged 60 and above.

This observer-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised study analysed immune responses in participants aged 50 to 59 without pre-defined chronic diseases compared with those of adults aged 60 and older.

The trials primary endpoints were RSV-A and RSV-B neutralisation titres [levels in the bloodstream] one-month post-vaccination in the 50-59 age group versus the older cohort.

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The study met these endpoints, indicating a comparable immune response between the two age groups.

A decision from the European regulatory authority is anticipated in the second half of 2024.

The vaccine, which includes the recombinant glycoprotein F stabilised in the prefusion conformation, is combined with AS01E adjuvant.

It has already received approval in Japan, the US, the UK and Canada for the same indication. Reviews for regulatory approval in additional countries are ongoing.

GSK is the first company to seek regulatory approval for an RSV vaccine in the 50-59 year demographic.

The expansion could provide significant protection for adults in this age range who are at an increased risk of severe RSV disease due to underlying health conditions.

The latest development comes after the company agreed to acquire asthma drug specialist Aiolos Bio in a $1.4bn deal to bolster its respiratory and inflammatory asset pipeline.

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GSK seeks to extend RSV vaccine use in adults aged 50-59 years - Pharmaceutical Technology

Two new studies describerates of invasive cervical cancer among women vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV, the causative pathogen) dropping to zero in Scotland with early vaccination but rising in women in low-income US counties.

Last week in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, a Public Health Scotlandled team published the results of an observational study using data from the Scottish cervical cancer screening system on women born from January 1988 to June 1996 and immunized against HPV at age 12 or 13 years.

Scotland rolled out its national HPV vaccine program in 2008, with routine immunization of girls aged 12 or 13 and an initial 2-year catchup for girls aged 14 to 18 years.

Of 447,845 records extracted, 239 documented invasive cervical cancer. No invasive cervical cancer cases were documented in women vaccinated against HPV at age 12 or 13, regardless of the number of bivalent vaccine doses.

Women vaccinated at age 14 to 22 with three doses had a significantly lower rate of cervical cancer than unvaccinated women (3.2 cases per 100,000 people; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.1 to 4.6) versus 8.4 per 100,000 (95% CI, 7.2 to 9.6), for an estimated vaccine effectiveness of 78% (95% CI, 66.2% to 86.4%).

In total, 124,069 participants aged 14 to 18 years were vaccinated, as were 3,601 of those older than 18. Twenty-nine cases of cervical cancer were found in the two groups combined.

"There is significant vaccine effectiveness for 3 doses at older ages, but this benefit is confined to those immunized between 14 and 18years of age (68.8, 95% CI=53.5 to 79.0)," the researchers wrote. "The estimates of vaccine effectiveness for those older than 18 years are imprecise because of the small number vaccinated in this group (76.0, 95% CI=71.0 to 96.6)."

Our findings confirm that the bivalent vaccine prevents the development of invasive cervical cancer and that even 1 or 2 doses 1 month apart confer benefit if given at 12-13 years of age.

Unadjusted cervical cancer rates were significantly higher in women from the most socioeconomically deprived areas than among those in the least deprived regions (10.1 cases per 100,000; 95% CI, 7.8 to 12.8) versus 3.9 per 100,000 (95% CI, 2.6 to 5.7). Women from the most deprived areas had a significantly lower incidence after receipt of three vaccine doses (13.1 per 100,000; 95% CI, 9.95 to 16.9, versus 2.29; 95% CI, 0.62 to 5.86).

"Our findings confirm that the bivalent vaccine prevents the development of invasive cervical cancer and that even 1 or 2 doses 1 month apart confer benefit if given at 12-13 years of age," the study authors wrote. "At older ages, 3 doses are required for statistically significant vaccine effectiveness."

"Continued participation in screening and monitoring of outcomes is required, however, to assess the effects of changes in vaccines used and dosage schedules since the start of vaccination in Scotland in 2008 and the longevity of protection the vaccines offer," they concluded. "This will, in turn, guide the development of screening schedules based on individual risk."

Late-stage cervical cancer diagnoses and deaths have been rising among US low-income White and Black women, respectively, suggests a study published late last week in the International Journal of Cancer.

The study, led by University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center researchers, analyzed surveillance, epidemiology, and results data to track hysterectomy-corrected cervical cancer rates from 2000 to 2019 and death rates from 2005 to 2019 by county-level income, race, and cancer stage at diagnosis. Annual earnings in the low-income counties ranged from $19,000 to $39,000.

