Vaccine under development provides the “most comprehensive coverage” to date and alleviates antimicrobial concerns, new study finds
In 2004, pneumonia killed more than 2 million children worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. By 2015, the number was less than 1 million.
Better access to antibiotics and improved nutrition account for part of the decline. But scientists say it’s mostly due to vaccines introduced in the early 2000s that target up to 23 of the most deadly forms of the bacterium that causes pneumonia, Streptococcus pneumoniae.
Now, a new vaccine under development could deal another blow to the disease, lowering the number of deaths even further by targeting dozens of additional strains of S. pneumoniae, and anticipating future versions of the bacteria responsible for the disease.
The vaccine provoked an immune response to 72 forms of S. pneumoniae — including the 23 mentioned above — in lab tests on animals, according to new research published today (Oct. 20, 2017) in the journal Science Advances. The study represents the “most comprehensive” coverage of pneumococcal disease to date, researchers say.
“We’ve made tremendous progress fighting the spread of pneumonia, especially among children. But if we’re ever going to rid ourselves of the disease, we need to create smarter and more cost-effective vaccines,” says Blaine Pfeifer, PhD, associate professor of chemical and biological engineering at the University at Buffalo’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and the study’s co-lead author.
The limitation of existing vaccines
Each strain of S. pneumoniae contains unique polysaccharides. Vaccines such as Prevnar 13 and Synflorix connect these sugars — by the sharing of an electron — to a protein called CRM197. The process, known as a covalent bond, creates a potent vaccine that prompts the body to find and destroy bacteria before it colonizes the body.
While effective, creating covalent bonds for each strain of S. pneumoniae is time-consuming and expensive. Plus, this type of immunization, known as a conjugate vaccine, prompts the body to eliminate each of the targeted bacteria types — regardless of whether the bacteria is idyll or attacking the body.
Another vaccine, Pneumovax 23, contains sugars of 23 of the most common types S. pneumoniae. However, the immune response it provokes is not as strong as Prevnar because the sugars are not covalently linked.
“Traditional vaccines completely remove bacteria from the body. But we now know that bacteria — and in a larger sense, the microbiome — are beneficial to maintaining good health, says Charles H. Jones, the study’s other co-lead author.
“What’s really exciting is that we now have the ability — with the vaccine we’re developing — to watch over bacteria and attack it only if it breaks away from the colony to cause an illness. That’s important because if we leave the harmless bacteria in place, it prevents other harmful bacteria from filling that space.”
Jones, who earned a PhD while working in Pfeifer’s lab, has formed a company, Abcombi Biosciences, to bring the vaccine and other pharmaceutical products to market. The company is part of the START-UP NY economic development program, was a finalist for the 43North business plan competition in 2016 and has received seed funding and other support from UB.
Co-authors of the study from UB’s engineering school include Guojian Zhang, Roozbeh Nayerhoda, Marie Beitelshees (also of Abcombi), Andrew Hill (also of Abcombi) and Yi Li; Bruce A. Davison and Paul Knight III, both faculty members from the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB; and Pooya Rostami of New York University’s Langone Medical Center.
How the new vaccine works
Varieties of S. pneumoniae not covered by current immunizations are responsible for a small portion — for example, 7 to 10 percent among U.S. children, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — of pneumonia, meningitis and other cases of pneumococcal disease.
But officials worry that will change, as these less common forms — and, potentially, yet-to-be discovered antimicrobial resistant strains — replace the 23 more common types targeted by current immunizations.
The new vaccine provokes a strong immune response (comparable to Prevnar) and is engineered in a way that makes it easy to add sugars (like Pneumovax) for a broad immune response.
Key to the technology is a liposome — a tiny liquid-filled bubble made of fat — that acts as a storage tank for the sugars. Because the sugars are not covalently bonded, it’s possible that the liposome could host all of the sugars that identify individual strains of S. pneumoniae.
The research team added proteins at the surface of the liposome (also non-covalently) which, together with the sugars, provoke strong immunotherapy. According to tests performed on mice and rabbits, the new vaccine stimulated an immune response to 72 of the more than 90 known strains of S. pneumoniae. In many cases, it outperformed Prevnar and Pneumovax.
“The advantage of our approach is that we don’t have to apply the more complex covalent chemistry that is required for Prevnar,” Pfeifer says. “As a result, we can extend beyond the 13 types of sugars, potentially providing universal coverage against bacteria that causes pneumonia, meningitis, sepsis and other types of pneumococcal disease.
“It holds the promise of saving hundreds of thousands of lives each year.”
Learn more: The end of pneumonia? New vaccine offers hope.
The Latest on: Pneumonia
[google_news title=”” keyword=”pneumonia” num_posts=”10″ blurb_length=”0″ show_thumb=”left”]
- Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Bengaluru woman, diagnosed with pneumonia, casts her voteon April 26, 2024 at 11:46 pm
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 78-year-old Ms Kalavathi, who was rushed to an hospital in Bengaluru's Jayanagar on Tuesday and was later diagnosed with pneumonia, was taken to cast her vote on Friday, on a ...
- What Is Double Pneumonia? Understanding Cause, Symptoms And Treatment Approachon April 26, 2024 at 11:05 pm
Pneumonia is a lung infection that can affect one or both lungs When both the lungs are involved it is called double or bilateral pneumonia ...
- UPDATE: Polish PM hopes to return to action next week after pneumonia treatmenton April 26, 2024 at 12:34 pm
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday that he was hoping to return to action next week after undergoing treatment for pneumonia.
- Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 78-Year-Old Woman With Pneumonia Comes To Vote On Stretcher In Bengaluruon April 26, 2024 at 11:23 am
A 78-year-old woman battling pneumonia defied the odds to cast her vote in Bengaluru. Ms Kalavathi admitted to Manipal Hospital Jayanagar for treatme ...
- Mum-of-three influencer Tatielle Ferreira dies of pneumonia aged 28 after being misdiagnosed by medicson April 25, 2024 at 4:43 am
A POPULAR influencer died from pneumonia aged only 28 after she was misdiagnosed by medics. Doctors assumed mum-of-three Tatielle Ferreira had dengue fever after she had complained about vomiting ...
- Poland's Tusk to limit public duties after pneumonia diagnosison April 25, 2024 at 2:48 am
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will limit his public duties over the coming days after he was diagnosed with a case of pneumonia, his office said on Thursday.
- Global Pneumococcal Vaccines Market to Witness Steady Growth, Projected to surpass US$ 13.3 Billion by 2033on April 24, 2024 at 7:48 pm
Pneumococcal Vaccines Market is expected to surpass US$ 13.3 Billion by 2033 to advance at a CAGR of 4.1% from 2023 to 2033.
- Coronation Street star Stephanie Davis rushed to hospital with suspected pneumoniaon April 24, 2024 at 4:42 am
Stephanie Davis, known for her roles in Coronation Street and Hollyoaks, has revealed she was rushed to hospital after doctors feared she had pneumonia. The actress, who portrays Courtney Vance on the ...
- CBB star rushed to hospital with suspected pneumoniaon April 24, 2024 at 2:04 am
STEPHANIE Davis was rushed to hospital yesterday after doctors feared she had pneumonia. The 31-year-old actress revealed she had been struggling with a cough for three weeks before seeking ...
- Exploring why pneumococcal pneumonia can create a heavy health and cost burdenon April 23, 2024 at 9:00 pm
Pneumococcal pneumonia can lead to worsening of pre-existing conditions, hospitalization, and even death. Alongside influenza, viral pneumonia, and pneumonia caused by other pathogens – pneumococcal ...
via Google News and Bing News