A
vaccine for influenza that is administered via the nose and made up of
nanoparticles that boost immune response gives you a strong defense
against different viruses of influenza, as per researchers at the
Institute for Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State University.
The intranasal vaccine triggered multiple immune responses that led to strong cross protection for mice against the flu. The vaccine is comprised of nanoparticles made up of PEI-HA/CpG. PEI
(polyethyleneimine) is a durable and flexible delivery system, can
carry both antigens (hemagglutinin, and HA) that trigger an immune
response within the body and adjuvants (CpG) which enhance the body's
response to an antigen, thereby enhancing the immune response.
The
comprehensive immune response and cross-protection were for a long
time, showing protection from influenza for six months following
vaccination. The findings were presented in the Journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
Intranasal vaccination is the best method for treating respiratory infections like influenza. Seasonal
influenza vaccines usually trigger weak immune responses that swiftly
decrease, leaving people vulnerable to new influenza strains. Innovations in the field of influenza vaccines will be required to safeguard against the wide variety strains of flu virus. Intranasal
vaccination is a way to boost local mucosal immune response by
preventing influenza-related infections at the point of entry for
viruses.
In the influenza virus HA is an important protein which plays an important role in the initial stages of the virus's infection. Influenza is a protein that includes a head region as well as a stalk region. The
current influenza vaccines trigger immune responses to the HA head
region, however this head region can be highly variable and can result
in lower efficiency against various strains. In addition, the HA stalk is considered to be more stable for different strains of influenza viruses.
The
antigens of protein that are administered intravenously are typically
less likely to trigger an immune response, therefore adjuvants are
required to create extremely effective intranasal vaccines. Adjuvants,
like CpG are able to enhance and alter immune responses, which can
increase the effectiveness and range of protection.
"The
PEI-HA/CpG nanoparticles show good potential as a cross-protective
influenza vaccine candidate," said Dr. Baozhong Wang, corresponding
author of the study as well as a professor at the Institute for
Biomedical Sciences at Georgia State. "The
mixture with PEI as well as CpG in the nanoparticles PEI-HA/CpG
contributed to the multiple immune responses that resulted in a robust
cross-protection. The integration in the combination of CpG and antigens
within the same nanoparticle increased the immune response of cells.
"Our
results revealed that the nanoparticles significantly enhanced HA
immunogenicity, or the ability to provoke an immune response, providing
cross protection against different influenza virus strains. The
conserved HA stalk region induced substantial antibodies in the
nanoparticle immunization groups."
"Nanoparticle
platforms have shown intriguing characteristics and great potentials in
the development of next-generation cross-protective influenza
vaccines," stated the researcher Dr. Chunhong Dong, the primary
researcher of the study and postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for
Biomedical Sciences. "However,
challenges exist to the successful research and development of
nanoparticle vaccines. Though no apparent adverse effects were observed
in the study, a more comprehensive safety evaluation of the nanoparticle
adjuvant system is needed before clinical trials."
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