Over the study period, 119,018 cervical cancer cases were reported, with hysterectomy-corrected rates of 14.1 per 100,000 people in low-income counties and 9.5 per 100,000 in high-income counties.After an initial decline, after 2006, cervical cancer rates rose 1.0% per year (95% CI, 0.1% to 4.5%) among White women in low-income counties, with a statistically significant 4.4% per-year (95% CI, 1.7% to 7.5%) climb in late-stage cancer.

Hysterectomy-corrected cervical cancer rates were 14.1 per 100,000 people in low-income counties and 9.5 per 100,000 in high-income counties.

Rates of cervical cancer death increased 1.1% per year (95% CI, 1.4% to 3.7%) in both White and Black women in low-income counties (2.9% per year; 95% CI,2.3% to 18.2%), but trends weren't statistically significant. Among low-income Hispanic women, late-stage cervical cancer rates rose 1.5% per year (95% CI,0.6% to 4.1%), but this trend wasn't statistically significant.

"The findings are quite concerning," lead author Trisha Amboree, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in behavioral science at MD Anderson, said in a center news release. "Despite decades of improvement due to the widespread implementation of cervical cancer prevention programs in the U.S., our study shows women may be facing disruptions along the screening and treatment continuum that are leading to more distant-stage cancers and, potentially, more deaths."

These disruptions may include uptake of HPV vaccination. "Cervical cancer is almost entirely preventable through vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), screening and early detection," co-senior author Jane Montealegre, PhD, associate professor of behavioral science at MD Anderson, said in the release. "This continued upward trend calls for scaled-up efforts to eliminate disparities in cervical cancer prevention."

More:

Cervical cancer plummets after HPV vaccination in Scotland, but rising disease rates in poor US counties - University of Minnesota Twin Cities

Nobody wants to contract theMarburgvirus.

It's one of the deadliest viruses we know of, with case fatality rates of around 88%. Its unlucky victims can expect to suffer symptoms similar to those caused by fellow filovirusEbola fever, joint pain, body weakness, stomach pain, diarrhoea. Bloody vomit and faeces, along with spontaneous bleeding from the nose, gums, vagina, and the holes left by hypodermic needles might follow. Death on day eight or nine of symptoms is typical.

The bad news: since the virus's advent in the late 1960s, there have been several grisly outbreaks on the African continent,withtwooccurring in 2023 alone. There isno proven treatment.

The good news: scientists are working on a vaccine.

One candidate vaccine, developed by the Sabin Vaccine Institute, iscurrently undergoing phase 2 trialsat the Makerere University Walter Reed Project (MUWRP) in Kampala, Uganda.VaccinesWorkcaught up with Dr Betty Mwesigwa, the principal investigator on that trial, to learn more.

Following on from encouraging phase 1 trials conducted in the United States, the ongoing trial a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind study has so far enrolled more than 20 of the targeted 63 healthy volunteers aged between 18 and 50 years of age, Mwesigwa says. (They have only so far recruited from the younger cohort.)Sixty-two otherswill be recruited at a second study site in Kenya the Kenya Medical Research Institute in Siaya.

But Dr Mwesigwa is quick to clarify that nobody is injecting anybody with Marburg: killed, modified, or otherwise.

"It's crucial to understand that this vaccine doesn't use a live or killed form of the actual germ. These vaccines for infectious diseases, especially those with no cure and which are fatal, are produced artificially in a laboratory," she explains. The vaccines contain mimics of the germ, and when the body encounters these mimics, it reacts as if facing the real threat, fostering immunity without the risk of contracting the actual infection.

The Marburg vaccine, like many, butnot all, others, operates preventively, Mwesigwa explains, meaning that it is administered before an individual contracts the infection. The aim is to sensitise the body to the germ, prompting the production of defensive elements metaphorically, immune 'soldiers' equipped to combat the infection.

Over time, this new army of 'soldiers' naturally diminishes, but the body retains a memory of the germ. In the event of future exposure, the body responds rapidly and effectively, ready to combat the familiar threat.

The current trial's job is to evaluate safety and the ability of the vaccine to stimulate immune responses, Mwesigwa says. The researchers are looking to assess the magnitude of the response and its duration understanding, in other words, how many 'soldiers' the body mobilises, their effectiveness, and how long they persist all of which is crucial information.

