Inhaled vaccines are intended to fight the coronavirus at the time of the attack.news

The COVID-19 vaccine closest to the finish line is designed to be injected into the arm. Researchers are investigating whether better protection can be obtained from vaccinations that fight the virus with the nose and mouth, which are the points of attack.

Most vaccines tested by humans require two doses for efficacy, and developers are not even sure if they can prevent the infection. Scientists want an inhaled vaccine that directly targets the airway cells that the virus invades to produce a good immune response.

Alternatives to traditional jabs, sprays and inhalation vaccinations under development in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong could play an important role in helping society escape the restrictions that have disrupted its economy and daily life. There is. One of their goals is to prevent pathogens from growing in the nose. The nose can spread from there to other parts of the body and to other people.

“Local immunity is important,” said Ultimate Inc., an immunologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and biotechnology. Francis Lund, who works with and provides early-stage nasal vaccinations, said. “Vaccines that can be delivered to produce have several advantages over vaccines that are delivered systemically.”

Most early vaccine developers focused on the familiar route_injection_, which is considered the fastest way to protect the world from disease. Inhaled vaccine manufacturers rely on some of the unique features of the lungs, nose and throat that are lined with mucous membranes. This tissue contains high levels of an immune protein called IgA, which enhances protection against respiratory viruses.

They theorize that by activating these immune weapons, SARS-CoV-2 can protect the deeper areas of the lungs that are most damaging. It may also increase the chances that the vaccine will stop the infection.

“First-generation vaccines will probably protect a lot of people,” said Michael Diamond, an infectious disease specialist at Washington University in St. Louis. “But the ultimate need is 2nd and 3rd generation vaccines, and I think intranasal vaccines will probably be an important factor in this. Otherwise, they will continue to infect the community. . “

In a mouse study in August, Diamond and his team found that nasal administration of the vaccine produced a strong systemic immune response. This approach was particularly effective in the nose and respiratory tract and prevented the infection from becoming established. Bharat Biotech, India and Precision Virologics, based in St. Louis, acquired rights to single-dose technology last month.

Vaccines that are sprayed or inhaled into the nose may retain other practical benefits. They do not require needles and may not need to be stored and shipped at low temperatures, reducing the need for healthcare professionals to manage them.

According to Alabama-based researcher Lund, “When you’re thinking of delivering it around the world, people don’t like injections if they don’t need to get an injectable vaccine, which improves compliance. I will do it. ” .. “But secondly, the level of expertise required to administer the vaccine varies significantly.”

Based in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Ultimate will enter human testing with a nasal vaccine in the fourth quarter after a positive study in mice. Oxford University scientists and Imperial College London, whose promising shots under development at AstraZeneca Plc were designed, are also planning to study a slightly different inhaled vaccine.

Experimental vaccination in the UK, like some asthma treatments, is done through an aerosol mouthpiece. Imperial researchers have pointed out evidence that vaccination against the flu via nasal drops can protect people from illness and reduce infections. They are keen to explore whether it also applies to SARS-CoV-2. AstraZeneca manufactures the FluMist nasal spray vaccine.

According to Robin Chatock, an infectious disease specialist at Imperial College, data from an inhaled Oxford vaccine study will come early in the new year and imperial results may follow in the second quarter.

“I don’t know if it will work, but if it works, it can be very important,” he said in an interview.

Imperial College has been researching the COVID-19 vaccine using the RNA technology provided by traditional shots in recent months and plans to expand the trial to 20,000 by the end of the year. Oxford, one of the forefronts of the global quest for vaccination, is in the final stages of testing shots that use harmless viruses to carry the genetic material of the pathogen into cells and generate an immune response. Both technologies can lead to inhalation, according to Chatok.

“Because this is a virus that is transmitted through the respiratory tract, if you really need a vaccine that really prevents infection and subsequent transmission, you want to have an antibody response in your nose and lungs,” said Chatok. “The most efficient way to induce it is to inoculate through that route.”

Researchers in Hong Kong are aiming for an intranasal vaccine that provides simultaneous protection against influenza and COVID-19. Yuen Quok-young, chairman of the University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Microbiology, said the first phase of human testing will begin next month.

He said the ambition is to come up with a “vaccine of choice” as the world is trying to build on the first wave of products.

Questions about the durability of nasal vaccines have not yet been resolved and are in the early stages. Despite the benefits, delivery devices are also more complex, according to Nick Jackson, Head of Programs and Technology at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations.

“Needles and syringes work very well,” he said.

Still, researchers have said that targeting the airways may be rewarding in the future. Oslo-based CEPI is funding the Hong Kong project to invest more in vaccines that take an unconventional approach as part of an effort to deliver billions of doses to every corner of the world. It’s accepted, Jackson said.

“I take off my hat, whether it’s our vaccine or another vaccine that goes through the nasal pathway, which has actually succeeded in blocking infections and pandemics,” Diamond said. “We’ve done our job by helping these companies by persuading or inducing them to think about alternative routes that could be a successful platform.”