New Nasal Covid-19 Vaccine Shows Early Promise in Hamster Studies
Scientists at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin have made a breakthrough in developing a nasal vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine, which uses a live but weakened form of the coronavirus, has shown early promise in hamster studies, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity, or immune defenses, in the tissues that line the upper airways, where the virus would typically infect the body. In the study, two doses of the vaccine were found to block the virus from copying itself in the animals' upper airways, resulting in sterilizing immunity and preventing illness.
While this is a promising development, experts caution that more testing is needed before the vaccine can be used in humans. The researchers have partnered with a Swiss company called RocketVax to start phase I clinical trials, but it's unclear when human trials will begin.
Other nasal vaccines are already in use or nearing completion in clinical trials, including ones developed by China and India. However, the effectiveness of these vaccines is not yet known, as studies on their impact have not been published.
In contrast, the German vaccine has shown promise in hamster studies, achieving sterilizing immunity and preventing illness. The researchers believe that the live but weakened virus closely mimics the natural infection process, which may be why it works better than other approaches.
However, experts also note that respiratory infections can be difficult targets for inhaled vaccines, and more work is needed to make these types of vaccines effective. Additionally, live vaccines cannot be taken by everyone, particularly those with compromised immunity.
Despite these challenges, the development of a nasal Covid-19 vaccine is an important step towards preventing the spread of infection. With continued research and testing, it's possible that this approach could lead to a new generation of vaccines that are more effective and accessible to people around the world.
Scientists at the Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine in Berlin have made a breakthrough in developing a nasal vaccine against Covid-19. The vaccine, which uses a live but weakened form of the coronavirus, has shown early promise in hamster studies, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity, or immune defenses, in the tissues that line the upper airways, where the virus would typically infect the body. In the study, two doses of the vaccine were found to block the virus from copying itself in the animals' upper airways, resulting in sterilizing immunity and preventing illness.
While this is a promising development, experts caution that more testing is needed before the vaccine can be used in humans. The researchers have partnered with a Swiss company called RocketVax to start phase I clinical trials, but it's unclear when human trials will begin.
Other nasal vaccines are already in use or nearing completion in clinical trials, including ones developed by China and India. However, the effectiveness of these vaccines is not yet known, as studies on their impact have not been published.
In contrast, the German vaccine has shown promise in hamster studies, achieving sterilizing immunity and preventing illness. The researchers believe that the live but weakened virus closely mimics the natural infection process, which may be why it works better than other approaches.
However, experts also note that respiratory infections can be difficult targets for inhaled vaccines, and more work is needed to make these types of vaccines effective. Additionally, live vaccines cannot be taken by everyone, particularly those with compromised immunity.
Despite these challenges, the development of a nasal Covid-19 vaccine is an important step towards preventing the spread of infection. With continued research and testing, it's possible that this approach could lead to a new generation of vaccines that are more effective and accessible to people around the world.
i mean its not ideal but at least its less painful lol anyway its cool that germany is on top of this covid thing again and who knows maybe soon we'll have nasal vaccines available for humans too 
! I mean, think about it, we already have one that can be taken by just spraying it up our noses - no shots required! 
And the fact that it's achieved sterilizing immunity in hamster studies? That's huge! 
It makes sense too that a live but weakened virus would work better than other approaches, since it mimics the natural infection process. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, more testing is needed for sure. I'm just glad to see researchers pushing the boundaries and exploring new ways to keep us safe from this virus 
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Still, it's awesome that researchers are exploring different approaches and partnering up to get this vaccine to humans as soon as possible. I'm curious to see how phase I clinical trials go and what results we'll see 
. I mean, can you imagine not having to get shots in your arm every time? I've got a friend who's super anxious about needles, she'd be totally on board with this 
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. the fact that it boosts mucosal immunity in our upper airways is pretty genius 
. of course, more testing is needed, but let's be real, we've been waiting for like, forever 
. and isn't it cool that they're partnering with a Swiss company to start phase I clinical trials? 
this could be the breakthrough we need to get us out of this pandemic loop 
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another covid vaccine update and it's still not looking good for us humans 
. just a nasal vaccine in hamster studies, big whoop. we gotta wait till they do human trials and even then, no promises 
. and what really gets me is those other countries already have nasal vaccines in the works but nobody knows if they actually work 
Also, why do all these new vaccines have to be nasal anyway? Can't they just come up with something for our noses that doesn't require us to get poked or injected? 
And what about the hamsters' tiny airways - are we really comparing human efficacy here or was it just a nice thought experiment? 
A nasal Covid-19 vaccine is on its way! I'm literally super hyped about this breakthrough. Scientists have been working tirelessly to develop something that could make a real difference in our lives, and it's finally starting to pay off. The fact that it's boosted mucosal immunity and blocked the virus from copying itself is just mind-blowing 
Let's keep our fingers crossed for a safer, healthier world soon! 
Fast forward to now and we've got nasal vaccines being developed? It's like, what's next? 
But hey, if it's going to work, I'm all for it. After all, who doesn't want a vaccine that can prevent illness without having to get shots in their arm or deal with weird side effects? 
And it's not just me, my friend Sarah's cousin is a scientist and she told me that if this vaccine works out for humans it could be a game changer 
. Not bad, I guess. But let's not get too ahead of ourselves here - it's still just hamsters we're talking about. Can't exactly say this thing is gonna change the world yet 
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. Plus, by boosting mucosal immunity, it's targeting one of the main entry points for the virus - clever! 
. It's a reminder that scientists are working tirelessly to develop new and innovative solutions to combat Covid-19 (and other diseases), which is something to be really grateful for 
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. Still, the fact that they've achieved sterilizing immunity in hamsters is a big plus 
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