"When examining immune responses, we consider both their breadth and frequency. The breadth signifies the range of threats the immune system can combat whether it's one, two, or several," she adds.

Understanding whether a response is modest or robust, identifying its peak and duration, is "paramount in our pursuit of a successful outcome", says Mwesigwa.

If the predefined objectives are successfully met, Sabin who chose MUWRP as its partner for the phase 2 trial may opt to proceed to phase 3.

However, typically, phase 3 trials necessitate an outbreak setting with a sizable population at high risk, but not yet infected. Vaccination is administered, and subsequent infections are closely monitored to test efficacy. "So, if we got a Marburg outbreak after this trial we would be able to give it to people and test efficacy," says Mwesigwa speaking theoretically.

That's not unfeasible Uganda has seen four Marburg outbreaks, in 2017, 2014, 2012 and 2007.

But anticipating a fifth a necessarily frightening prospect is not the only option. While an outbreak setting is an ideal proving ground for a vaccine in for phase 3 trials, in its absence, extrapolating data from animal trials and phase 2 becomes crucial.

But getting to that point is still a big "if". While the team hopes for the best outcomes, they also acknowledge that finding vaccines for infectious diseases is not easy, and that the process to find an efficacious and safe one is a long and uncertain road.

At the MUWRP site, for instance, they have previously conducted a trial for a combination vaccine comprising the antigens for Ebola Zaire, Marburg, Ebola Sudan, Tai Forest and Ebola Bundibugyo viruses.

Although the combination vaccine demonstrated safety in trials, Mwesigwa says, the immune responses observed were not highly protective. The combination vaccine's efficacy against each virus individually was uncertain, necessitating separate evaluations for each disease. That combination vaccine has not made it to market but lessons were learned and will be used for future vaccines.

The current Marburg candidate, of course, is already partway down the road to proving itself. The phase I trials conducted in the US found it safe and capable of eliciting rapid and robust immune responses the promising rationale for this next evaluation.

And if it isn't the vaccine's first rodeo, it certainly isn't Mwesigwa's.

Currently serving as the Deputy Executive Director at MUWRP, Mwesigwa is a medical doctor by background, with an expertise in clinical research, a master's degree in clinical trials and 20 years of experience on the job. After participating in more than a dozen clinical trials, Mwesigwa says vaccines are a crucial curb on infectious diseases both those we know, and those yet to emerge.

"Even new infections will come because of population growth and continuous interference with the ecosystem. People need [a place] to live, and we are interfering a lot with animal space. The interaction is likely to bring infections we have never known and thought about. That's why surveillance is critical," she explains.

Developing vaccines quickly will be crucial. Often, she says, by the time an outbreak is diagnosed and identified, lives have already been lost. "But if we had vaccines, much like the systematic roll-out of childhood vaccines, it would be easy to have populations that are prepared against the diseases we know, and then maybe we wait to fight the ones we don't know yet," she says.

Being part of that mission of discovery clearly motivates Mwesigwa but not at the expense of concern for the well-being of trial volunteers.

"For me, the most beautiful part so far, [is] that the studies I have led or been part of we don't have major side-effects, which are like deaths of participants or [participants left] with disabilities. That is overwhelmingly pleasing."

More here:

Are we getting close to a Marburg vaccine? - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

Bangor health professionals will offer hepatitis A vaccines in the coming weeks to people who are homeless to avoid an outbreak of the highly contagious virus like what Portland saw in recent months.

Bangor public health staff will offer the hepatitis vaccines, supplied by Penobscot Community Health Care, to people who are homeless in locations where people gather to stay warm and access resources, according to Patty Hamilton, Bangors public health director.

The hepatitis vaccines will be available in the next several weeks at Bangor-area shelters, warming centers, the Bangor public library and the Salvation Army.

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious, but vaccine-preventable, liver infection that causes fatigue, nausea, stomach pain and jaundice for up to two months, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Its spread when someone ingests the virus through close contact with an infected person or by eating contaminated food or drink.

Though Bangor hasnt seen any concerning cases of hepatitis A recently, Hamilton wants to prevent an outbreak like what Portland saw among several people living in homeless encampments in Portland late last year.

