Top Line
researchers on monday announced promise of The results for a tuberculosis vaccine, which can be freeze-dried and stored safely at high temperatures for months, mark a major breakthrough in the fight against one of humanity’s biggest killers and a vaccine in poorer parts of the world. A major step towards overcoming one of the major barriers to distribution. Of the World.
Scientists announce promising early results for a tuberculosis vaccine.
important facts
The temperature-stable vaccine was tested in 45 healthy adults, half of whom were given a different vaccine formula that is not stable at high temperatures and was developed by scientists at the Advanced Institute for Health (AAHI) in Seattle (formerly In Infectious Diseases Research Institute).
The freeze-dried formula, which was stable at temperatures of about 100F (37C) for three months, was mixed with water just before injection and the volunteers were monitored for six months after they were given two shots 56 days apart Went.
The new shot was safe, well-tolerated and successfully elicited measurable cellular and antibody responses, According for test results published in nature communication,
The researchers found that the temperature-stable vaccine generated higher antibody levels in the blood than the non-stable vaccine—a sign, but not proof, of safety—noting that this finding is not sufficient to determine which is most effective. Provides more protection against TB
Although more research is needed to test the vaccine, the researchers said the findings are “proof-of-concept” that a vaccine can be freeze-dried and administered without reducing protection or stimulating an immune response. The capacity can be made temperature-stable.
The shot may one day provide an alternative to BCG, the only vaccine licensed against tuberculosis, which is freeze-dried, temperature sensitive,”easily destroyed by sunlightAnd it must be reconstituted with a specific liquid that cannot be frozen, conditions that prove challenging to maintain in many, often poor, parts of the world.
big number
1.6 million people. So many died of TB in 2021, According To the World Health Organisation. TB has been the leading infectious killer for years after HIV/AIDS, although it has been overtaken by COVID-19 in recent years. The disease sickened an estimated 10.6 million people in 2021.
main background
Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection that most often attacks the lungs. It is spread from person to person through the air, such as when a person with TB coughs or sneezes. It has been documented in humans for thousands of years – though under various names including consumption, tuberculosis and the white plague – and is one of humanity's leading killers. It is treatable and preventable, although emerging antibiotic resistance may threaten it. Immunization and public health efforts in wealthier countries have meant that the disease now disproportionately affects poorer countries, and health organizations such as the WHO and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have made tackling TB a major priority. There is only one vaccine used to prevent TB—the Bacille Calmette-Guérin, or BCG, vaccine—and it has been in use for more than 100 years.
important quotes
Corey Casper, AAHI chief executive, said the challenges of keeping vaccines cold around the world have hindered efforts to distribute vaccines equitably. "The development is a major milestone toward our mission to bring vaccines to the people who need them most," Kasper said.
what we don't know
The study, supported by the National Institutes of Health, comes from a phase 1 clinical trial. Phase 1 trials are among the earliest clinical trials used to evaluate new vaccines and drugs; they typically involve only a small number of people and test only for safety, not for efficacy. No. More extensive trials will be carried out to test how effective the shot is in practice and see whether any other concerns emerge in the practice among a larger group of people. Such trials can take years and most of the drugs tested do not make it to market.
what to watch
The researchers said further studies are needed to ensure that the temperature-stable shot can be scaled up effectively and to make it a viable competitor to other shots on the market. The researchers estimate that the temperature-stable vaccine would cost about $0.15 more per dose than its unstable counterpart. However, the savings from its less stringent storage requirements and less wastage may offset the higher cost, and he said the technology that underpins its production is already used for many other vaccines already on the market. Is.
An old TB vaccine could help prevent diabetes, cancer, Alzheimer's, and more (scientific American)
Tuberculosis deaths rise again as COVID pandemic exposes years of progress (Forbes)
Credit: www.forbes.com /