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Researchers make key breakthrough in development of pill-based vaccines

Researchers at Cardiff University have been successful in developing what could be the world’s first synthetic, non-biologic vaccine. The non-biologic vaccine for influenza can be delivered orally in the form of a pill. Moreover, it is stable at room temperature, eliminating the need for refrigeration. The research was funded by Wellcome and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the findings were published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation

This new type of vaccine was developed in a novel fashion, using ‘mirror images’ of protein molecules. Standard vaccines usually work by introducing inactivated pathogenic proteins in the bodies which stimulate the immune system to develop immunity against the disease. The researchers successfully tried using stable ‘mirror image’ forms of parts of such proteins to stimulate a protective immune response. These ‘mirror image’ molecules being resistant to digestion in the stomach, could make it possible to administer the non-biologic vaccines orally in a pill form.

Professor Andrew Sewell, from Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, has emphasised the benefits of oral vaccines stating that they will not only be a boon for individuals with a fear of needles but will also be much easier to store and transport. They could be more conveniently shipped to remote locations which face challenges with the current vaccine delivery systems.

Divya Shah, a member of Wellcome’s Infection and Immunobiology team says that while the findings from this first proof of concept study are promising, much more research will be required to translate the findings into real-world vaccines.


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