Universal nasal spray against respiratory infections: Milestone hit at Stanford

Two sprays from a nasal spray – and Covid-19, bacterial infections, or other respiratory diseases will no longer occur in winter. What sounds like science fiction has now been achieved by researchers at Stanford University, at least in laboratory tests with mice. They want to develop a universal vaccine against respiratory infections and have reached an important milestone.

This is made possible by a paradigm shift in the procedure. The vaccine, named GLA-3M-052-LS+OVA, does not mimic components of a pathogen but imitates the signals that immune cells exchange with each other during an infection. This prevents pathogens from evading the immune system through mutation. This also makes the universal agent a beacon of hope in the fight against multi-resistant hospital germs.

Protection network in the lungs

Recent VR studies have shown that the human immune system can already react to optical stimuli before pathogens enter. A person's innate immune response normally subsides after a few days. The vaccine keeps T-cells in the lungs active for months. This creates a self-sustaining protection network in the organ. According to the researchers' vision, it could be used in the future to ward off pathogens and triggers such as SARS-CoV-2, influenza, RSV, cold viruses, pneumonia pathogens, and spring allergens. The vaccine provided protection against the bacteria Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii, typical hospital germs, for about 3 months. The adaptive immune defense with virus-specific T-cells and antibodies was also improved in vaccinated mice: instead of starting after the usual two weeks, it began in just three days.

In laboratory tests with mice, the viral load in the lungs was reduced by a factor of 700. While unvaccinated mice lost dramatic weight and often died, the vaccinated mice all survived and showed hardly any viral load in their lungs. The pathogen-neutral vaccine would have the advantage that it would theoretically also work against new, unknown pandemic viruses. With application as a nasal spray, the vaccine would be easy to administer, and according to the researchers, two doses would be sufficient for months of protection.

Available for humans in five years at the earliest

However, there is still a long way to go before it can be used in humans. Under ideal conditions, such a vaccine could be available in five to seven years. First, however, numerous studies are necessary. It is also still unclear whether the findings from mice can be transferred to humans. It also needs to be clarified to what extent side effects may occur. The study was published in the journal Science.

(mki)