Scientists in Germany claim to have made a breakthrough with a nasal vaccine that can stop Covid-19 from taking hold in the body. The vaccine is made from a live but weakened form of the coronavirus and has shown promising results in hamster studies, achieving "sterilizing immunity" and preventing illness.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity, which is the defense system in the upper airways where the virus first enters the body. This approach is different from traditional vaccines that target the bloodstream, and it may be more effective against new variants of the virus.
In hamster studies, two doses of the nasal vaccine created a stronger immune response than an mRNA-based vaccine or one that uses an adenovirus to ferry instructions into cells. The researchers believe this is because the live weakened vaccine closely mimics the natural process of infection and can target multiple parts of the virus.
While the results are encouraging, experts caution that more tests need to be done before the vaccine is ready for human use. The current vaccines in use in China and India rely on harmless adenoviruses to ferry instructions into cells, but their effectiveness data has not been published.
There are several other nasal vaccines in development, including one from Mount Sinai and another from Codagenix, which uses a live but weakened version of the virus. These studies may provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of this approach and could potentially lead to more effective Covid-19 vaccines.
However, some experts also point out that respiratory infections can be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, such as FluMist, which has shown limited effectiveness against adults. Nonetheless, live attenuated viruses have proven potent in other vaccine applications, so it's a promising approach.
It's worth noting that even if these nasal vaccines show promise, they may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with compromised immunity. The researchers are eager to start phase I clinical trials to test the vaccine in humans and determine its safety and efficacy.
The vaccine works by boosting mucosal immunity, which is the defense system in the upper airways where the virus first enters the body. This approach is different from traditional vaccines that target the bloodstream, and it may be more effective against new variants of the virus.
In hamster studies, two doses of the nasal vaccine created a stronger immune response than an mRNA-based vaccine or one that uses an adenovirus to ferry instructions into cells. The researchers believe this is because the live weakened vaccine closely mimics the natural process of infection and can target multiple parts of the virus.
While the results are encouraging, experts caution that more tests need to be done before the vaccine is ready for human use. The current vaccines in use in China and India rely on harmless adenoviruses to ferry instructions into cells, but their effectiveness data has not been published.
There are several other nasal vaccines in development, including one from Mount Sinai and another from Codagenix, which uses a live but weakened version of the virus. These studies may provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of this approach and could potentially lead to more effective Covid-19 vaccines.
However, some experts also point out that respiratory infections can be tough targets for inhaled vaccines, such as FluMist, which has shown limited effectiveness against adults. Nonetheless, live attenuated viruses have proven potent in other vaccine applications, so it's a promising approach.
It's worth noting that even if these nasal vaccines show promise, they may not be suitable for everyone, particularly those with compromised immunity. The researchers are eager to start phase I clinical trials to test the vaccine in humans and determine its safety and efficacy.
! The idea of boosting mucosal immunity is genius - our noses are basically the first line of defense against viruses, so it makes sense that a vaccine targeting those areas could be super effective 
. I mean, traditional vaccines might work for some people, but what if you're one of the unlucky ones who can't get vaccinated or has a compromised immune system? This live attenuated virus approach is like having an insurance policy 
! Of course, it's not without its risks and challenges, but I think this could be a game-changer 
. Fingers crossed they move quickly to start human trials and get some real-world data on this thing 
!
is it weird that they're using hamsters in their studies? like what's the point of testing on furry friends instead of actual humans 
but hey, at least they've got a breakthrough to show for it! 
and yeah, I'm intrigued by this mucosal immunity approach - sounds super specific 
how does it work exactly? is it like, the virus just can't find its way in without our help or something? 
and another thing, what's with all these other nasal vaccines in development? are they trying to make a vaccine cocktail or something? 
let's hope they figure out who should get this vaccine first - I don't want some poor soul getting sick just because it's still experimental 
also kinda worried about people with compromised immunity 
It's genius that they came up with this method. Boosting mucosal immunity makes total sense – we know our noses are like the front lines against viruses, right? 
The fact that it showed better results in hamster studies than those other vaccines is awesome! 
Now we just need to wait and see how it goes with humans... fingers crossed for a breakthrough 
. Nasal vaccines might sound cool, but what if they just spread the virus around more? Like, think about it, when you get a cold or flu, your nose is basically a petri dish for bacteria and viruses. Do we really want to put all that junk in there on purpose? And what about people with allergies or respiratory issues? They might freak out when they inhale live coronavirus particles 
. Boosting mucosal immunity is a new approach, so fingers crossed it'll work better against those pesky variants 
. But, I'm not gonna get my hopes up just yet... 
We've seen promise before with other vaccines and stuff hasn't worked out as planned 
. Still, the fact that live attenuated viruses have been effective in other vaccine applications is a good sign 
. And hey, at least it's not like they're gonna push this on everyone immediately... 
They're trying to create a stronger immune response by using a live but weakened form of the virus, which sounds super weird 
. And what about all those hamsters that died during the study? Did nobody think to, you know, not use cute animals for vaccine testing? 
... but hold on, what if it's not as effective for people over 60 or with weakened immune systems? 
Wait, no... I mean, maybe not so fast... those hamster results were pretty promising, but let's not forget about the limitations of animal studies 
. Can't have too much faith in a miracle cure just yet 
! Using a live but weakened form of the virus is genius - who would've thought that's how we'd get there? 
The idea of boosting mucosal immunity is so cool, like our bodies have these superpower defense systems in our noses 
! I'm all for trying new approaches when it comes to vaccines. Of course, more testing needs to happen before we can start injecting this stuff into humans 
, but the hamster studies are definitely encouraging 
. Fingers crossed that this could be a game-changer for Covid-19! 
First off, who says a live-but-weakened virus is better than traditional vaccines? It's like saying an iPhone is better 'cause it's got a fancy new design 
I'm not sold on the idea that nasal vaccines are gonna be the answer to our prayers just yet 
Still, live attenuated viruses have worked well in other vaccine situations, so it's worth keeping an eye on this one 