Innovative Nano Vaccine Developed to Combat Influenza Viruses
Virus Prevention Takes an Important Leap Forward
Influenza viruses, also known as flu viruses, have long been recognized as a significant public health concern. According to the World Health Organization, an astonishing one billion people worldwide are infected with seasonal flu each year, and of these, at least three million develop influenza. The seriousness of the disease cannot be overstated, as it leads to approximately 500,000 deaths annually. To address this global threat, the medical industry has committed billions of dollars in manpower and resources towards investigating and combating influenza virus epidemics, developing drugs, and manufacturing vaccines.
Every year, Taiwan braces itself for the flu season, which typically arrives in October. Vaccination is widely recognized as the most effective prevention method against the flu. However, due to the flu viruses’ high variability and the limited cross-protective effects of currently available vaccines, pharmaceutical companies face the challenge of reformulating vaccines annually to target the specific types of viruses predicted to be common by the World Health Organization. Consequently, individuals must get re-vaccinated each year, presenting a major dilemma in the fight against flu prevention.
Innovation in Vaccine Development
Addressing these challenges head-on, a remarkable interdisciplinary research team comprising Professor Chen Hui-wen from the Department of Veterinary Medicine at National Taiwan University and Professor Hu Che-ming from the Institute of Biomedicine at Academia Sinica has made significant strides in the development of thin-shell polymer nanoparticles as a powerful virus vaccine. These carriers efficiently target follicular dendritic cells, found in lymph nodes, allowing for the capture and sustained release of antigens.
This groundbreaking research and development effort has garnered significant recognition, winning the prestigious 17th National Innovation Award for Academic Research Innovation Group in 2020, specifically for the “New Nano Vaccine for Prevention of Coronavirus.” It has also secured patents from the Republic of China, Japan, and the European Union, with successful technology transfers. The research team has not rested on its laurels; it continues to refine its core technology, extending the vaccine manufacturing process to combat the flu viruses affecting Chinese populations and beyond, with the ultimate goal of creating a highly effective flu vaccine.
The research team’s approach involves using a short peptide of the M2 influenza virus protein as the antigen, combined with a potent adjuvant (STING agonist), and utilizing nano-shell vaccine technology as the delivery carrier. This method proves highly effective, triggering the production of substantial and long-lasting antibodies. These antibodies play a crucial role in mediating cytotoxicity and eliminating virus-infected cells. Remarkably, the vaccine has demonstrated 100% protection against three different subtypes of influenza viruses in mouse animal experiments, requiring only a single dose for efficacy.
Advances in Vaccine Storage and Distribution
Aside from its groundbreaking formulation, the vaccine manufacturing process has also addressed the significant challenge of storage. Previously, nano-vaccines required ultra-low temperature storage conditions of -80 degrees Celsius. However, the research team has successfully developed a technique to freeze-dry the vaccine, enabling storage at room temperature. The vaccine remains equally effective even after at least one month of reconstitution. In a notable achievement, the freeze-dried nano-vaccine was safely transported via air to a collaborating laboratory in Texas, USA, without compromising its original efficacy. This breakthrough holds immense promise for practical application.
The exciting research results were published in the esteemed transdisciplinary journal Advanced Science (5-year Impact Factor = 16.7) in June of this year. Dr. Cai Xiaohan, the first author of the paper, contributed significantly to the publication’s success. The research team has further filed a new patent application and is actively pursuing commercialization to make this groundbreaking vaccine widely accessible.
Full research results are available to the public for review.
Influenza viruses (influenza viruses for short) are considered a key public health issue. According to statistics from the World Health Organization, as many as 1 billion people worldwide are infected with seasonal flu each year, and from at least 3 million of these patients develop influenza The disease is serious and causes approximately 500,000 deaths each year The medical industry has invested tens of billions of dollars in manpower and material resources in influenza virus epidemic investigation, manufacturing drugs and vaccine, etc. Taiwan gradually enters the flu season every year in October. Vaccination is the best prevention method. However, due to the high variability of flu viruses and the lack of cross-protective effects of the vaccines currently on the market , pharmaceutical companies must target the flu Every year Vaccines are reformulated against the types of virus that the World Health Organization predicts will be common, and people must be re- vaccination every year This is a major dilemma when it comes to preventing the flu.
Chen Hui-wen, a professor in the Department of Veterinary Medicine at National Taiwan University, and Hu Che-ming, a professor in the Institute of Biomedicine at Academia Sinica, formed an interdisciplinary research team to develop thin-shell polymer nanoparticles as a virus vaccine Such carriers can go to into lymph nodes effectively and be targeted by follicular dendritic cells. Captured and released slowly and sustainably antigens, this research and development result won the 17th National Innovation Award – Academic Research Innovation Group in 2020 for the “New Nano Vaccine for Prevention of Coronavirus”, and is has successively won the patents of the Republic of China, Japan and the EU, and also has the results of technology transfer. At the same time, the research team continues to improve its core technology, extend this vaccine manufacturing process to flu viruses that affect Chinese people and the world, and broadly develop an effective flu vaccine. The research team used a short peptide of the M2 influenza virus protein as the antigen, together with a powerful adjuvant (STING agonist), and nano-shell vaccine technology as the delivery carrier, to induce high amounts and long-lasting antibodies, and these antibodies can make an effort. Mediating cytotoxicity and killing virus-infected cells, this vaccine has been proven in mouse animal experiments to achieve 100% protection against three different subtypes of influenza viruses, and only one dose is need
Additionally, in the product manufacturing process, the team have now broken through the original low temperature storage conditions of -80 degrees Celsius for nano-vaccines, and have successfully freeze-dried the vaccine and stored it on room temperature. Its effectiveness will still be the same after at least one month after re-dissolution The nano-vaccine was air-expressed in freeze-dried form to a collaborative laboratory in Texas, USA, for use. It was discovered that the vaccine could still maintain its original effectiveness after being redistributed, which is a big step forward for the practical application of the product. The result of this research was published in the transdisciplinary high impact journal Advanced Science (5-yr IF = 16.7) in June this year. The first author of the paper is Dr Cai Xiaohan. This paper won the “Yongxin Li Tiande Medical Technology-Outstanding Paper Award”, the team has also filed a new patent application and plans to implement it for commercialization as soon as possible.
Full text of research results:
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