Discover how cutting-edge
After antibiotics disrupt healthy gut bacteria, C. difficile can wreak havoc by causing symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to life-threatening sepsis. Traditional vaccine attempts have fallen short, but a new mRNA vaccine developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania is changing the game.
This innovative vaccine targets multiple proteins crucial for C. difficile’s disease-causing abilities. In animal studies, including mice and hamsters, this mRNA vaccine triggered a robust immune response involving antibodies, immunoglobulins, and T cells – providing broad protection against infection.
The results speak for themselves: all vaccinated mice survived exposure to a lethal dose of C. difficile while unvaccinated mice succumbed within days. Even when infected post-vaccination, mice showed mild symptoms and quick recovery. The immune defense lasted long-term too; vaccinated mice challenged with a second infection six months later fared just as well as they did initially.
2024-10-03 13:00:00
Read more at www.sciencenews.org
