Scientists in Germany have made a breakthrough in the development of a nasal vaccine that can prevent Covid-19 from taking hold in the nose and throat. In experiments with hamsters, two doses of the weakened virus resulted in "sterilizing immunity" - essentially eliminating the virus's ability to replicate.
The researchers used a technique called codon pair deoptimization to weaken the genetic material of the virus, making it less capable of causing disease while still eliciting an immune response from the body. This approach is similar to that used in the 1870s for vaccines against anthrax and rabies.
In animal studies, two doses of the nasal vaccine showed a stronger immune response than mRNA-based vaccines or adenovirus-based vaccines. The researchers believe this is because the weakened virus closely mimics the natural infection process, allowing the body to mount a more effective defense.
The new nasal vaccine also has the potential to provide broader protection against different strains of Covid-19, as it previews the entire coronavirus rather than just its spike proteins like current vaccines do.
While promising results have been seen in animal studies, experts caution that further testing is still needed before human trials can begin. The development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine has been stalled due to the rapid evolution of the virus, and the need for a universal vaccine remains a pressing concern.
Several other nasal vaccines are nearing completion in clinical trials, including ones being developed by companies such as Codagenix. While these have shown promise, it's too early to say whether they will ultimately be effective against Covid-19.
One consideration is that live vaccines can pose risks to people with weakened immunity, and therefore must be used carefully. Nevertheless, the idea of a nasal vaccine remains an attractive one, particularly for respiratory infections where inhaled vaccines have struggled to provide adequate protection.
The researchers used a technique called codon pair deoptimization to weaken the genetic material of the virus, making it less capable of causing disease while still eliciting an immune response from the body. This approach is similar to that used in the 1870s for vaccines against anthrax and rabies.
In animal studies, two doses of the nasal vaccine showed a stronger immune response than mRNA-based vaccines or adenovirus-based vaccines. The researchers believe this is because the weakened virus closely mimics the natural infection process, allowing the body to mount a more effective defense.
The new nasal vaccine also has the potential to provide broader protection against different strains of Covid-19, as it previews the entire coronavirus rather than just its spike proteins like current vaccines do.
While promising results have been seen in animal studies, experts caution that further testing is still needed before human trials can begin. The development of a pan-coronavirus vaccine has been stalled due to the rapid evolution of the virus, and the need for a universal vaccine remains a pressing concern.
Several other nasal vaccines are nearing completion in clinical trials, including ones being developed by companies such as Codagenix. While these have shown promise, it's too early to say whether they will ultimately be effective against Covid-19.
One consideration is that live vaccines can pose risks to people with weakened immunity, and therefore must be used carefully. Nevertheless, the idea of a nasal vaccine remains an attractive one, particularly for respiratory infections where inhaled vaccines have struggled to provide adequate protection.
They took this weak-virus approach which has been around since the 1870s and it seems to be working well on hamsters 
. The idea is that by mimicking a natural infection, our bodies can build up some serious resistance against Covid-19 
.
. It's also super important to note that with live vaccines there are risks involved for people with weakened immunity 
. 
! Maybe one day we'll have an actual "pan-coronavirus" vaccine 
.
. Back then, we didn't even have all the fancy medicines they do now 
. But I mean, hamsters, right? 
Still gotta be careful, though - we don't want any more of those terrible side effects from vaccines that happened back in the day 
...
A nasal vaccine that can actually prevent Covid from taking hold? That's like something out of science fiction! I've lost count of how many people have died or suffered because of this pandemic and the thought of a vaccine that can stop it in its tracks is just... wow.
It's a prospect worth holding onto.
the fact that it's a nasal vaccine means less pain involved when administering and could also reduce side effects overall 
plus the idea of sterilizing immunity is so cool 
I wonder if this tech can be applied to other respiratory infections as well? 
like flu or pneumonia?
using this codon pair deoptimization technique to weaken the virus. And it's not just effective against Covid-19, but also other strains of the coronavirus 
.
. I know my aunt had her Covid vaccine and she was feeling really under the weather afterwards 
.
and what's with all these other vaccines that have shown promise but didn't quite hit the mark? 
codon pair deoptimization sounds like some fancy science jargon to me... i'm not saying it won't work, but let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet 
. i mean, we've been down this road before with mRNA vaccines and adenovirus-based ones... where did that even lead us? 
i'm also wondering, if this vaccine is so strong, why are experts still cautioning about human trials? shouldn't we be able to test it out already? 
they're using some old technique from the 1870s... that's cool and all, but how many hamsters did it take 'em to get the results they want? 
. Let's hope they can get it through human trials ASAP and make this thing available to people who need it most 
!
. We've seen so many vaccines come and go, only to have new variants pop up and render them ineffective. So yeah, let's not get too ahead of ourselves here 
. I'm really glad scientists are exploring alternative approaches, especially since the current ones aren't perfect. The idea of a weakened virus being closer to its natural infection process makes total sense, so it's awesome that they're testing this out.
. It's like trying to catch every single type of Covid strain - not easy! 
But if this nasal vaccine can provide broader protection against different strains, that'd be HUGE 
. I mean, who wouldn't want a vaccine that can hit the problem right at its source? No more relying on masks and social distancing 
(although those are still important too 
). This is some next-gen science right here! 
two doses of the weakened virus resulted in essentially eliminating the virus's ability to replicate that's amazing! And I love how this approach is similar to what they used back in the 1870s, it just goes to show science never sleeps 
And the best part is, it uses a technique that's been around since the 1870s, so it's not like they're reinventing the wheel. They're building on existing tech and making it better! 
And yeah, I know animal studies aren't the same as human trials, but come on, it's a start!