Nanovaccine against influenza

The nanoparticle-based flu vaccine has shown high efficacy

Irina Nevinnaya, Rossiyskaya Gazeta

An experimental influenza vaccine, in which proteins that mimic the influenza virus and cause an immune response are delivered to the body using tiny nanospheres, has every chance to increase the effectiveness of annual vaccination against seasonal influenza. This was shown by preclinical studies, according to the press release of Flu fighter: Nanoparticle-based vaccine effective in preclinical trials.

The results of the study are published in the May issue of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (Sia et al., A liposome-displayed hemagglutinin vaccine platform protects mice and ferrets from heterologous influenza virus challenge). The developers of the drug claim that the vaccine can potentially increase the effectiveness of seasonal immunization against influenza, because the vaccines used today usually work in 40-60 percent of cases (data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

In addition, the advantage of the proposed technology is the rapid scaling of production, since, unlike most seasonal flu vaccines, chicken embryos are not needed for the new vaccine.

Finally, smaller doses can be used for nanovaccine vaccinations, thereby increasing the volume of vaccine supplies. This is important, for example, in the event of an epidemic, when a large number of people need to be vaccinated as soon as possible. "The results are very encouraging," says senior study co–author Jonathan Lovell, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Buffalo.

Influenza vaccines usually contain either deactivated or weakened influenza viruses. "The vaccine we are developing is a recombinant protein vaccine with nanoparticles that stimulates a strong immune response," Lovell explained.

The nanoparticles that deliver the genetic material of the influenza virus into the body are tiny fat sacs. The use of liposomes makes it possible to obtain an equivalent or even higher level of protective antibodies with a much lower dosage of the injected drug. This technology can be used for the production of other vaccines and the delivery of medicines to the body. For example, the Russian Institute of Human Stem Cells is currently developing a nanovaccine against COVID-19. The drug has already passed preclinical studies, and permission from the Ministry of Health is expected to conduct clinical trials.

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