Scientists at UC Riverside have developed a new RNA-based vaccine strategy that is effective against all virus strains and can be safely administered to babies or those with weakened immune systems. Every year, scientists attempt to predict the four most common influenza strains for the upcoming flu season. And each year, individuals eagerly get their updated vaccines, hoping for the best.The shot was developed accurately.
This also applies to COVID vaccines, which have been adjusted to focus on sub-variants of the most common strains in the U.S.
This new approach could eliminate the necessity for creating multiple shots, as it targets a part of the viral genome that is consistent across all virus strains. The vaccine, its mechanism, and its effectiveness in mice are detailed in a paper published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
“What I want to emphasize about this vaccine strategy is its broad scope,” stated UCR virologist.and paper author Rong Hai stated that the new vaccine is applicable to a wide range of viruses, effective against any virus variant, and safe for a broad spectrum of people. This could potentially be the universal vaccine that researchers have been searching for.”
In the past, vaccines have typically contained either a dead or modified live version of a virus. When introduced to the body, the immune system identifies a specific protein in the virus and initiates an immune response. This response generates T-cells that combat the virus and prevent its spread. It also produces “memory” B-cells that educate the immune system to defend against future infections.
The new vaccine also utilizes a live, modified virus.The new version of the virus does not require the vaccinated body to have the usual immune response or active immune proteins. This makes it suitable for use in babies with underdeveloped immune systems, as well as in people with diseases that tax their immune systems. Instead of relying on traditional immune responses, it uses small silencing RNA molecules.
“When a person or animal is infected, their body produces small interfering RNAs as a response to the viral infection. These RNAi molecules then work to knock down the virus,” explained Shouwei Ding, a distinguished professor of microbiology at UCR and the lead author of the paper. < rnrn
Viruses cause disease by producing proteins that block the host’s RNAi response. Dr. Ding explained that by creating a mutant virus that cannot produce the protein to suppress RNAi, the virus can be weakened. This allows it to replicate to some extent, but ultimately loses the battle to the host’s RNAi response. A weakened virus of this kind can be used as a vaccine to strengthen the RNAi immune system.
In their experiments, the researchers applied this strategy to a mouse virus called Nodamura, using mutant mice lacking T and B cells. They found that a single vaccine injection was enough to protect the mice from a lethal dose of the unmodified virus.
The virus can remain in a mouse for at least 90 days. It is important to note that some studies have shown that nine mouse days are approximately equal to one human year.
There are limited vaccines that can be used in infants under the age of six months. However, even newborn mice produce small RNAi molecules, which is why the vaccine was effective in protecting them. UC Riverside has been granted a US patent for this RNAi vaccine technology.
In 2013, the same research team published a paper demonstrating that flu infections also trigger the production of RNAi molecules in us. “That’s why our next step is to utilize this same idea to create a flu vaccine, so that infants can be protected. If we succeed, theThe researchers believe that in the future, people will no longer rely on their mothers’ antibodies, as stated by Ding. They also anticipate that the flu vaccine will be administered in the form of a spray, taking into account the aversion that many people have towards needles. Hai suggested that a spray might be a more practical delivery system, considering that respiratory infections spread through the nose. Moreover, the researchers are confident that there is little chance of a virus mutating to avoid this vaccination strategy. According to Hai, targeting the whole genome with thousands of small RNAs makes it impossible for the viruses to escape this approach. Ultimately, the researchers are optimistic about their ability to develop a more effective and efficient vaccination method.You can use this technique to create a one-time vaccine for a variety of viruses.
“There are a number of well-known human pathogens, such as dengue, SARS, and COVID. They all have similar viral functions,” Ding explained. “This method should be applicable to these viruses and allow for easy transfer of knowledge.
