Connecticut: In a new study by YaleKa Akiko Iwasaki, The Waldemar von Zedwitz Professor Of immunobiology, it was found that intranasal vaccination confers broad-based protection against virulent respiratory viruses in mice.
The research has been published inScience Immunology Journal,
“The best immunity defense is at the gate, which protects against the virus trying to enter,” said study senior author Iwasaki.
Mucous membranes have their own immune defense system that combats air or foodborne pathogens. When challenged, these barrier tissues produce B cells which in turn secrete immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies. Unlike vaccines that elicit a system-wide immune response, IgA antibodies work locally on mucous surfaces found in the nose, stomach, and lungs.
While the protective role of IgA-producing cells in combating intestinal pathogens was well established, Iwasaki’s lab wondered whether triggering an IgA response could induce a local immune response against respiratory viruses.
working with researchers in Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai In New York, they tested a protein-based vaccine designed to trigger an IgA immune response, administered to mice via injection, as is usually done with systemic vaccination. , and also internally. They then exposed the mice to several strains of the influenza virus. They found that the mice that were vaccinated intranasally were better protected from respiratory influenza than those that received the injections. Nasal vaccines, but not shots, also induce antibodies that protect animals against a variety of flu strains, not just against the strain the vaccine was intended to protect against.
The Yale team is currently testing the nasal vaccine against COVID strains in animal models.
Iwasaki said, “While both the vaccine injection and the nasal vaccine increased antibody levels in the blood of the mice, only the nasal vaccine enabled IgA secretion into the lungs, where the respiratory virus is needed to infect the host.” ”
If the nasal vaccines prove to be safe and efficient in humans, Iwasaki envisions using them in conjunction with existing vaccines and boosters that work throughout the system to add reinforcement of the immune system at the source of infection. .
The other co-first author of the study is Ji Yunu Oh, Eric Song, And miyu moriyama, all from Yale.
The research has been published inScience Immunology Journal,
“The best immunity defense is at the gate, which protects against the virus trying to enter,” said study senior author Iwasaki.
Mucous membranes have their own immune defense system that combats air or foodborne pathogens. When challenged, these barrier tissues produce B cells which in turn secrete immunoglobin A (IgA) antibodies. Unlike vaccines that elicit a system-wide immune response, IgA antibodies work locally on mucous surfaces found in the nose, stomach, and lungs.
While the protective role of IgA-producing cells in combating intestinal pathogens was well established, Iwasaki’s lab wondered whether triggering an IgA response could induce a local immune response against respiratory viruses.
working with researchers in Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai In New York, they tested a protein-based vaccine designed to trigger an IgA immune response, administered to mice via injection, as is usually done with systemic vaccination. , and also internally. They then exposed the mice to several strains of the influenza virus. They found that the mice that were vaccinated intranasally were better protected from respiratory influenza than those that received the injections. Nasal vaccines, but not shots, also induce antibodies that protect animals against a variety of flu strains, not just against the strain the vaccine was intended to protect against.
The Yale team is currently testing the nasal vaccine against COVID strains in animal models.
Iwasaki said, “While both the vaccine injection and the nasal vaccine increased antibody levels in the blood of the mice, only the nasal vaccine enabled IgA secretion into the lungs, where the respiratory virus is needed to infect the host.” ”
If the nasal vaccines prove to be safe and efficient in humans, Iwasaki envisions using them in conjunction with existing vaccines and boosters that work throughout the system to add reinforcement of the immune system at the source of infection. .
The other co-first author of the study is Ji Yunu Oh, Eric Song, And miyu moriyama, all from Yale.
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