New ways to support fast-track vaccines for preclinical trials

Australian scientists have developed new methods for the rapid synthesis of safe vaccines. This is an approach that can be used to test vaccine strategies against new pandemic pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19.

According to a study published in the Bulletin of the National Academy of Sciences, the team demonstrated the application of a new vaccine-based method for use against tuberculosis (TB), which caused a strong protective immune response in mice.

Researchers are keen to further develop their vaccine strategies, especially to support rapid preclinical trials of new vaccines for respiratory illness.

“The challenge is to get immune cells to see both proteins and adjuvants at the same time,” said Anelise Ashhurst of the University of Sydney.

“To overcome this difficulty, we have developed for the first time a method for synthesizing adjuvant-attached proteins as a single molecule.”

Researchers said they could develop vaccine strategies and synthetic techniques to rapidly generate new vaccines for preclinical trials of a variety of diseases, including respiratory pathogens that cause Covid-19.

How does it work?

For vaccines to be effective, they need to stimulate the behavior of protective T cells that allow them to recognize pathogens as antigens or foreign bodies.

In the case of tuberculosis, our immune system needs to react quickly to the bacterium that causes tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, to reduce lung infections.

Using a method developed by Sydney scientists, inhaled vaccines provide low-dose immunostimulatory molecules, including synthetic bacterial proteins directly attached to adjuvants, to immune cells in the lungs.

The main hurdle that scientists have overcome has been the difficulty of fusing hydrophobic (water repellent) adjuvants with water-soluble protein antigens.

Professor Richard Payne of the University of Sydney said, “By using synthetic chemistry to develop a method for permanently binding proteins and adjuvants as a single molecule, we will combine hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules into a vaccine. I’ve avoided the problem. “

“Our approach overcomes the solubility problems faced by other methods.”

The team said synthesis of the entire bacterial protein with adjuvant has not been achieved so far.

Another major advantage of this method is that vaccines for various diseases can be developed quickly and safely in the laboratory.

“You don’t have to grow the actual pathogen in the lab to make a vaccine,” Ashhurst said.

“With this new method, high-purity vaccines can be synthesized quickly and safely in the lab and incorporated directly into animal models for preclinical trials.”

–IANS

gb / sdr /

(Only the headlines and photos in this report may have been reworked by Business Standard staff. The rest of the content is automatically generated from the syndicate feed.)

Dear reader,

Business Standards has always worked hard to provide you with up-to-date information and commentary on developments that interest you and have a wide range of political and economic impacts on your country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offerings only strengthened our determination and commitment to these ideals. Even during these difficult times resulting from Covid-19, we keep you up to date with credible news, authoritative views, and keen commentary on issues of relevant topics. I will continue to promise to keep it.
However, there is a request.

We need more support to continue to provide higher quality content as we fight the economic impact of the pandemic. Our subscription model has seen encouraging reactions from many who subscribe to our online content. Increasing your subscription to online content will only help you reach your goal of delivering better, more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and reliable journalism. Your support through more subscriptions will help us practice the journalism we are committed to.

Supporting high quality journalism, Subscribe to business standards..

Digital editor