Vaccines

Scientists have discovered a stealthy mechanism that cytomegalovirus (CMV)—the leading infectious cause of birth defects in the U.S.—uses to infiltrate blood vessel cells while evading immune detection. The virus forms a hidden protein complex that acts like a molecular “backdoor,” allowing it to bypass the immune system’s defenses. This newly identified pathway may explain why vaccine efforts have failed for decades and opens the door to targeted therapies that could finally prevent CMV-linked birth defects in newborns and protect vulnerable patients.

Scientists have uncovered a stealthy tactic used by the SARS-CoV-2 virus: one of its proteins can leap from infected cells to healthy ones, effectively tricking the immune system into attacking the body’s own tissues.

Researchers from MIT and Scripps have unveiled a promising new HIV vaccine approach that generates a powerful immune response with just one dose. By combining two immune-boosting adjuvants alum and SMNP the vaccine lingers in lymph nodes for nearly a month, encouraging the body to produce a vast array of antibodies. This one-shot strategy could revolutionize how we fight not just HIV, but many infectious diseases. It mimics the natural infection process and opens the door to broadly neutralizing antibody responses, a holy grail in vaccine design. And best of all, it's built on components already known to medicine.

Powerful llama-derived antibodies could be the key to stopping not just current SARS viruses, but future ones too. Scientists have discovered a unique class of nanobodies that clamp the coronavirus spike protein shut at a highly conserved region, rendering it unable to infect cells. Unlike existing therapies that target mutating regions, this approach strikes at the virus s core machinery, giving it little room to evolve. Even when pushed to mutate, the virus faltered, making this a high-potential strategy for broad, lasting protection.

A new type of mRNA vaccine is more scalable and adaptable to continuously evolving viruses such as SARS-CoV-2 and H5N1, according to a new study.

A new study shows how person-to-person variation in antibody immunity plays a key role in shaping which influenza (flu) strains dominate in a population.

A team identified herpes virus saimiri, which infects the T cells of squirrel monkeys, as a source of proteins that activate pathways in T cells that are needed to promote T cell survival.

In the long battle to create an effective HIV vaccine, scientists have made a major leap forward. A new study shows that a series of vaccines can coax the immune system to produce powerful antibodies capable of blocking a wide range of HIV strains -- including those that are typically the hardest to stop.

New research demonstrates how specially engineered bacteria taken orally can operate as a delivery system for vaccines and antiviral therapies.

Head and neck cancer researchers are reporting the development and testing of HPV-DeepSeek, a novel liquid biopsy assay. In their new study, HPV-DeepSeek achieved 99% sensitivty and specifity for diagnosing HPV-associated head and neck cancers, outperforming standard of care methods. HPV causes about 70% of oropharyngeal cancers in the U.S., which are increasing in incidence faster than other head and neck cancers.

A decades-long scientific challenge in HIV vaccine development has been finding a way to train the immune system to produce antibodies that can target many variants of the virus. Traditional approaches haven't worked -- largely because HIV mutates rapidly and hides key parts of itself from the immune system. Now, a new study combining data from two separate phase 1 clinical trials shows that a targeted vaccine strategy can successfully activate early immune responses relevant to HIV, and, in one trial, further advance them -- a key step toward a long-sought goal in vaccine development.

New polymer microparticles can be used to deliver vaccines at different times. The work could lead to childhood vaccines given just once, eliminating the need for booster doses.

Most vaccines -- and boosters -- are injected directly into muscle tissue, usually in the upper arm, to kickstart the body's immune system in the fight against disease. But for respiratory diseases like COVID-19, it can be important to have protection right where the virus enters: the respiratory tract. In a new study, researchers found that nasal vaccine boosters can trigger strong immune defenses in the respiratory tract, even without the help of immune-boosting ingredients known as adjuvants. The findings, researchers suggest, may offer critical insights into developing safer, more effective nasal vaccines in the future.

Researchers show how specific immune cells are activated by the vaccine -- an important starting point for the development of new vaccines.

A research team has achieved a significant breakthrough in developing broadly protective, live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV). These innovative LAIV platforms offer potential to develop universal influenza vaccines that induce a more robust immune response against various virus subtypes, including both human and avian strains.

The recent global monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, with a new and aggressive variant, has underscored the dire need for safe, broadly effective, and accessible vaccines. The LC16m8 vaccine, an attenuated vaccinia virus strain originally developed for smallpox, is a promising option for countering the mpox virus. Exploring this potential further, researchers employed a cross-species immunological analysis to provide new insights into LC16m8's immunogenicity and safety against mpox. The recent global monkeypox (mpox) outbreak, with a new and aggressive variant, has underscored the dire need for safe, broadly effective, and accessible vaccines. The LC16m8 vaccine, an attenuated vaccinia virus strain originally developed for smallpox, is a promising option for countering the mpox virus. Exploring this potential further, researchers employed a cross-species immunological analysis to provide new insights into LC16m8's immunogenicity and safety against mpox.

