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New York Post
20 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
Scientists crack the code on new vaccine for deadly plague bacteria
Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is '100% effective' against bacteria that is deadly to humans. The announcement came from Tel Aviv University, which teamed up with the Israel Institute for Biological Research to create the mRNA-based vaccine, the first to protect against bacteria. 'In the study, we show that our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe lung infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease,' study co-lead Professor Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital. 6 Illustration of the Yersinia pestis bacteria. nobeastsofierce – 'Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which no approved vaccine exists.' This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, that it's been classified as a 'Tier 1 select agent' by the CDC and is considered a 'potential bioterror weapon,' according to Peer. 'Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well,' the team reported, noting that a single dose provided full protection after two weeks. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. Before this study, mRNA vaccines were only shown to protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Tel Aviv University's Dr. Edo Kon, who co-led the study. 'Until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable,' said Kon in the announcement. 'In our study, we proved that it is, in fact, possible to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria.' 6 A photo of Prof. Dan Peer, Dr. Inbal Hazan-Halefy, and Shani Benarroch. Tel Aviv University While vaccines for viruses trigger human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method hasn't been effective for bacteria. Instead, the scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a 'significant immune response.' 'To enhance the bacterial protein's stability and make sure that it does not disintegrate too quickly inside the body, we buttressed it with a section of human protein,' they wrote. 'By combining the two breakthrough strategies, we obtained a full immune response.' Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated the importance of the study. 6 Yersinia pestis vaccine vial and syringe. iStock 'This is distinct from research in coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which have so far been driving mRNA vaccine applications,' Glanville, who was not part of the research team, told Fox News Digital. The study shows how mRNA technologies can be rapidly applied to 'novel threat areas,' he confirmed. 'Following blowback from the mandates and rare but admittedly problematic side effects related to initial COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to make sure that the next generation of vaccines to emerge from it has learned the lessons from the initial vaccines, and improved upon them,' Glanville told Fox News Digital. 'This research demonstrates yet another large application area for the technology.' Potential limitations 6 Microscopic image of Yersinia pestis bacteria. Getty Images The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. 'As with any pre-clinical study, it needs to be evaluated in a clinical study in order to assess its effectiveness in humans,' he told Fox News Digital. In addition, the experimental mRNA vaccine is based on the 'lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine platform' that was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, Peer noted, which requires 'cold chain logistics' (a supply chain that uses refrigeration). 'Nevertheless, extensive studies are performed in our lab, focusing on lipid formulation stability optimization that will enable room-temperature storage,' the researcher added. Looking ahead 6 The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. motortion – The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic (disease-causing) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. 'Due to excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs,' said Peer. 'Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem.' As Peer pointed out, the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of mRNA research for similar viruses. 6 The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. AP 'If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines.' As this was a pre-clinical proof-of-concept study, Peer noted that several major milestones still need to be fulfilled before this vaccine could be considered for commercial rollout. However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be scaled up and prepared in a 'relatively short time.' Peer concluded, 'Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to developing mRNA vaccines against other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering a powerful new strategy to combat rising antimicrobial resistance and improve global pandemic preparedness.' The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Shmunis Family Foundation.
Fox News
a day ago
- Health
- Fox News
Scientists crack the code on new vaccine for deadly plague bacteria
Print Close By Melissa Rudy Published July 15, 2025 Israeli researchers have developed a new vaccine that is "100% effective" against a bacteria that is deadly to humans. The announcement came from Tel Aviv University, which teamed up with the Israel Institute for Biological Research to create the mRNA-based vaccine, which is the first to protect against bacteria. "In the study, we show that our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague (a severe lung infection), which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease," study co-lead Professor Dan Peer, director of the Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine at Tel Aviv University, told Fox News Digital. ARIZONA RESIDENT DIES OF PNEUMONIC PLAGUE, THE FIRST DEADLY CASE IN AREA IN NEARLY 20 YEARS "Yersinia pestis, the causative agent of plague, is considered a highly lethal infectious bacterium, against which no approved vaccine exists." This bacterium is so lethal, even at small doses, that it has been classified as a "Tier 1 select agent" by the CDC and is considered a "potential bioterror weapon," according to Peer. "Several natural local outbreaks have been recorded in the past few years, indicating that Y. pestis still poses a risk to the human population," he noted. The researchers tested the novel mRNA vaccine in animals infected with the bacteria, a university press release stated. BUBONIC PLAGUE IN THE US: DO YOU NEED TO WORRY ABOUT CATCHING THE RODENT-BORNE DISEASE? "Within a week, all unvaccinated animals died, while those vaccinated with our vaccine remained alive and well," the team reported, noting that a single dose provided full protection after two weeks. The findings were published in the journal Science Advances. "Our mRNA vaccine provides 100% protection against pneumonic plague, which is considered the most dangerous form of the disease." Before this study, mRNA vaccines were only shown to protect against viruses, such as COVID-19, but not bacteria, according to Tel Aviv University's Dr. Edo Kon, who co-led the study. "Until now, scientists believed that mRNA vaccines against bacteria were biologically unattainable," said Kon in the announcement. "In our study, we proved that it is, in fact, possible to develop mRNA vaccines that are 100% effective against deadly bacteria." While vaccines for viruses trigger human cells to produce viral proteins, which then train the immune system to protect against them, that same method hasn't been effective for bacteria. Instead, the scientists used a different method to release bacterial proteins that successfully created a "significant immune response." "To enhance the bacterial protein's stability and make sure that it does not disintegrate too quickly inside the body, we buttressed it with a section of human protein," they wrote. "By combining the two breakthrough strategies, we obtained a full immune response." Dr. Jacob Glanville, CEO of Centivax, a San Francisco biotechnology company, reiterated the importance of the study. "This is distinct from research in coronavirus, influenza and cancer, which have so far been driving mRNA vaccine applications," Glanville, who was not part of the research team, told Fox News Digital. The study shows how mRNA technologies can be rapidly applied to "novel threat areas," he confirmed. