PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New nasal vaccine shows promise in curbing whooping cough spread

With whooping cough cases on the rise new nasal vaccine aims to stop transmission

2024-11-18
(Press-News.org) As whooping cough cases rise in the U.S., a new nasal vaccine developed by Tulane University may hold the key to reducing the spread of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Current pertussis vaccines are widely used and effective at preventing whooping cough, caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria.  However, the vaccines fail to clear bacteria from the upper respiratory tract, allowing even vaccinated individuals to spread the disease.

The new vaccine combines the traditional pertussis antigens with an innovative adjuvant called T-vant, which boosts the body’s immune response specifically in the respiratory tract. In a study published in npj Vaccines, mice immunized intranasally with the new T-vant vaccine showed no signs of the bacteria in the lungs and nasopharynx – the upper throat area behind the nose – three weeks after infection. The bacteria remained prevalent in upper respiratory tract of mice that received the traditional vaccine intramuscularly.

“By developing a vaccine that can not only protect individuals but also prevent transmission, we hope to improve on existing vaccines and limit the spread of whooping cough in communities,” said lead study author Lisa Morici, professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine.

The T-vant adjuvant is derived from bacterial outer membrane vesicles, tiny particles that naturally stimulate the immune system. The study found that the adjuvant encouraged a mucosal immune response, spurring the activation of immune cells in the respiratory tract critical for halting the bacteria’s ability to colonize.

The study also found no adverse effects on lung tissue following immunization, highlighting the vaccine’s safety.

The findings are significant and come at a time when whooping cough cases are surging. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed a five-fold increase in U.S. cases over last year. The disease affects roughly 24 million people a year worldwide and primarily impacts infants and those with weakened immune systems.

A vaccine that can successfully prevent infection and transmission of whooping cough in humans could lay the groundwork for eliminating the disease altogether, said James McLachlan, co-author of the study and associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane School of Medicine.

“These findings underscore the need for enhanced vaccines that can do more than just protect the individual,” McLachlan said. “We need vaccines that can effectively stop the bacteria from spreading within communities, and this new approach offers an encouraging step in that direction.”

T-vant was developed through support from the NIH Adjuvant Development Program. More information on T-vant can be found at https://vac.niaid.nih.gov/view?id=61.

END


ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Smarter blood tests from MSU researchers deliver faster diagnoses, improved outcomes

2024-11-18
Image Highlights:   MSU researchers now can identify more proteins, or biomarkers, in blood plasma, including those linked to specific diseases like cancer. By identifying these biomarkers earlier, medical researchers can create better diagnostic tests and drugs that target diseases sooner, improving patient outcomes. EAST LANSING, Mich. – Medical professionals have long known that the earlier a disease is detected, the higher the chance for a better patient outcome. Now, a multidisciplinary team of Michigan State University researchers, in ...

Q&A: A new medical AI model can help spot systemic disease by looking at a range of image types

2024-11-18
Artificial intelligence is making impressive strides in its ability to read medical images. In a recent test in Britain's National Health Service, an AI tool looked at the mammograms of over 10,000 women and correctly identified which patients were found to have cancer. The AI also caught 11 cases doctors had missed. But systemic diseases, such as lupus and diabetes, present a greater challenge for these systems, since diagnosis often involves many kinds of medical images, from MRIs to CT scans. Sheng Wang, a University ...

For low-risk pregnancies, planned home births just as safe as birth center births, study shows

For low-risk pregnancies, planned home births just as safe as birth center births, study shows
2024-11-18
CORVALLIS, Ore. – In low-risk pregnancies, mothers and children are just as safe with a planned home birth as they are with a planned birth center birth, a national study led by Oregon State University researchers has shown. The findings, published in Medical Care, contradict doctors’ long-held concerns about home birth, including a recent opinion by the American College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians that describes hospitals and accredited birth centers as the safest places to have a baby. A birth center is a health care facility designed to provide a more natural and home-like environment than a hospital. OSU ...

Leaner large language models could enable efficient local use on phones and laptops

2024-11-18
Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly automating tasks like translation, text classification and customer service. But tapping into an LLM’s power typically requires users to send their requests to a centralized server — a process that’s expensive, energy-intensive and often slow. Now, researchers have introduced a technique for compressing an LLM’s reams of data, which could increase privacy, save energy and lower costs. The new algorithm, developed by engineers at Princeton and Stanford Engineering, works by trimming redundancies and reducing the precision of an LLM’s ...

‘Map of Life’ team wins $2 million prize for innovative rainforest tracking

2024-11-18
Traditionally, taking inventory of the species in a rainforest requires sending in a team of experts with field guides and binoculars for a multi-day expedition. But the devastating pace of the destruction of the world’s rainforests and increasing urgency to better monitor and protect what remains demand faster, easier, and more efficient approaches. Several years ago, a Yale-based team devised an alternate approach: they use lightweight, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to collect this critical biodiversity data in remote areas. Now they’ve collected ...