Hepatitis A is very contagious, can spread quickly through groups quickly and people can spread it before they know they have it, Hamilton said. It will save us a lot of heartbreak if we can prevent an outbreak before one happens. This is a proactive approach rather than reactive.

To date, the Maine CDC is aware of 21 cases of hepatitis A in Portland among homeless people and others associated with the community, according to Lindsay Hammes, a Maine CDC spokesperson.

The Maine CDC also reported three food service workers from different restaurants were diagnosed with hepatitis A in October and November 2023.

In October, an employee from Green Elephant Bistro in Portland and one from Marcos Italian Restaurant in Lewiston were diagnosed, then one employee from The Dockside Grill in Falmouth was diagnosed the following month, according to the Maine CDC.

Its easiest for health officials to offer and administer vaccines in the winter, as people who are homeless are more likely to congregate in certain locations, but people arent always willing to get a vaccine when offered, Hamilton said.

Some people really want the vaccine and will step right up the first time its offered, Hamilton said. Others are more suspicious, so the way to address that is to keep offering it. You just have to be persistent and available.

Hamilton isnt sure when public health employees will begin offering the vaccines, but hopes theyll be available in February and March.

Though the vaccine requires two shots, six months apart, to be 100 percent effective, Hamilton said just one dose has an efficacy rate of more than 90 percent. This means even if someone gets only one shot, theyll be well protected from the virus.

The citys health department has offered other vaccines in this way previously, but it has been several years since a hepatitis A vaccine was administered.

Most people who contract hepatitis A recover completely without lasting liver damage, the Maine CDC states. However, hepatitis A can cause liver failure and be deadly in rare cases, usually for older people or people with serious health issues, such as liver disease.

Maine saw just fewer than 300 hepatitis A cases between April 1, 2019, to May 19, 2023, according to the most recent data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 130 people were hospitalized, but no one died from the virus.

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Bangor will offer hepatitis vaccine to homeless community - Bangor Daily News

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Vaccine exemptions surge in Wyoming | Industry News | wyomingnews.com - Wyoming Tribune

The story so far: On January 22, Cameroon in Africa became the first country in the world to launch the RTS, S malaria vaccine for children into its routine national immunisation services. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the rollout follows a malaria vaccine pilot programme in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi, as efforts gather pace to scale up vaccination against the disease in high risk areas. Twenty countries aim to roll out the programme this year, according to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and other outfits which aim to provide equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the worlds poorest countries.

Malaria is one of the biggest killers of children under five across the world and according to WHO data, more than 30 countries have areas with moderate to high malaria transmission. Malaria is a life-threatening disease caused by parasites that are transmitted to people through the bite of the infected female Anopheles mosquito. It is preventable and curable.

In 2022, nearly half of the worlds population was at risk of malaria. According to the WHOs World Malaria Report 2023, while Africa bears the highest malaria burden, accounting for 94% of cases and 95% of global malaria deaths in 2022, India in 2022, accounted for a staggering 66% of malaria cases in the WHO South-East Asia Region. India and Indonesia accounted for about 94% of all malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Despite a 55% reduction in cases since 2015, India remains a significant contributor to the global malaria burden. The Health Ministry said that over the past 15 years, India has made progress in reducing its malaria burden. It has a vision for a malaria-free country by 2027 and elimination by 2030.

The current rollout is part of a UNICEF initiative where the contract for the first-ever supply of a malaria vaccine was given to British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company GSK with a value of up to $170 million, according to an official release by the organisation. This, it said, would lead to 18 million doses of the vaccine RTS,S/AS01 being available over the next three years. UNICEF adds that the RTS,S malaria vaccine is the result of 35 years of research and development and is the first-ever vaccine against a parasitic disease. The vaccine acts against Plasmodium falciparum, the most deadly malaria parasite globally. Meanwhile, the anticipated rollout of a second jab R21 developed by Oxford University, is expected to significantly increase the number of doses available for use. This is to be manufactured by the Serum Institute of India, which aims to make 100 million doses per year, so long as it passes the regulatory approvals following its recommendation for use by the WHO last year.

The vaccine, as per WHO, should be provided in a schedule of four doses in children from around five months of age. It further adds that a 5th dose, given one year after dose 4, may be considered in areas where there is a significant malaria risk remaining in children a year after receiving dose 4.

