Researchers from MIT and the Ragon Institute of MGH, MIT, and Harvard have developed a vaccine using a virus-like delivery particle made from DNA that can effectively trigger an antibody response against SARS-CoV-2.
In a study involving mice, the team discovered that the DNA scaffold does not trigger an immune response, allowing the immune system to concentrate its antibody response on the target antigen.
Mark Bathe, an MIT professor of biological engineering, explains, “DNA, we found in this work, does not elicit antibodies that may distract away from the protein of interest. What you can imagine is that your B cells and immune system are being fully trained by that target antigen, and that’s what you want—for your immune system to be laser-focused on the antigen of interest.”
This method, which strongly activates B cells, could simplify the development of vaccines for challenging viruses like HIV, influenza, and SARS-CoV-2. Unlike T cells, which are stimulated by other vaccines, these B cells can provide long-term protection by persisting for decades.
“We’re interested in exploring whether we can teach the immune system to deliver higher levels of immunity against pathogens that resist conventional vaccine approaches, like flu, HIV, and SARS-CoV-2,” says Daniel Lingwood, an associate professor at Harvard Medical School and a principal investigator at the Ragon Institute.
2024-01-30 09:41:02
Source from phys.org