There is no such thing as a vaccine, as there is neither a physical nor a chemical preparation that is capable of providing active acquired immunity.
It is common for vaccines to contain a similar microorganism as the one that causes the disease or to use the toxin that the microorganism produces or one of its surface proteins to reproduce the disease.
Millions Of People Around The World Could Be Saved By An Oral Vaccine
When the body is exposed to the agent, the immune system recognizes it as a threat, destroys it, then recognizes and destroys any microbes associated with the agent that might be encountered in the future.
Prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines are available. In some vaccines, the infection can be completely prevented due to sterilizing immunity. Though many diseases are there that trouble the human body, most of them are covered with the help of vaccines by experts.
However, hookworm is one such ailment that still troubles many people all over the world, and now the experts have come up with one more oral vaccine that can remove these worms and help one get rid of different medical issues. As per the team of experts that carried out the research, this vaccine will be beneficial to people of various states across the nation.
There are many types of vaccines for different diseases which help for the improvement of health. An important breakthrough has been made in the development of a vaccine that prevents hookworm infection. Hookworm is a disease that plagues tens of millions of people worldwide.
Researchers conducted trials of the vaccine candidate in mice, finding that it was twice as effective as existing alternatives and marked an important milestone in the fight against the highly contagious parasite.
Istvan Toth, a professor in UQ’s School of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, said the vaccine could revolutionize health care in developing countries due to its easy delivery – as a tablet, liquid, or powder.
Using an oral vaccine candidate, Professor Toth explained that he could reach large, isolated populations without specialist training or special storage because medical personnel is not needed.
In areas with high economic growth, vaccination will not only improve the health of those at risk but will also significantly reduce the cost of vaccination.”
Around half a billion people are infected with hookworms worldwide, which live inside the intestine of their hosts and feed on blood digested by special enzymes.
Water pollution, poor sanitation, and poor hygiene are often associated with the disease, making it a major threat to children’s health and development and a leading cause of miscarriage and mortality.
According to UQ’s animal experiments, mice with worms had worm numbers that were 20 to 50 percent lower than mice who had worms.
Ninety-four percent of the worms in mice were reduced by a UQ-developed vaccine, Professor Toth said.
Dr. Mariusz Skwarczynski, one of the study’s co-authors, says the hookworm’s digestive enzyme was targeted for the new vaccine. “Our new vaccine candidate promotes a much stronger immune response, and it’s also easier to deliver.”
According to Skwarczynski, when enzymes like these are blocked, parasites starve. Vaccines produce antibodies against the enzymes that break down blood so they cannot digest it, causing them to stop eating properly.
Before working on human clinical trials, the researchers will continue to develop the vaccine candidate and refine it in preclinical settings to ensure its safety and effectiveness. We remain confident that we will be able to develop a vaccine that stops the parasite in its tracks with our colleagues led by Professor Alex Loukas from James Cook University,” Dr. Skwarczynski said
