Masking for antigens
Scientists have altered red blood cells to activate the immune system against covid
Tatiana Matveeva, "Scientific Russia"
Physicists, chemists and immunologists from McMaster University (Canada) have modified red blood cells to carry viral agents that can safely trigger the immune system to protect the body from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, creating a new potential means of vaccine delivery, the press service of the university reports.
The new method described in the journal PLOS ONE (Himbert et al., Erythro-VLPs: Anchoring SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins in erythrocyte liposomes) is a completely unique approach to vaccination. Scientists removed all the "insides" of red blood cells and attached spike-like proteins to the cells from the outside to mimic the coronavirus. These devastated cells can be filled with a large dose of viral proteins – without the genetic material of the virus.
Once in the body, the modified cells activate the immune system and produce antibodies, as shown by a study on mice. At the same time, the new method of vaccine delivery causes few side effects compared to existing methods.
"Some of the developed vaccines have had side effects. This delivery platform opens up new opportunities for vaccines and therapeutic agents," the authors note.
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