While India will have to wait for the vaccination to be introduced here with no date set as of now, the vaccine is currently for areas with highly seasonal malaria or areas with perennial malaria transmission with seasonal peaks; countries may consider providing the vaccine using an age-based administration, seasonal administration, or a hybrid of these approaches. WHO adds that countries should prioritise vaccination in areas of moderate and high transmission. Decisions on expanding to low transmission settings should be considered at a country level, based on the overall malaria control strategy, affordability, and programme considerations. Given this spread and the need for a vaccine, Dr. Kate OBrien, WHO Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, had noted that with the initial limited supply of the current vaccine it is crucial that children living in areas where the risk of disease and need is highest are prioritised first. Efficacy of RTS,S/AS01 vaccine is modest, yet still provides significant public health benefits. The current vaccine works well with the malaria control interventions recommended by WHO including insecticide-treated bed nets, indoor residual spraying of insecticides, rapid diagnosis and treatment etc.

Experts say climate change emerges as a major driver, affecting malaria transmission and overall burden. Changing climate conditions enhance the sensitivity of the malaria pathogen and vector, facilitating its spread. WHO emphasises the substantial risk climate change poses to malaria progress, necessitating sustainable and resilient responses.

The science spells it out as the climate changes, vulnerable corners of South East Asia face a growing threat of malaria. Rising temperatures let mosquitoes spread to new turf, while warmer, more humid conditions help the parasite prosper inside the bug. Regions like eastern India, the hill tracts of Bangladesh, parts of Myanmar, and Indonesian Papua already grapple with malaria. With increased travel around the globe, infections could easily spill over into new areas, said Dr. Kaushik Sarkar, director, Institute for Health Modelling and Climate Solutions. He added that to get ahead of this, India needs to double down on ways to battle the bite, from better tracking of illnesses to making prevention and treatment more available where its needed most.

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Can malaria vaccine rollout be scaled up? | Explained - The Hindu

There have been 23 confirmed cases of measles since December 2023.

January 27, 2024, 5:02 PM ET

3 min read

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is warning clinicians to remain on alert for measles cases due to a growing number of infections.

Between Dec. 1, 2023, and Jan. 23, 2024, there have been 23 confirmed cases of measles including seven cases from international travelers and two outbreaks with five or more infections each, according to an email sent this week.

Cases have been reported in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware and the Washington, D.C. area so far.

Most of these cases were among children and adolescents who had not been vaccinated against measles, despite being eligible.

According to the CDC, most measles cases in the U.S. occur when unvaccinated or partially vaccinated Americans travel internationally, contract the disease and then spread it to those who are unvaccinated upon their return.

The federal health agency said the increase in cases in the U.S. reflects a global rise in infections and that there is a "growing global threat."

"Due to the recent cases, healthcare providers should be on alert for patients who have: (1) febrile rash illness and symptoms consistent with measles (e.g., cough, coryza, or conjunctivitis), and (2) have recently traveled abroad, especially to countries with ongoing measlesoutbreaks," the CDC wrote in its message.

If health care workers suspect a patient has measles, the CDC says the patient should be isolated immediately for at least four days from when symptoms appear and local or state health departments should be notified. The patient should then be tested, post-exposure prophylaxis should be provided to close contacts and all contacts who are not up to date on their measles vaccinations should be vaccinated.

Measles is a very contagious disease with the CDC saying every individual infected by the viruscan spread it to up to 10 close contacts if they are unprotected including not wearing a mask or not being vaccinated.

Complications from measlescan be relatively benign, including rashes, or they can be much more severe, such as viral sepsis, pneumonia, or brain swelling.

The CDCsaysanybody who either had measles at some point in their life or who has received two doses of the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine is protected against measles.

One dose of the measles vaccine is 93% effective at preventing infection if exposed to the virus. Two doses are 97% effective.

In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the U.S., thanks to a highly effective vaccination campaign, but outbreaks have popped over the last few years in unvaccinated pockets of the country.

Between November 2022 and February 2023,85 children were sickenedwith measles in Ohio, 80 of whom were unvaccinated.

In California, an unidentified person with measles who visited Disneyland caused an outbreak,infecting 125 peoplebetween December 2014 and February 2015.

See the original post here:

CDC warns health care workers to be on alert for measles amid rising number of cases - ABC News

The response has been almost like clockwork, at nearly every medical visit in the past few weeks. Its time for the flu shot, Ill say to my patients, plus the updated Covid vaccine. And thats when the groans start.