Scientists have engineered a monoclonal antibody that can protect mice from a lethal dose of influenza A, a new study shows. The new molecule combines the specificity of a mature flu fighter with the broad binding capacity of a more general immune system defender.

AI model EVE-Vax provides clues about how a virus may evolve and the immune response it could provoke.

Scientists have uncovered a promising new way to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines by tapping into the potential of a specific type of immune cell, opening the door to long-lasting vaccines for viruses and enhanced cancer therapies. The study used a novel approach combined with cutting-edge mRNA vaccine technology to increase the formation of a type of T cell which has remarkable self-renewing capacity and can remember threats for years and even decades.

People who are given a vaccine for shingles have a 23% lower risk of cardiovascular events, including stroke, heart failure, and coronary heart disease, according to a recent study of more than a million people. The protective effect of the vaccine lasts for up to eight years and is particularly pronounced for men, people under the age of 60 and those with unhealthy lifestyles.

Scientists have uncovered why vaccines can elicit a stronger immune response if they are administered in the same arm.

Researchers have uncovered a critical, previously underappreciated role for B cells in vaccine protection. Best known for producing antibodies, B cells also guide other immune cells, specifically CD8 T cells, teaching them how to mount lasting defenses after vaccination.

A team led by researchers say public ignorance and apathy towards bird flu (highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI) could pose a serious obstacle to containing the virus and preventing a larger-scale public health crisis.

A vaccine under development has demonstrated complete protection in mice against a deadly variant of the virus that causes bird flu. The work focuses on the H5N1 variant known as 2.3.4.4b, which has caused widespread outbreaks in wild birds and poultry and other mammals. The vaccine is step toward more potent, versatile and easy-to-produce vaccines that public health officials believe will be needed to counteract evolving bird flu strains that grow resistant to existing vaccines.

Scientists have pioneered an influenza virus vector-based nasal spray vaccine platform and developed a nasal spray H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, this platform enabled the rapid development of a nasal spray vaccine in collaboration with mainland China's Wantai BioPharm. After completing Phase 1-3 clinical trials, it was approved in 2022 as the world's first nasal spray COVID-19 vaccine.

Researchers have shown that differences in the entire rotavirus genome -- not just its two surface proteins -- affect how well vaccines work, helping to explain why some strains are more likely to infect vaccinated individuals.

New research could aid in improving whooping cough vaccines to once again push this disease toward eradication by targeting two key weaknesses in the infection.

Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach to reduce viral transmission. Researchers have now used a clinical-grade antiviral chewing gum to substantially reduce viral loads of two herpes simplex viruses and two influenza A strains in experimental models.

In the fight against bacterial pathogens, researchers are combining vaccination with targeted colonization of the intestine by harmless microorganisms. This approach could potentially mark a turning point in the antibiotics crisis.

A new analysis of a vaccination program in Wales found that the shingles vaccine appeared to lower new dementia diagnoses by 20% -- more than any other known intervention.

Researchers have discovered that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have a persistent effect on the innate immune system. These mechanisms may help the human body to better protect itself against potential future infections.

Early animal studies show that a single vaccine could protect the recipient from different variants of the coronaviruses that cause COVID-19, the flu and the common cold. In addition to creating antibodies that target a specific region of the spike protein that doesn't mutate, the vaccine removes the sugar coat from the virus that allows it to hide in the body.

In addition to causing several types of cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) appears to bring a significantly increased risk of heart disease and coronary artery disease, according to a new study.

A study has found that a single dose of the Imvanex vaccine provides protection against Mpox with 84% effectiveness. For people with HIV, however, a single dose of the vaccine fails to offer sufficient protection. All at-risk groups, and people with HIV in particular, should therefore receive the second dose of the vaccine as recommended.

Existing antivirals may be less effective against this H5N1 bird flu strain, and prevention measures, such as avoiding raw milk consumption and reducing exposure in dairy workers, may be the most effective way to protect against the virus.

Older adults who were exposed to seasonal flu viruses that circulated prior to 1968 are more likely to have some protection against H5N1, and children would benefit more from H5N1 vaccines.

A study has established the importance of immunoglobulin A, an antibody that is part of the immune system, in generating a response to pneumonia vaccines. Researchers have found that the absence of this antibody leads to an overgrowth of gut microbiota, triggering an excessive and sustained immune system response, which ultimately becomes exhausted and fails to respond effectively to vaccines.

