The first mRNA ‘anti-tick‘ vaccine
The first mRNA ‘anti-tick‘ vaccine - just published in Science Translational Medicine by Prof. Erol Fikrig’s research group (Yale University)
In their study, the authors vaccinated guinea pigs with a cocktail of nineteen mRNAs encoding salivary proteins packaged in lipid nanoparticles. This mRNA ‘anti-tick‘ vaccine promoted antibody responses against salivary proteins in guinea pigs, which consequently suppressed their infection by Borrelia. The vaccine elicited immediate swelling and itching. Such a response could help to alert hosts to ticks quickly and prevent Borrelia transmission.
Sajid A., Matias J., Arora G., Kurokawa C., DePonte K., Tang X., Lynn G., Wu M.-J., Pal U., Oliveres Strank N., Pardi N., Narasimhan S., Weissman D., Fikrig E. 2021: mRNA vaccination induces tick resistance and prevents transmission of the Lyme disease agent. Science Translational Medicine 13: eabj9827. [IF=17.956] DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abj9827
Petr Kopáček and colleagues were invited to write a Focus article to this pioneering study which was published in the same issue of this journal.
Kopáček P., Šíma R., Perner J. 2021: An mRNA-based anti-tick vaccine catches ticks red-handed. Science Translational Medicine 13: eabm2504. [IF=17.956] DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abm2504
Comments:
https://www.livescience.com/tick-vaccine-prevents-lyme-disease-in-guinea-pigs
https://newatlas.com/science/mrna-tick-vaccine-lyme-disease-yale/
https://www.thedailybeast.com/could-this-mrna-vaccine-be-the-lyme-disease-weapon-we-need