In the past, the flu shot elicited the most resistance. The patients at my New York City practice would take their other vaccinations without a second thought but balk at the flu shot because their sister is allergic to eggs or because theyre sure that the flu shot always gives them the flu or because they just dont do flu shots. Now, though, a majority of my patients respond along the lines of, Fine to do the flu shot sheepishly pause, then say but not the Covid.

When I ask my patients if they have any concerns or questions about the Covid vaccine, hardly any do. Practically no one asks me about safety data or how effective it is at preventing viral transmission, hospitalization and death. Almost no one asks me about current case counts or masking or Paxlovid. Theres just a vague hedge or an abashed, I dont know, I just dont. As I try to suss out whats on my patients minds, I can feel their slight sense of surprise that there is no specific issue causing their discomfort about getting the updated Covid vaccine. Its as though they have a communal case of the heebie-jeebies.

Health professionals everywhere are hearing this kind of hesitance among patients as Covid cases and hospitalizations have continued to rise during the winter. As of early January, the average number of Americans dying weekly from Covid was over 1,700. And yet the Jan. 19 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report indicated that only 21.8 percent of adults 18 and older have received the latest Covid vaccine less than half of the percentage of those who have gotten the flu vaccine.

Improving this situation isnt easy, and it will require health care providers wading into awkward conversations that are less about facts and more about emotions. But if we dont, we will be tolerating a level of preventable death that wed find unacceptable in any other realm of health care.

It is possible to acknowledge pandemic fatigue without throwing in the towel. Our communitys long-term health and lives depend on it.

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Opinion | Covid Vaccine Hesitancy Took Off This Winter. Can We Fix It? - The New York Times

German researchers have developed a novel immunization technique that simplifies and accelerates the development of vaccines. This method, involving the fusion of antigen proteins to a membrane-bound protein, has shown promising results in targeting diseases like COVID-19 and offers potential in the fight against HIV-1.

A team of researchers in Germany has created an innovative system for presenting epitopes in mammalian cells, aimed at immunization research. This method is anticipated to significantly aid scientists in their immunization endeavors. Their research was recently published in the journal Biology Methods and Protocols.

Promoting blood cells to produce antibodies against a specific viral protein is an important step in developing vaccines for human use. This can be challenging for researchers because whether the subjects develop antibodies depends on how scientists design and administer antigens, which are parts of the virus theyre administering to test the effectiveness of the vaccine.

One very important aspect of virus research is how to express and purify the antigen for vaccination. Animals immunized with prepared antigens produce specific antibodies against the antigen. But scientists have to isolate the antigen to ensure that they develop the vaccine to target the specific disease they wish to combat. Once researchers purify the antigen, they can develop vaccines that lead subjects to produce the desired antibodies. But this isolation is especially time-consuming when attempting to develop lab-produced antigens as a virus often mutates rapidly. It can take several weeks for scientists to develop the right antigens.

Here scientists developed a new method to induce target-specific immune responses. By fusing antigen proteins into a tetraspanin-derived anchor membrane-bound protein, the researchers created fusion proteins that are displayed predominantly on the surface of human cells. The exposition of proteins on the surface by a carrier protein induces the production of antibodies directed against the appropriate, relevant, antigens. Of additional advantage is that these antigens have the same conformation and modifications as the corresponding proteins in the virus because they are made by cells similar to that in the human body, which the virus infects naturally.

This new display technology could be a potentially much more reliable immunization technique. In the study here the researchers were able to induce antibodies against different proteins with a focus on the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The developed anchor protein allows scientists to target a specific disease for immunization purposes without the need to purify the antigen. The researchers are convinced that this technique can speed up the immunization process enormously.

This work that is based on the receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 and is only the beginning of a very interesting immunization technique, said Daniel Ivanusic, one of the papers authors. The most challenging, significant, and exciting application for us employing the tANCHOR technology is to induce neutralizing antibodies against HIV-1. I think this will be great!

Reference: tANCHOR fast and cost-effective cell-based immunization approach with focus on the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 by Hubert Bernauer, Anja Schlr, Josef Maier, Norbert Bannert, Katja Hanack and Daniel Ivanusic, 12 December 2023, Biology Methods and Protocols. DOI: 10.1093/biomethods/bpad030

The study was funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action of Germany.

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Scientists Discover New, Better Way To Develop Vaccines - SciTechDaily

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