Rise in pancreatic cancer cases among young adults may be overdiagnosis

2024-11-18
Embargoed for release until 5:00 p.m. ET on Monday 18 November 2024     @Annalsofim          Below please find summaries of new articles that will be published in the next issue of Annals of Internal Medicine. The summaries are not intended to substitute for the full articles as a source of information. This information is under strict embargo and by taking it into possession, media representatives are committing to the terms of the embargo not only on their own behalf, but also on behalf of the organization they represent.     ...

New study: Short-lived soda tax reinforces alternative presumptions on tax impacts on consumer behaviors

2024-11-18
Key Takeaway: When policymakers enact consumption taxes to raise revenue for the government, consumers who oppose the tax may decrease their consumption more, leading to a reduction in tax revenue.   BALTIMORE, MD, November 18, 2024 – One of the most common assumptions tax policymakers make is that by raising taxes, they will raise revenue for the government. However, a new study that centers on a soda tax in Washington state has reinforced alternative presumptions about tax impacts on consumer behaviors. Researchers found that when Washington state enacted a tax on soda, it not only generated backlash in the consumer marketplace and political ...

Fewer than 1 in 5 know the 988 suicide lifeline

Fewer than 1 in 5 know the 988 suicide lifeline
2024-11-18
PHILADELPHIA – Annenberg Public Policy Center survey data show that public recall of the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number has grown slowly since the three-digit phone number was introduced in July 2022. Just 15% of U.S. adults are familiar with it, as of September 2024. Survey respondents who accurately report awareness of the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline number increased significantly from August 2023 (11%) to September 2024 (15%). Those 15% of respondents reported both that they knew the number and, when asked in an open-ended format, said the number ...

Semaglutide eligibility across all current indications for US adults

2024-11-18
About The Study: A total of nearly 137 million adults, representing more than half of all U.S. adults, are eligible for semaglutide therapy. This exceeds the number of adults eligible for statins (approximately 82 million), currently the most prescribed pharmaceuticals among U.S. adults.  Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Dhruv S. Kazi, MD, MS, email dkazi@bidmc.harvard.edu. To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/  (doi:10.1001/jamacardio.2024.4657) Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions ...

Can podcasts create healthier habits?

Can podcasts create healthier habits?
2024-11-18
Whether it’s ABC Listen’s Health Report or Mamamia’s But Are You Happy, podcasts have fast become a part of our everyday media consumption. In fact, the average person spends more than five hours a week listening to them. But could listening to podcasts lead to healthier habits?   In the first study of its kind, University of South Australia researchers have explored just this, finding that podcasts can significantly improve health knowledge, increase exercise levels, and boost healthy eating.   Reviewing ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists unlock secrets behind flowering of the king of fruits

Texas A&M researchers illuminate the mysteries of icy ocean worlds

Prosthetic material could help reduce infections from intravenous catheters

Can the heart heal itself? New study says it can

Microscopic discovery in cancer cells could have a big impact

Rice researchers take ‘significant leap forward’ with quantum simulation of molecular electron transfer

Breakthrough new material brings affordable, sustainable future within grasp

How everyday activities inside your home can generate energy

Inequality weakens local governance and public satisfaction, study finds

Uncovering key molecular factors behind malaria’s deadliest strain

UC Davis researchers help decode the cause of aggressive breast cancer in women of color

Researchers discovered replication hubs for human norovirus

SNU researchers develop the world’s most sensitive flexible strain sensor

Tiny, wireless antennas use light to monitor cellular communication

Neutrality has played a pivotal, but under-examined, role in international relations, new research shows

Study reveals right whales live 130 years — or more

Researchers reveal how human eyelashes promote water drainage

Pollinators most vulnerable to rising global temperatures are flies, study shows

DFG to fund eight new research units

Modern AI systems have achieved Turing's vision, but not exactly how he hoped

Quantum walk computing unlocks new potential in quantum science and technology

Construction materials and household items are a part of a long-term carbon sink called the “technosphere”

First demonstration of quantum teleportation over busy Internet cables

Disparities and gaps in breast cancer screening for women ages 40 to 49

US tobacco 21 policies and potential mortality reductions by state

AI-driven approach reveals hidden hazards of chemical mixtures in rivers

Older age linked to increased complications after breast reconstruction

ESA and NASA satellites deliver first joint picture of Greenland Ice Sheet melting

Early detection model for pancreatic necrosis improves patient outcomes

Poor vascular health accelerates brain ageing

[Press-News.org] New nasal vaccine shows promise in curbing whooping cough spread
With whooping cough cases on the rise new nasal vaccine aims to stop transmission