Scientists decipher the code in a new vaccine for bacteria of the mortal plague

Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is “100% effective” against a bacterium that is mortal for humans.

The announcement came from the University of Tel Aviv, which was associated with the Biological Research Institute of Israel to create the RNM -based vaccine, which is the first to protect against bacteria.

“In the study, we show that our HRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe pulmonary infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease,” said study professor Dan Peer, director of the Precision Nanomedicine Laboratory at the University of Tel Aviv, said News Digital.

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“Yersinia Pestis, the causal agent of the plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which there is no approved vaccine.”

This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, which has been classified as a “select level 1 agent” by CDC and is considered a “potential bioterror weapon”, according to Peer.

“Several natural local shoots have been recorded in recent years, indicating that Y. Pestis still represents a risk to the human population,” he said.

The researchers tested the new HRNM vaccine in animals infected with the bacteria, according to a university press release.

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“In a week, all unbidden animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well,” said the team, noting that a single dose provided complete protection after two weeks.

The findings were published in the journal Science Advances.

“Our HRNM vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague, which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease.”

Before this study, RNM vaccines were only demonstrated that they protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Dr. Edo Kon of the University of Tel Aviv, who was co-led by the study.

“Until now, scientists believed that RNM vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable,” Kon said in the announcement. “In our study, we show that, in fact, it is possible to develop HRNM vaccines which are 100% effective against mortal bacteria.”

While virus vaccines cause human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method has not been effective for bacteria.

Instead, scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a “significant immune response.”

“To improve the stability of the bacterial protein and make sure that it does not disintegrate too fast inside the body, we take refuge with a human protein section,” they wrote. “When combining the two progress strategies, we obtained a complete immune response.”

Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a biotechnology company in San Francisco, reiterated the importance of the study.

“This is different from the research in Coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which until now have been promoting Anm vaccine applications,” said Glanville, who was not part of the research team, News Digital.

The study shows how RNM technologies can be applied rapidly to “novel threat areas,” he confirmed.

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“After the back of the mandates and the rare side effects but certainly problematic related to the initial vaccines of COVID-19, the MRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to ensure that the next generation of vaccines that emerges from it has learned the lessons of the initial and improved vaccines,” Glanville told News Digital.

“This research demonstrates another great application area for technology.”

Potential limitations

The main limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the effectiveness of the vaccine was shown in mice.

“As with any preclinical study, it must be evaluated in a clinical study to evaluate its effectiveness in humans,” he told News Digital.

In addition, the experimental HRNM vaccine is based on the “Arnm Vaccines platform of lipid nanoparticles (LNP)” which was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, said the torque, which requires “cold chain logistics” (a supply chain that uses cooling).

“However, extensive studies are carried out in our laboratory, focusing on the optimization of the stability of the lipid formulation that will allow ambient temperature storage,” the researcher added.

Looking to the future

The objective is that this new technology accelerates vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic bacteria (causing disease) and antibiotics resistant.

“If we face some kind of bacterial pandemic tomorrow, our study will provide a way to quickly develop safe and effective RNM vaccines.”

“Due to the excessive use of antibiotics in recent decades, many bacteria have developed antibiotic resistance, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs,” Peer said.

“Consequently, antibiotic resistant bacteria already represent a real threat to human health throughout the world. Developing a new type of vaccine can provide an answer to this global problem.”

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As Peer pointed out, the rapid development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of RNM research for similar viruses.

“If we face some kind of bacterial pandemic tomorrow, our study will provide a way to quickly develop safe and effective RNM vaccines.”

As this was a preclinical study of proof of concept, Peer said that several main milestones must still be met before this vaccine could be considered for commercial deployment.

However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be expanded and prepared in a “relatively short time.”

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Peer concluded: “Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to develop HRNM vaccines against other antibiotic resistant bacteria, offering a new powerful strategy to combat antimicrobial resistance in increase and improve global pandemic preparation.”

The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Biological Research Institute and the Shmunis Family Foundation.