| New Approach a Step Forward for Hepatitis C Vaccine |
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Tuesday, 16 August 2011 16:58
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August 5, 2011 French researchers on Wednesday reported early results on an experimental vaccine against hepatitis C virus. Several companies are developing therapeutic vaccines for those already infected, focused on T-cells, but there is no preventive vaccine to date. In the new study, the preventive HCV vaccine was successful in mice and monkeys, inducing immune system proteins known as neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). "For a preventive vaccine, neutralizing antibodies are absolutely essential, and for a therapeutic product they would also be a big advantage," said David Klatzmann, a member of the research team. "Neutralizing antibodies are the foundation for successful disease prevention for most established vaccines," the team noted. To induce NAbs, the vaccine uses virus-like particles that are non-infectious and HCV envelope glycoproteins. The vaccine induced antibodies to the glycoproteins, as well as NAbs, in both mice and macaques, the team reported. Moreover, the NAbs raised against HCV-1a cross-neutralized the five other HCV genotypes tested (1b, 2a, 2b, 4 and 5). The vaccine platform could be mobilized against a broad array of virus envelope glycoproteins, the study authors wrote. Early-stage human trials of the vaccine could begin in 2012, if funding is in place, said Charlotte Dalba, CEO of Epixis, the French owner of commercial rights to the technology. Commercial interest in a preventive HCV vaccine has been muted, possibly because the main markets would be in the developing world. The full study, "A Prime-Boost Strategy Using Virus-Like Particles Pseudotyped for HCV Proteins Triggers Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies in Macaques," was published in Science Translational Medicine (2011;3(94):94ra71. doi:10.1126/scitranslmed.3002330). http://www.thebody.com Add this page to your favourite Social Bookmarking websites;         
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