Experimental vaccine will eliminate hospital-acquired infections

A team of researchers led by experts at the University of Southern California has created an experimental vaccine to prevent infections with drug-resistant pathogens. A recent study gave the drug to mice and showed that immune cells remained alert after immunization.

According to statistics, more than 90,000 people in the United States have died from infections acquired in hospital settings. That doesn’t include the high cost to the health system, which ranges from $28,000 to $45,000. In fact, CDC data estimates that 1 in 31 hospitalized patients will suffer from such an infection.

Drug-resistant pathogens are a public health threat not just in the United States but around the world.Today, most infections are caused by Staphylococcus aureus

(methicillin-resistant) or Acinetobacter baumannii. Bacteria are spread through contaminated surfaces or equipment, such as catheters or respirators, or from person to person, often through contaminated hands.

In the intensive care unit (ICU), patients are at higher risk. People can suffer from surgical site infections, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections and pneumonia associated with ventilator use.

“Even if such a vaccine exists, multiple vaccines will need to be deployed simultaneously to protect against the diverse antibiotic-resistant microorganisms that cause healthcare infections.”Brian Luna, associate professor of molecular microbiology and immunology at the Keck School of Medicine of USC, discusses preventing hospital-acquired infections.

One dose of experimental vaccine protects for 28 days

Traditional vaccines typically encourage the body to produce specific antibodies against a specific pathogen. Despite the high incidence of infections in healthcare settings, there are currently no FDA-approved vaccines that can prevent the most severe antibiotic-resistant infections.

Experimental vaccines, on the other hand, follow a completely different approach. It activates immune system cells called macrophages, whose function is to capture and destroy bacteria, fungi and other pathogens, according to an article published in Science Translational Medicine. These activated macrophages are distributed throughout the body and are able to effectively inactivate invaders that attempt to penetrate and multiply rapidly, thus overcoming the body’s natural defenses.

The experimental vaccine consists of just three ingredients, two of which are already used in FDA-approved vaccines. The third part consists of a small portion of the surface of common fungi found on human skin.

After evaluation by two independent laboratories, The vaccine was proven effective in just 24 hours and provided protection for up to 28 days. In studies of mice, a significant increase in the number of immune system cells responsible for eliminating pathogens from the blood was found, significantly improving the body’s ability to fight off serious infections. Early data suggests giving a second dose can extend the window to prevent infection.

The next step is to obtain guidance from the FDA on the requirements needed to complete preclinical studies and submit an investigational new drug application (IND) in 2024. The first such trial will be conducted in healthy volunteers to determine the appropriate dose of the vaccine that is safe and capable of triggering an immune response similar to that observed in mouse studies.