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- The nose will not catch up: the first Russian vaccine against all colds is undergoing preclinical trials
The nose will not catch up: the first Russian vaccine against all colds is undergoing preclinical trials
Russian scientists are conducting preclinical studies of a new vaccine that should form immunity against six respiratory viruses at once. The drug is administered through the nose and contains antigens of three variants of the influenza virus, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus. The development is aimed at the formation of T-cell immunity, which can provide broader protection than antibodies. Due to this, the vaccine will potentially be able to protect against several closely related virus strains. According to experts, in the future, such a multivaccine can replace flu shots in the vaccination calendar. However, final conclusions can be drawn only after the tests are completed.
One vaccine against six infections
Specialists from the Institute of Experimental Medicine are conducting preclinical trials of a new drug that should form immune protection against a wide range of respiratory pathogens at once. The scientists used a live influenza vaccine against three types of influenza virus — H1N1, H3N2 and B. The researchers added one more pathogen to each of them: respiratory syncytial virus, metapneumovirus and SARS-CoV-2.
At the same time, the new development is aimed not so much at the production of antibodies, which often have a narrow specificity, as at the formation of T-cell immunity. It lasts longer and is characterized by higher cross-activity.: it is able to protect not only from a specific virus, but also from variants close to it.
— Our vaccine includes three types of influenza and three types of other respiratory infections. With its help, by injecting it into the nose, you can protect yourself from six different pathogens. And we embed in it immunogenic fragments that are conserved inside these viruses, so protection is formed against different strains of the pathogen. In general, immune T cells are always more cross-reactive than antibodies," Irina Isakova-Sivak, Deputy Director for Scientific Work at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, told Izvestia.
Now scientists have a prototype of the drug, which they are testing on laboratory animals. According to the developers, it will take about five years to complete the work and conduct a full cycle of preclinical and clinical trials. However, if there is an urgent need for a new vaccine, this period may be shortened.
According to the developers, the technology they have created is platform-based: the antigenic composition of the drug can be changed depending on current threats. The trivalent influenza vaccine, based on the new development, has been used for many years in the Russian Federation and other countries and has proven its safety and effectiveness.
As experts explained, most domestic vaccines are aimed at the formation of antibodies, therefore, regulatory requirements have been developed specifically for such drugs. T-cell vaccines represent a new field for which appropriate standards have yet to be formulated.
Place in the vaccination calendar
According to Alexander Gintsburg, the scientific director of the Gamaleya Center, the development of multivaccines is a promising area. Currently, the national vaccination calendar provides for flu vaccination. According to the scientist, it makes sense to replace it or supplement it with drugs that provide protection against several infectious agents at once.
— However, every year it is difficult and time—consuming to update the live vaccine, which is the basis of a new drug, for the current version of the virus. And there is no guarantee that its virulence will be sufficiently reduced. Cross-reactive protection is hundreds or more times less than the immune response from the expression of genetic material. Since the target group of people being vaccinated against SARS is people over the age of 60, it can be much harder to get the right immune response from them," he noted.
The creation of multivaccines is the right approach to the formation of immune protection, since in real conditions a person is always in contact with not one, but several infections, immunologist Mikhail Bolkov explained to Izvestia.
— Along with influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and metapneumovirus can cause severe infections, especially in young children and the elderly. If you can form a good immune system against several types of viruses at once, it will be very useful. However, in order to understand how well the new drug can replace the current flu vaccine, it is necessary to conduct research," Mikhail Bolkov said.
He added that clinical trials should show how the immune system reacts to simultaneous vaccination against multiple pathogens. At the same time, multivaccines are already actively used and demonstrate their safety and effectiveness.
According to Rospotrebnadzor, our country is currently experiencing a seasonal increase in the incidence of respiratory infections, which is typical for this time of year. A total of about 500-600 thousand cases of acute respiratory viral infections, influenza and COVID-19 are registered every week.
According to virological monitoring information, respiratory viruses of non-influenza etiology still prevail in the circulation. However, over the past three weeks, the proportion of detected influenza viruses has almost tripled, which is typical for this period. Among the circulating influenza strains, A(H1N1) dominates. The detected viruses fully correspond to the vaccine strains of the current season.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