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Following blowback from the mandates and rare but admittedly problematic side effects related to initial COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA as a platform has faced additional scrutiny to make sure that the next generation of vaccines to emerge from it has learned the lessons from the initial vaccines, and improved upon them," Glanville told Fox News Digital. "This research demonstrates yet another large application area for the technology." Potential limitations The primary limitation of the study, according to Peer, is that the vaccine's effectiveness was shown in mice. "As with any pre-clinical study, it needs to be evaluated in a clinical study in order to assess its effectiveness in humans," he told Fox News Digital. In addition, the experimental mRNA vaccine is based on the "lipid nanoparticle (LNP) mRNA vaccine platform" that was recently approved for COVID-19 vaccines, Peer noted, which requires "cold chain logistics" (a supply chain that uses refrigeration). "Nevertheless, extensive studies are performed in our lab, focusing on lipid formulation stability optimization that will enable room-temperature storage," the researcher added. Looking ahead The goal is for this new technology to fast-track vaccines for bacterial diseases, according to the researchers. This could be particularly beneficial for pathogenic (disease-causing) and antibiotic-resistant bacteria. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." "Due to excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs," said Peer. "Consequently, antibiotic-resistant bacteria already pose a real threat to human health worldwide. Developing a new type of vaccine may provide an answer to this global problem." CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER As Peer pointed out, the quick development of the COVID-19 vaccine was based on years of mRNA research for similar viruses. "If tomorrow we face some kind of bacterial pandemic, our study will provide a pathway for quickly developing safe and effective mRNA vaccines." As this was a pre-clinical proof-of-concept study, Peer noted that several major milestones still need to be fulfilled before this vaccine could be considered for commercial rollout. However, he believes that in an emergency situation, the vaccine could be scaled up and prepared in a "relatively short time." For more Health articles, visit Peer concluded, "Beyond addressing the threat of plague outbreaks and potential bioterrorism, this study opens the door to developing mRNA vaccines against other antibiotic-resistant bacteria, offering a powerful new strategy to combat rising antimicrobial resistance and improve global pandemic preparedness." The study was supported by the European Research Council, the Israel Institute for Biological Research and the Shmunis Family Foundation. Print Close URL
Time of India
2 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
From COVID to pneumonic plague: mRNA vaccine scores another win with 100% effectiveness
In a major breakthrough, scientists from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR) have created the world's first mRNA-based vaccine to fight a deadly, antibiotic-resistant bacterium. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Just like the COVID-19 shots, this vaccine uses lipid nanoparticles to deliver protection—and get this—it showed 100% effectiveness in animal trials against pneumonic plague, one of the deadliest bacterial infections out there. The research, which even landed the cover of journal, was led by Prof. Dan Peer and his team at Tel Aviv University, alongside scientists from IIBR. The star team includes Dr. Edo Kon, Dr. Inbal Hazan-HaLevy, and PhD student Shani Benarroch. "Despite extensive global efforts over several decades to develop an effective and safe vaccine against Yersinia pestis, none has been approved to date in Western countries for protection against this notorious bacterial pathogen. This gap in protection is particularly concerning given that Y. pestis is classified as a Tier 1 biothreat agent due to its ability to cause plague – a severe and often fatal disease," the researchers have said. What is Yersinia pestis ? Yersinia pestis might sound like the name of a villain from a sci-fi movie, but it's very real—and very deadly. This sneaky little bacterium is actually the cause of the infamous plague, including the Black Death that wiped out millions of people in Europe back in the 1300s. Yep, we're talking about that plague. So, what exactly is Yersinia pestis? It's a type of bacteria usually spread to humans through the bites of infected fleas, especially those hitching rides on rats. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Once it gets into the body, it can cause a few different forms of illness—bubonic, septicemic, and pneumonic plague. Bubonic plague is the most common one and gets its name from the swollen, painful lymph nodes (called buboes) that show up, usually in the armpits, neck, or groin. The scarier version, pneumonic plague, affects the lungs and can actually spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. That's part of what makes it so dangerous—it doesn't need fleas to spread, just a human carrier with a bad cough. And if left untreated? It can be fatal in just a couple of days. The wild part? Yersinia pestis is still around today, though in smaller, more contained outbreaks. Countries like the U.S., Madagascar, and the Democratic Republic of Congo still report occasional cases. The good news is that modern antibiotics can usually treat it—if caught early. Timing is everything with this bacteria. What makes Yersinia pestis especially tricky is how fast it can overwhelm the immune system. It produces toxins and proteins that let it sneak past our defenses, making it hard for the body to fight back in time. And unfortunately, antibiotic resistance is becoming a concern, with some strains not responding to treatment like they used to. That's why the development of new vaccines—especially mRNA-based ones—is such a big deal. Scientists are working hard to stay a step ahead, and recent breakthroughs might finally give us better tools to fight back. In short, Yersinia pestis is a tiny but terrifying bug with a brutal history and serious present-day potential. It may not be in the headlines every day, but it's definitely not one to ignore.
