So far, mRNA vaccines, such as those targeting COVID-19, are effective against viruses but not against bacteria.
Now, for the first time in the world, researchers have developed an mRNA vaccine for a deadly bacterium, paving the way for effective vaccination against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
A world first: A team of researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biology has developed an mRNA-based vaccine that is 100% effective against a strain of bacteria that is deadly to humans. The study, conducted in an animal model, showed that all treated animals were completely protected from bacteria. According to the researchers, their new technology could enable the rapid development of effective vaccines against bacterial diseases, including those caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria, for example in case of new, rapidly spreading pandemics. increase.
The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from the Israel Institute, Dr. Ed Cong, Tel Aviv University, and Professor Dan Peer, Vice President of Research and Development and Director of the Institute for Precision Nanomedicine at the Shumunis Graduate School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research. took the lead. Biological studies: Dr. Yinon Levy, Dr. Uri Elia, Dr. Emanuelle Mamroud, and Dr. Ofer Cohen. The results of this study were published in Science Advances.
Omi Edo explains: The great advantage of these vaccines, in addition to their efficacy, is that they can be developed very quickly. Once the gene sequence of the virus SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19) was published, it took just 63 days to start the first clinical trials. trial. But until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically irreversible. Our research has demonstrated that it is indeed possible to develop 100% effective mRNA vaccines against lethal bacteria. ”
Researchers explain that viruses rely on external (host) cells for their replication. By inserting their own mRNA molecules into human cells, viruses use cells as factories to produce viral proteins based on their own genetic material. that is, a copy of itself. In mRNA vaccines, this same molecule is synthesized in the laboratory and wrapped in lipid nanoparticles that resemble the membranes of human cells. When a vaccine is injected into the body, lipids attach to cells, which in turn produce viral proteins. Familiarizing ourselves with these proteins, our immune system learns how to protect our bodies when exposed to the actual virus.
Kon adds: Bacteria, however, are a completely different story. Bacteria don’t need our cells to produce their own proteins.Also, since the evolution of humans and bacteria are quite different from each other, the proteins produced by bacteria, even though they are based on the same gene sequences, It may differ from the protein produced by human cells.
“Researchers have tried to synthesize bacterial proteins in human cells, but exposure to these proteins lowers the antibodies in the body, resulting in a general lack of protective immune efficacy.” Although the proteins produced in human cells are essentially identical to those synthesized in the laboratory, and based on the same “manufacturing instructions,” proteins produced in human cells are secreted from the cells. This is because it sometimes undergoes major changes, such as the addition of sugars.Human cells. To address this issue, we developed a method to secrete bacterial proteins while bypassing the classical secretion pathway, which is problematic for this application. The result was a striking immune response in which the immune system identified the proteins in the vaccine as immunogenic bacterial proteins. In order to increase the stability of the bacterial protein and prevent it from rapidly degrading in the body, we have enriched it with a portion of a human protein. I made it. ”
Professor Peer: “There are many pathogens for which there are no vaccines. In addition, the overuse of antibiotics over the past decades has led many bacteria to develop resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs.” As a result, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a serious threat to human health worldwide, and the development of new types of vaccines may provide an answer to this global problem. In our study, we tested a new mRNA vaccine in animals infected with a deadly bacterium.Within a week, all non-vaccinated animals died, whereas our vaccinated animals Plus, with one of our vaccination regimens, a single dose provided complete protection in just two weeks post-dose.One dose provides complete protection. What we can do is critical for protection against future outbreaks of rapidly spreading bacterial pandemics. It’s important to note: Should we face any kind of bacterial pandemic tomorrow, our research provides a pathway to the rapid development of safe and effective mRNA vaccines.”
Original: World’s first mRNA vaccine against deadly bacteria
Than: Tel Aviv University
