Scientists in Germany say they've made a breakthrough in developing a nasal vaccine that can neutralize Covid-19 infections before they take hold. In experiments on hamsters, two doses of the weakened but live virus vaccine were found to block the virus's replication in the upper airways, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity in the tissues lining the nose and throat, where the virus enters the body. This approach is being hailed as a promising way to prevent Covid-19 infections before they start.
In the hamster studies, which were published recently, the live but weakened nasal vaccine created a much stronger immune response than other types of vaccines, including an mRNA-based vaccine and one that uses an adenovirus to deliver its instructions into cells. Researchers think this is because the live but weakened virus closely mimics the natural process of infection.
The German team's vaccine also previews the entire coronavirus for the body, not just its spike proteins, which means it can create immune defenses against a wider range of targets. As promising as these results are, caution is warranted, and more testing needs to be done before the vaccine can be widely used.
However, this breakthrough comes at a time when researchers are struggling to develop effective vaccines for Covid-19. Many groups working on new vaccines have faced challenges in raising the costs of getting them to market, and some have expressed concerns that the "vaccine race" has stalled.
Other nasal vaccines are already being tested in humans, although effectiveness data is still scarce. Some, like a recombinant vaccine developed by Mount Sinai researchers, use a live but weakened form of the flu virus as a template, while others rely on harmless adenoviruses to deliver their instructions into cells.
The German team's vaccine is just one example of this promising approach, which has been used successfully in the past to develop vaccines for other diseases. However, it also raises concerns about the risks and benefits of using live but weakened viruses in certain populations, such as those with compromised immunity.
For now, the focus remains on developing more effective vaccines that can prevent Covid-19 infections before they take hold. With the virus still a significant threat to global health, researchers are racing against time to create new tools that can help us stay ahead of this evolving threat.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity in the tissues lining the nose and throat, where the virus enters the body. This approach is being hailed as a promising way to prevent Covid-19 infections before they start.
In the hamster studies, which were published recently, the live but weakened nasal vaccine created a much stronger immune response than other types of vaccines, including an mRNA-based vaccine and one that uses an adenovirus to deliver its instructions into cells. Researchers think this is because the live but weakened virus closely mimics the natural process of infection.
The German team's vaccine also previews the entire coronavirus for the body, not just its spike proteins, which means it can create immune defenses against a wider range of targets. As promising as these results are, caution is warranted, and more testing needs to be done before the vaccine can be widely used.
However, this breakthrough comes at a time when researchers are struggling to develop effective vaccines for Covid-19. Many groups working on new vaccines have faced challenges in raising the costs of getting them to market, and some have expressed concerns that the "vaccine race" has stalled.
Other nasal vaccines are already being tested in humans, although effectiveness data is still scarce. Some, like a recombinant vaccine developed by Mount Sinai researchers, use a live but weakened form of the flu virus as a template, while others rely on harmless adenoviruses to deliver their instructions into cells.
The German team's vaccine is just one example of this promising approach, which has been used successfully in the past to develop vaccines for other diseases. However, it also raises concerns about the risks and benefits of using live but weakened viruses in certain populations, such as those with compromised immunity.
For now, the focus remains on developing more effective vaccines that can prevent Covid-19 infections before they take hold. With the virus still a significant threat to global health, researchers are racing against time to create new tools that can help us stay ahead of this evolving threat.
... it's just common sense that if you mimic how Covid-19 enters the body, your immune system will kick in and stop it from taking hold 
... now we just need to get some real-world testing done ASAP and make sure it's safe for everyone, especially the vulnerable populations 
... I'm glad they're moving away from those other approaches that aren't working out 
... let's keep the momentum going! 
! Scientists in Germany made a major breakthrough by creating a weakened but live virus vaccine that can neutralize Covid-19 infections before they take hold 
! The way it boosts mucosal immunity in the tissues lining the nose and throat is so cool 
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, but also previews the entire coronavirus for the body 
. That means it can create immune defenses against a wider range of targets 
! And, I love that it uses live but weakened viruses as a template to develop vaccines for other diseases 
and let's not forget that more testing needs to be done before we can widely use this vaccine 
. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for finding new ways to prevent Covid-19 infections, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. We need more human trials before we start hailing this vaccine as a miracle worker 
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It's all about boosting mucosal immunity in the nose and throat, where Covid-19 loves to hang out 
. And the fact that this vaccine can create defenses against a wider range of targets is like... whoa! 
!
. The fact that it uses live but weakened virus to create immunity is genius. It makes sense that it would be more effective than other types of vaccines, especially since it targets the whole coronavirus rather than just its spike proteins.
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we need more testing ASAP to avoid any potential risks 
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especially on humans and populations with compromised immunity. Don't wanna be too optimistic here 
But if it works, wow that's some promising stuff! Just hope the 'vaccine race' doesn't stall again 
. We've been hearing about promising new approaches to Covid-19 vaccines for ages, and some of 'em have already tanked 
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, but we need more data before we can even think about making this a thing 
. And let's not forget the challenges other groups are facing in getting their vaccines to market 
. Like, how are these new vaccines gonna reach the people who need 'em most? The ones with compromised immunity or limited access to healthcare? We can't just focus on finding a cure if we don't make sure everyone's got a chance to get it 
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and I'm excited to see where it takes us. Fingers crossed! 
... I mean, think about it, we've been living with Covid-19 for years now and they're just now making a breakthrough on a nasal vaccine? It's like they want us to get complacent or something 
