THE ESSENTIAL
- Each winter, 2 to 6 million people are affected by the flu virus.
- Influenza is a highly contagious disease that can lead to serious complications in some patients such as severe bacterial lung infection.
Each year between 10,000 to 15,000 deaths are due to the flu in France, mainly in fragile subjects, according to thePastor Institute. Every year, a nationwide vaccination campaign is organized to prevent this seasonal disease. The vaccine is particularly recommended for people aged 65 and over. It is administered via a sting, but that may soon change… In a study published in the journal ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, researchers have developed a new intranasal vaccine – that is to say, delivered through the nose – once morest influenza. It has the particularity of being composed of nanoparticles which improve the body’s immune response and offer better protection once morest the different strains of the virus.
An intranasal vaccine effective for up to 6 months
To develop their vaccine, the scientists worked on mice. The use of nanoparticles enabled them to integrate two interesting components into the product: antigens, which stimulate the body’s immune response, and adjuvants, which reinforce it. After administration, the researchers evaluated the effectiveness of their vaccine up to six months following the injection. Result: the rodents were well protected once morest seasonal flu but also once morest other strains of the virus. A real advantage according to scientists who believe that with conventional vaccines once morest seasonal flu, the immune responses of patients decline over the months. In other words, they are less protected once morest the virus and more vulnerable to new influenza strains.
The advantage of an injection through the nose
“Our results revealed that the nanoparticles significantly improved (…) the immune response, through cross-protection once morest different strains of influenza virus”, believes Baozhong Wang, one of the authors. But why did the researchers want to develop an intranasal vaccine? The answer is simple, according to them it is the most adequate administration for respiratory illnesses such as the flu. Indeed, by being administered in the nose, the vaccine can better act on the local mucous membranes and better protect patients once morest the entry of the virus into this part of their body.
Future research to assess the potential side effects of the vaccine
“Nanoparticles have shown interesting characteristics and great potential in the development of next-generation cross-protective influenza vaccines, underlines Chunhong Dong, first author of the study. Although no apparent adverse effects were observed in the study, a more comprehensive safety assessment is needed before clinical trials.“. In the future, scientists therefore intend to continue their research on this vaccine in order to consider, in the long term, the marketing of this new solution once morest influenza.