Cleveland Clinic researchers have utilized nanoparticles to create a potential vaccine candidate against Dabie Bandavirus, formerly known as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), a tick-borne virus that currently lacks prevention, treatment, or cure.
The patent-pending vaccine employs nanoparticles to transport the antigens containing instructions for combating the virus. Nanoparticle vaccines are designed to deliver antigens effectively at a lower dosage, minimizing side effects for at-risk groups, including adults over the age of 50, who are most vulnerable to SFTSV and more susceptible to vaccine side effects.
The pre-clinical research, published in mBio, was led by Jae Jung, Ph.D., Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research.
“The Pathogen Center was established to prepare for and safeguard against future global health crises before they arise,” says Dr. Jung, who also serves as Department Chair of Cancer Biology and Director of Infection Biology. “There is already an urgent need for an SFTSV vaccine in Asia. Our objective was to develop one before it becomes necessary in America as well.”
The World Health Organization declared SFTSV as requiring “urgent research attention” several years ago, and it is still classified as a threat by the National Institutes of Health in the US. The virus is transmitted by the Asian longhorn tick, a species already present in 19 U.S. states, including Ohio. It can also occasionally spread from human to human, primarily in a hospital setting.
2023-09-22 00:00:04
Source from phys.org