Smaller, cheaper, one-dose vaccines to come
Washington,
Jan
16
:
The
way
we
take
vaccinations
may
soon
be
changing,
for
researchers
at
Iowa
State
University
are
working
on
a
new
way
to
produce
vaccines
that
work
better,
use
smaller
doses
and
require
only
one
trip
to
the
doctor's
office.
The
research
led
by
Michael
Wannemuehler,
a
professor
of
veterinary
microbiology
and
preventative
medicine,
is
focused
on
the
use
of
just
a
part
of
the
bacteria,
a
protein,
as
a
vaccine,
instead
of
the
entire
killed
bacteria,
coupled
with
novel
polymers
that
will
be
used
to
deliver
these
vaccines.
Such
a
combination
of
new
approaches
will
allow
vaccines
doses
to
be
smaller,
safer
and
with
fewer
side
effects.
"As we move away from using whole bacteria, we're going to more molecular approaches with purified proteins or portions of proteins. What these technologies should allow us to do is, instead of injecting 100 units to get protection, we can inject one unit, for example," said Wannemuehler,
This research was targeted at the bacteria causing plague, a disease found in parts of the world. When select proteins of the bacteria coupled with unique polymers are used, it can reduce the amount of vaccine needed as well as costs for shipping and storage.
In this way, the vaccine will be economically feasible for areas at a great distance, such as Africa, where vaccines can be difficult to obtain.
As we know that vaccinating a large population can be difficult, if more than one dose or injection is required. Locating and vaccinating patients can be difficult in places where doctors are scarce. Also, having the same patients return for their booster vaccinations can be even more complicated.
"Another aspect is the hope that this would be single dose. We hope we can get a robust response with one dose," said Wannemuehler.
The uses of this vaccination may even extend beyond plague. "If this technology works here, it's completely transferable to any protein, with minor changes," said Wannemuehler.
ANI