Groundbreaking 20-strain mRNA flu vaccine appears to prevent future pandemics

Incredible new research published in the journal chemistry demonstrate the potential for a single mRNA vaccine to protect against all 20 known influenza A and B virus subtypes. So far, the vaccine, which has proven effective in preclinical animal models, could prevent future influenza pandemics by promoting immunity against strains of influenza that have not yet been transmitted from animals to humans. is expected.

Vaccines work by helping to teach the immune system to recognize specific parts of pathogens, so when the real thing is attacked, our bodies can quickly remember that training and fight back. Our annual flu vaccines typically focus on two to four antigens from the strains of influenza that are likely to be most prevalent at the time. Meanwhile, our recent COVID-19 vaccine focuses on a single iteration of the infamous SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

One of the hypothetical strengths of recently emerging mRNA vaccine technology is its ability to simultaneously present a wide variety of different antigens to the body. Although not possible, mRNA technology, at least in theory, does not face these limitations.

So far, with the introduction of the latest bivalent Omicron mRNA vaccine booster, researchers have incorporated two specific antigens into one shot. But what if a single vaccine could help teach the immune system how to recognize dozens of different repeats of the same virus?

This is exactly the idea that researchers at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine explored in a groundbreaking study.

An important antigenic target for influenza vaccines is a molecule called the hemagglutinin protein. It is located on the surface of the virus and is important for its infectivity. Each strain of influenza has a unique shape of the hemagglutinin protein. The mRNA vaccine tested in this new study covers 20 influenza hemagglutinins. All 18 known subtypes of influenza A and her two subtypes of influenza B.

A newly published study reports testing a multivalent vaccine in mice and ferrets. As Scott Hensley, senior author of the new study, explained, the big takeaway from these experiments is that the animals appeared to develop different antibodies against all 20 influenza strains. This indicates that a single mRNA vaccine can effectively provide broad protection against many different antigens.

“Our new vaccine does not simply induce antibodies that cross-react with all known influenza subtypes,” said Hensley. explained on twitter“Instead, we found that the vaccine elicited different antibody strains against all 20 different influenza HAs. [hemagglutinin antigens].”

The idea behind the new vaccine is not to prevent influenza infections, but to reduce the severity of illness associated with those infections. show that this may be possible, as the vaccine effectively prevented severe disease in mice exposed to both different strains of influenza.

Perhaps the most unconventional aspect of this vaccine is that it contains antigens from influenza strains that have not yet infected humans. Many of the 20 antigenic targets are types of influenza currently circulating only in animals. But the big goal here, Hensley said, is to stay ahead of the next pandemic by building some broad immunity in the human population.

“[In mice] The vaccine prevented severe illness and death from a virus different from the vaccine component,” Hensley said. said on Twitter“This is similar to the pandemic situation, and that is our goal: a baseline level of immunity that prevents severe illness and death from new pandemic strains, not necessarily preventing infection by new pandemic strains.” to the group.”

This new work mRNA vaccine technology to fight influenzaMany mRNA flu vaccines have been developed different stages of trialsMore recently, a team of researchers Proven preclinical efficacy of an mRNA vaccine that targets four specific influenza proteins and is thought to offer universal protection against most strains.

But what’s particularly unique and potentially controversial about this new 20-strain mRNA vaccine is that it targets many strains of influenza that are currently not a problem in humans. The big hypothesis is that delivering such a vaccine, especially to very young children, could help prepare them for a lifetime of immune memory against all influenza subtypes.

“The idea here is to create a vaccine that gives people a baseline level of immune memory against different strains of influenza, so that when the next flu pandemic hits, they will get much less sick and die. “We believe this vaccine can significantly reduce the chances of getting a severe flu infection.”

Adolfo Garcia Sastre of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York called the new research “interesting” and “promising.” García-Sastre is cautious and suggests waiting for human clinical trial data before concluding that this is an important breakthrough, but if the strategy works, it could be a potential future influenza pandemic. He says it will definitely help him stay ahead of the curve.

“[The study] García-Sastre said: “In this case, these are influenza virus antigens that encompass all possible influenza viruses: subtypes and variants, including those with pandemic potential.”

is a bold strategy to achieve The promise of mRNA technology Transform how vaccines are used. But even if it worked, many questions remain that we all must grapple with. Should regulators, or the public, be interested in vaccines that target future pandemics rather than immediate threats? do you have?

Nonetheless, further preclinical studies are underway and a phase 1 human trial is planned.

A new study was published in a journal chemistry.

sauce: pen medicine