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Indian Pediatr 2009;46:1030 |
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Gaurav Gupta
Email:
[email protected]
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And now dry powder inhalable vaccine for
measles! (Science
Daily, Retrieved September 27, 2009, http://www.sciencedaily.com-
/releases/2009/08/090816170913.htm) |
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The first dry powder inhalable vaccine for measles is moving toward
clinical trials next year in India. To create an inhalable vaccine, the
weakened measles virus is mixed with "supercritical" carbon dioxide — part
gas, part liquid — to produce microscopic bubbles and droplets, which then
are dried to make an inhalable powder. The powder is puffed into a small,
cylindrical, plastic sack, with an opening like the neck of a plastic
water bottle, and administered. By taking one deep breath from the sack, a
child could be effectively vaccinated. In animal tests, the inhaler has
been just as effective in delivering measles vaccine as the traditional
injection. The new method also would help reach those who refuse
inoculations because of their fear of needles. The vaccine could be
produced for about 26 cents a dose.
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Single-dose rabies vaccine may become
reality (J Infect Dis 2009; 200: 1251) |
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Although current post-exposure prophylaxis rabies virus (RV) vaccines are
effective, around 40,000–70,000 rabies-related deaths are reported
annually worldwide. The development of effective formulations requiring
only 1–2 applications would significantly reduce mortality. The data
presented in this article suggest that the M gene–deleted RV vaccine is
safe and effective in animal models and holds the potential of replacing
current pre- and post-exposure RV vaccines. The M gene is one of the
central genes of the rabies virus, and its absence inhibits the virus from
completing its life cycle. The virus in the vaccine infects cells and
induces an immune response, but the virus is deficient in spreading. The
immune response induced with this process is so substantial that only one
inoculation is sufficient.
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A vaccine for preventing UTI (PLoS
Pathog 5: e1000586. doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1000586) |
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Using a large-scale screening process, the authors uniformly identified
proteins involved in iron uptake as potential vaccine candidates against
E. coli. Iron acquisition is a critical function required by
bacteria in order to cause infections. In uropathogenic Escherichia
coli, this function is mediated by a repertoire of systems that
scavenge iron from the host during infection. By targeting an entire class
of molecules involved in iron acquisition instead of a single protein, it
was possible to successfully identify components of a protective UTI
vaccine.
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Which flu vaccine is better – Live or
inactivated? (N Engl J Med 2009; 361: 1260) |
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A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial
compared the efficacy of licensed inactivated and live attenuated
influenza vaccines in 1952 healthy adults during the
2007–2008 influenza season, that witnessed the
circulation of influenza type A (H3N2) (about 90%)
and B (about 9%) viruses. Absolute efficacy against
both types of influenza, was 68% for the inactivated vaccine and 36% for
the live attenuated vaccine. In terms of relative efficacy,
there was a 50% reduction in laboratory-confirmed
influenza among subjects who received inactivated vaccine as
compared with those given live attenuated vaccine. Only the
inactivated flu vaccine is available in India. This study suggests that at
least last year this vaccine had superior results as compared to the live
attenuated vaccine.
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