A team of researchers from the University of Houston have developed a new vaccine to treat and prevent the spread of flu and multiple coronavirus strains.
Through two nasal sprays — an immune activating therapeutic treatment and a new vaccine — the team of UH researchers have not only broken ground on vaccinating against SARS-CoV-2 and the flu virus, but also on creating a universal coronavirus vaccine.
Dr. Navin Varadarajan, who leads the lab behind the nasal sprays, said the new vaccine will be a game-changer to the “major obstacle” of current vaccines, which can prevent people from serious illness, but not stop them from spreading the disease to others.
“They can (current vaccines) keep you out of the hospital, but it doesn’t stop you from spreading it to vulnerable people,” Varadarajan said.
On top of providing a way to stop the spread of COVID to those most at risk — the elderly and immunocompromised — the new nasal vaccine is a crucial step forward in the goal of fighting viral evolution.
It’s natural for viruses to change and evolve — and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, is no exception. As viruses spread farther and faster, they can better adapt to their environment. Successful variants beat out weaker ones, which can lead to easier transmission or worsened disease.
While many viral variants have minimal impact, over time viruses become stronger against existing vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 resides in the nose, and since existing vaccines are intramuscular, meaning they are administered through a shot in the arm, the virus is not actually eliminated from the body.
NanoSTING-SN, on the other hand, hits “the last mile” of the nose, which prevents the disease from spreading, Varadarajan said. It’s also a pan-coronavirus nasal vaccine, meaning it works against the infection and disease of all viruses in the coronavirus family.
In animals, the nasal vaccine was 100% effective in stopping transmission of the Omnicron variants of concern to unvaccinated hosts.
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Before starting the process of approving the nasal vaccine with the FDA, Varadarajan’s startup, AuraVax Therapeutics, is prioritizing the researchers’ second nasal spray, NanoSTING. The spray is a therapeutic treatment for influenza strains more resilient to viral evolution than existing treatments. Through an immune-boosting ingredient called cGAMP, the formula puts cells in an intensified state of alert to fend off respiratory viruses.
Prescription treatment for viruses like the flu often run into the obstacle of resistant or sensitive strains of influenza. UH researchers say NanoSTING has the potential to be a broad-spectrum therapy, as it can override these resistant strains, unlike drugs such as Tamiflu.
Like I said, pretty cool, and happening here in Houston. You can read more about it on this UH press release, and you can learn more about AuraVax here. It sounds to me like this is still a couple of years away from being approved, but maybe I’m overestimating that. In any event, it’s good to see this in the pipeline.
Anyone interested in a deep dive into intranasal covid vaccines can listen to the February 17, 2022 episode of This Week in Virology: TWiV 867: I love the smell of vaccines in the morning.