Researchers helped conduct an important new global health study that found a vaccine that protects against five strains of meningitis prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa is safe and effective for use in young children beginning at 9 months of age. This study provided evidence that formed the basis for the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision last year to recommend the pentavalent Men5CV meningitis vaccine for infants ages 9 months and older.

A more affordable, lower-risk polio vaccine is on the horizon, research has found.

A study finds that herpes infection through the nose can lead to anxiety, motor impairment and cognitive issues. The research shows that by exploiting a cellular enzyme, the virus can produce behavioral symptoms. The finding emphasizes the need for prevention and treatment of a virus carried by billions of people worldwide.

Recent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (also known as bird flu) have created a need for rapid and sensitive detection methods to mitigate its spread. Now, researchers have developed a prototype sensor that detects a type of influenza virus that causes bird flu (H5N1) in air samples. The low-cost handheld sensor detects the virus at levels below an infectious dose and could lead to rapid aerosol testing for airborne avian influenza.

A team has found two antibodies that can work together to neutralize the virus that causes COVID-19 in all its current known variations in a laboratory environment. More research is needed, but the approach shows promise in developing treatments to keep pace with evolving viruses.

A live-attenuated tuberculosis (TB) vaccine candidate in development elicits a much more balanced and effective immune response compared to the existing vaccine used across much of the world, according to preclinical research.

Everyday smartwatches are extremely accurate in detecting viral infection long before symptoms appear -- now, research shows how they could help stop a pandemic before it even begins.

As highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza continues to spread in the U.S., posing serious threats to dairy and poultry farms, both farmers and public health experts need better ways to monitor for infections, in real time, to mitigate and respond to outbreaks. Newly devised virus trackers can monitor for airborne particles of H5N1.

Scientists have a new target to prevent cold sores -- and genital herpes flare-ups caused by the same virus -- after researchers discovered an unexpected way the herpes virus re-activates in the body.

Researchers observed a rise in adult central nervous system (CNS) infections, primarily aseptic meningitis caused by the varicella zoster virus (VZV), post-2019. The researchers highlighted the potential of zoster vaccination to reduce CNS infections. Meanwhile, CNS infection by herpesviruses, including VZV, may contribute to the progression of dementia. Furthermore, the potential effect of zoster vaccines in preventing dementia progression by reducing VZV reactivation has also been highlighted.

Pre-existing immunity against seasonal H1N1 flu might help explain why most reported human cases of H5N1 bird flu in the U.S. have not resulted in lethal outcomes.

Very early exposure to even a very small dose of herpes simplex virus (HSV) in infant mice can lead to cognitive decline later in life, according to new findings. This is significant because of emerging data in human studies showing an association between HSV and Alzheimer's disease in humans.

Researchers have demonstrated that self-sampling is just as effective as speculum-based testing for HPV detection.

Researchers report that all nine patients in a clinical trial being treated for stage III or IV clear cell renal cell carcinoma (a form of kidney cancer), generated a successful anti-cancer immune response after initiation of a personalized cancer vaccine.

Researchers have identified the molecular and cellular mechanisms that transform healthy stem cells into oral cancer at the earliest stages of the disease.

The antibody targets a stable part of the bird flu virus, ensuring that the immune protection can resist new variants and offer long-term protection against the globally spreading airborne infection.

A therapeutic vaccine targeting human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) induced regression in high-grade precancerous cervical lesions, according to the results from a phase II clinical trial.

Non-persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are characterized by a sharp increase in viral load followed by a long plateau, according to a new study.

Many vaccines work by introducing a protein to the body that resembles part of a virus. Ideally, the immune system will produce long-lasting antibodies recognizing that specific virus, thereby providing protection. But scientists have now discovered that for some HIV vaccines, something else happens: after a few immunizations the immune system begins to produce antibodies against immune complexes already bound to the viral protein alone.

Researchers have identified nine mutations in a bird flu strain from a person in Texas. Bad news: this strain is more capable of causing disease and replicates better in the brain. Good news: approved antivirals are still effective.

The in-built in protection mechanisms offer a safer and more effective way to combat the deadliest disease of 2024.

Scientists have discovered that T cells -- white blood cells that can destroy harmful pathogens -- can completely prevent viral infection, to an extent previously thought only possible due to neutralizing antibodies. Their findings reshape our understanding of how our immune system works, paving the way for the design of more effective vaccines.

Highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza A virus (HPAI H5N1) remains a low risk to the general public, and public health experts in the United States believe that available treatments and vaccines, as well as those in development, are sufficient to prevent severe disease.