Instead of antibiotics
The new vaccine in the form of tablets reliably protects against urogenital infections
Svetlana Maslova, Hi-tech+
Scientists have presented a vaccine against urinary tract infections, which, according to its characteristics, can replace taking antibiotics. Antibacterial drugs are associated with negative health consequences, in addition, many strains of bacteria become resistant to them, so patients have frequent relapses.
Antibacterial therapy remains the gold standard for the treatment of urinary tract infections (UTIs) that occur due to bacteria infecting the urethra, bladder, ureters or kidneys. Antibiotics negatively affect the intestinal microbiota, which increases the risk of developing resistant bacteria. As a solution , scientists from Duke University has unveiled a new vaccine that activates key immune cells to target bacteria.
Article by Kelly et al. A Sublingual Nanofiber Vaccine to Prevent Urinary Tract Infections is published in the journal Science Advances – VM.
The vaccine is developed in the form of tablets for resorption in the mouth. Absorption of the drug through the mucous membrane under the tongue causes an immune response both in the blood and in the urogenital tract, which does not allow intramuscular injections, scientists explain.
The drug contains certain proteins that have been identified as the most common in UTI bacteria. They activate immune cells, giving specific instructions for the destruction of bacteria both in the blood and in the urogenital tract.
Efficacy and safety have been confirmed in experiments on mice.
"The effectiveness was comparable to the action of antibiotics, and the production of antibodies persisted throughout the life of rodents. This means that the protective effect can be long—term," commented co-author Joel Collier.
At the same time, the drug did not have a strong negative effect on the intestinal mycobiota, which is usually seriously destroyed after taking antibiotics, the authors specify. Preclinical studies are currently ongoing.
Recently, other scientists have presented a vaccine that protects against all known varieties of the influenza virus — it has demonstrated a long-term immune response against all 20 known subtypes of the influenza A and B virus.
Portal "Eternal youth" http://vechnayamolodost.ru