The first clinical trials of a nasal nano-vaccine against avian influenza, conducted on healthy volunteers at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, showed it to be safe and immunologically effective, according to the university's public relations office.
Assistant Professor Franklin Tuabanta explained that the new vaccine "trains the respiratory mucosa to recognize and attack virus particles, thus promoting a strong and comprehensive immune response against a wide range of strains." He emphasized that the high levels of antibodies and the cellular and mucosal immune responses indicate the promising potential of this vaccine.
It is worth mentioning that the experimental vaccine was developed in cooperation with the American biotechnology company BlueWillow Biologics, and consists of antigens taken from the bird flu virus that caused the outbreak in Indonesia in 2005, along with a special nano-emulsion that helps to combine them with large nanoparticles.
Previous animal studies had shown that these nanoparticles effectively penetrate the nasal mucosa and generate long-lasting immunity against several strains of the virus. Based on these findings, scientists conducted the first phase of clinical trials with 40 healthy volunteers without chronic illnesses. One group received the vaccine, while the other received a placebo or a dose of antigens without the nanoemulsion.
Six months later, all participants received a conventional injectable avian influenza vaccine, allowing researchers to assess the strength and duration of the immune response. The results showed that the nasal vaccine did not cause any serious side effects and stimulated an effective immune response against a wide range of H5N1 virus strains.
