Whooping Cough Vaccination Enhancements Through Targeting Two Key Antibodies
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Synopsis
Recent research from The University of Texas at Austin aims to improve whooping cough vaccines by focusing on two key weaknesses in the infection, enhancing immunity and potentially eradicating the disease.
Key Takeaways
- Research from UT Austin aims to enhance whooping cough vaccines.
- Focus on two powerful antibodies, hu11E6 and hu1B7.
- Potential for improved vaccine effectiveness and longevity.
- Importance of targeting the pertussis toxin.
- Possibility of new therapeutic options for high-risk infants.
New Delhi, April 6 (NationPress) Recent findings from The University of Texas (UT) at Austin in the US may contribute to the enhancement of whooping cough vaccines, aiming to move towards the eradication of this disease by focusing on two significant vulnerabilities in the infection.
Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, was a major cause of mortality among children in the US and globally prior to the advent of vaccines in the 1940s.
However, the disease has seen a concerning resurgence in recent years due to a decline in vaccine uptake following the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2024, numerous outbreaks forced public health officials and hospitals to react quickly to a sudden increase in patients, especially infants, who are often too young to receive vaccinations and experience the most severe symptoms.
A research team, which includes members from UT’s McKetta Department of Chemical Engineering and Department of Molecular Biosciences, has made commendable progress in understanding and enhancing immunity against pertussis.
A critical factor that contributes to the danger of pertussis infections is the pertussis toxin (PT), a toxic agent produced by the bacteria that diminishes a patient’s immune response and leads to many of the severe symptoms associated with whooping cough.
The recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, concentrates on two potent antibodies, hu11E6 and hu1B7, which neutralize the PT in distinct manners.
“Several promising new pertussis vaccines are currently in research and clinical trial phases,” stated Jennifer Maynard, a professor of chemical engineering at the Cockrell School of Engineering and the corresponding author of the new study. “Our discoveries could be seamlessly integrated into future iterations, enhancing both the overall effectiveness and duration of protection.”
By training the immune system to target the most susceptible areas on the toxin, it is anticipated that more effective vaccines will be developed; the more effective and durable a vaccine is, the greater the likelihood of public uptake, according to Maynard.
In addition to guiding the design of future vaccines, the hu1B7 and hu11E6 antibodies may also serve as potential therapeutic agents for infected and high-risk infants.
