The Road Towards Universal Vaccines

Post by:

HealthMatch

June 7, 2024

What are Universal Vaccines?

Unlike current vaccines, which are specific to particular strains, universal vaccines enable our immune system to recognize and combat any strain of a virus, including those that will emerge in the future.

Annual flu vaccines and COVID-19 booster shots require frequent updates (reformulations) due to the ever-mutating viruses, often leaving healthcare professionals playing catch-up. Universal vaccines offer a proactive solution, preparing us for pandemics before they happen.

The Science Behind Universal Vaccines

Universal vaccines target conserved parts of viruses that don’t change across strains, minimizing the need for frequent updates and offering broader protection. Currently, there are three promising approaches to developing universal vaccines:

1. Nanoparticle Technology: Researchers have found that attaching viral proteins to tiny particles encourages the immune system to recognize shared features across strains.¹ This creates a strong immune memory. Notably, near-complete protection has been observed in animal studies.

2. mRNA Vaccines: These vaccines deliver the genetic instructions to the body, prompting it to produce the viral protein itself. This approach allows for a more powerful and quicker immune response compared to conventional vaccines.

3. Targeting Viral Components: For COVID-19, scientists found a part of the virus called N-proteins that are made by infected cells. These N-proteins can block certain signals in our body (called chemokines) that usually help start an immune response. By creating vaccines that stop N-proteins from blocking these signals, we can make the vaccines work much better.

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The Race for Universal Vaccines

The emergence of new virus variants makes the need for universal COVID-19 vaccines clear. While traditional vaccines remain effective, they struggle to keep up with evolving mutations, driving a global race to develop universal vaccines.

Companies such as Pfizer and National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research teams are leading this effort. BioNTech’s candidate, targeting conserved SARS-CoV-2 proteins, has shown promising results. The potential benefits of COVID-19 universal vaccines are immense. They could reduce the burden on healthcare facilities by lowering infections and hospitalizations, freeing up resources for other patients. Economically, universal vaccines could prevent new waves of infections, keeping economies running smoothly.

Beyond COVID-19, researchers are also looking at universal vaccines for other viruses like influenza. New technologies such as nanoparticle technology and mRNA vaccines offer broader and longer-lasting protection.

The University of California, Riverside is currently working on RNA-based vaccines showing promising results. Pfizer-BioNTech is researching next-generation vaccines targeted at boosting T-cell production for broader protection, and is in Phase 1 clinical trials. As NIH trials progress, it’s likely that universal vaccines will soon become available.

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