For the first time in the world, researchers have succeeded in creating a messenger RNA vaccine to fight against deadly bacteria, including the one responsible for the plague.
- mRNA vaccines are used to fight viruses, such as Covid-19.
- For the first time, researchers have succeeded in manufacturing an effective vaccine against bacteria.
- It could help protect us against deadly or antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
It’s a hope in the fight against deadly bacteria and those that have become resistant to antibiotics: a research team from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research has created a messenger RNA vaccine to fight against these bacteria.
mRNA against deadly bacteria: how does this vaccine work?
Messenger RNA is a molecule produced by cells to distribute genetic information. When used as part of a vaccine, “it is not the virus in its attenuated form which is injected but only the information, in the form of DNA or RNA molecules, making it possible to produce the antigens (proteins) of the pathogenic agent”precise Inserm. “The cells of the vaccinated person located at the injection site (mainly the cells of the immune system) are then able to manufacture said proteins themselves, chosen upstream for their ability to trigger a protective immune response capable of neutralizing the virus.” However, until now, scientists have reserved this technology for viruses, because they “thought that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically impossible to create,” explain Dr. Edo Kon, one of the authors of this new study.
Deadly bacteria: how to use mRNA technology?
Recent work published in the journal Science demonstrate that it is entirely possible”to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria“. The authors faced a challenge: while viruses need our cells to reproduce, bacteria do not. Exposure to bacterial proteins produced by the mRNA vaccine did not lead to the desired immune response.”While the proteins produced in bacteria are identical to those synthesized in the laboratory, because they are based on the same “manufacturing instructions”, those produced in human cells undergo significant changes, such as the addition of sugars, when they are secreted by the human cell“, observe the researchers in a press release. To solve this problem, we have developed methods to secrete bacterial proteins while bypassing classical secretory pathways.In parallel, they added a portion of human protein to the bacterial proteins to stabilize them and it paid off: the Israeli scientists managed to obtain a satisfactory immune response.
mRNA vaccine: a lead against antibiotic resistance?
In an animal test, the serum was able to protect all animals against the bacterium that causes plague. “Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated remained alive and healthy, develops Professor Dan Peer, co-director of the study. Additionally, in one of our vaccination methods, one dose provided full protection just two weeks after administration.” According to the researchers, this new technology can enable the rapid development of new effective vaccines against bacterial diseases, especially those caused by bacteria resistant to antibiotics. This technique could also be used to fight against widespread bacteria such as resistant streptococci or staphylococcus aureus.
