Can a vaccine protect you against eight deadly superbugs? Scientists may have an answer

An experimental vaccine may be able to protect Americans from multiple superbug infections responsible for death almost 100,000 people per year.

Researchers in California have designed a vaccine formula to prevent serious infections from drug-resistant pathogens that infect people in the hospital.

The team said the vaccine, made from just three ingredients, could put immune cells into ‘Incredible Hulk mode’ to protect against EIGHT infections acquired in hospitals, such as MRSA, for up to 28 days.

Dr. Brad Spellberg, lead researcher and chief medical officer at Los Angeles General Medical Center, said, “It’s an early warning system. It’s like Homeland Security is issuing a terror alert. “Everyone, keep your eyes peeled. Be on the lookout for suspicious packages.”

‘You warn the soldiers and tanks about your immune system. The vaccine activates them. “Oh dear, there’s danger here. I better turn into the Hulk.” I mean, if there are bad superbugs lurking around, you want the Hulk waiting to strike…right?”

The vaccine was developed by researchers at the Stevens Center for Innovation at the University of Southern California (USC) and funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

This is evident from the research published in the journal on Wednesday Scientific translational medicine, the researchers evaluated the shot’s impact on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), which are infections that patients acquire while in the hospital. They found that one dose was effective within 24 hours and could provide protection for up to 28 days in mouse models.

The vaccine contains only three ingredients. Two of these, Al(OH)3 and monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL), are compounds already used in many vaccines. The third, whole glucan particles (WGP), come from the cell walls of plants, fungi and algae.

There are no preventive treatments for these infections other than keeping equipment and hands clean. Antibiotics are the main treatment for HAIs once contracted, although many of these infections are resistant to them.

Many HAIs are caused by MRSA superbugs, which stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. These spread through contaminated surfaces or equipment, such as catheters or ventilators, or through person-to-person transmission, such as contaminated hands.

MRSA is caused by staph bacteria that are resistant to many antibiotics, making it more difficult to treat. It causes swollen, painful red bumps that resemble acne or spider bites.

According to the Mayo Clinic, the area may feel warm, be filled with pus, and be accompanied by a fever.

The researchers said the greatest risk occurs in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, who are more likely to develop infections in their surgical sites, bloodstream and urinary tract.

If MRSA infections are not treated quickly, they can spread to the bloodstream, lungs, heart, bones and joints.

Each year, HAIs affect more than 772,000 people in the US and kill more than 90,000. On any given day, one in 31 hospitalized Americans, or 8.2 million people, have one of these infections, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Typical vaccines prompt the body to produce antibodies against a specific pathogen, the researchers said.

However, no vaccines have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for more serious, antibiotic-resistant infections such as MRSA.

Dr. Brian Luna, a study author and immunologist at USC’s Keck School of Medicine, said: “Even if there were such vaccines, multiple vaccines would need to be deployed simultaneously to protect against the full range of antibiotic-resistant microbes that plague health care.” cause. acquired infections.’

However, this new vaccine targets a type of immune cells called macrophages, which are already in the body and digest harmful bacteria and fungi. These neutralize invaders, much like infections, before they can overwhelm the immune system and cause serious illness or death.

Jun Yan, author of the study and a medical student at USC, said: ‘This is very different from developing new antibiotics. We use our own immune system to fight various superbugs, which is a different approach than all the others.’

The researchers are now seeking guidance from the FDA on how to initiate human trials.