Future Timeline

Johns Hopkins engineers have helped develop and characterize an artificial protein that triggers the same response in the human body as its natural counterpart—a breakthrough that not only has the potential to facilitate the design of drugs to accelerate healing but also sheds light on the mechanisms behind various diseases.

The team's research was published in Nature Chemical Biology.

Studies of a "future-proof" vaccine candidate have shown that just one antigen can be modified to provide a broadly protective immune response in animals. The studies suggest that a single vaccine with combinations of these antigens—a substance that causes the immune system to produce antibodies against it—could protect against an even greater range of current and future coronaviruses.

The vaccine antigen technology, developed by the University of Cambridge and spin-out DIOSynVax in early 2020, provided protection against all known variants of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—as well as other major coronaviruses, including those that caused the first SARS epidemic in 2002.

Scientists have created a new type of vaccine that instead of activating the immune system, selectively suppresses it. The so-called inverse vaccine, which has only been tested in mice so far, could one day be used to treat autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks the body, the researchers say.

The vaccine was given to mice with a condition similar to multiple sclerosis, an autoimmune disease in which myelin sheaths, or the insulating coats around nerves in the brain and spinal cord, are systematically destroyed. The treatment reversed symptoms of the disease and restored the function of nerve cells. The findings were described in a study published Sept. 7 in the journal Nature Biomedical Engineering.

The vaccine essentially works by getting the immune system to recognize nerves as "safe," rather than as foreign invaders that should be attacked. The method hasn't been tested in humans, but experts told Live Science that the results are exciting.

Abstract

Metagenomic sequencing (MGS) has shown promise for infectious disease diagnostics and pandemic preparedness but has not yet reached widespread clinical adoption due to limitations such as high costs and complex workflows. This technology roadmap proposes target specifications for a MGS diagnostic device to enable routine use: sensitivity comparable to polymerase chain reaction, time-to-answer under 1 hour, cost per test under $10, and a portable, affordable instrument. We estimate that throughput of 1-10 million reads per hour with modest read lengths >25 base pairs and accuracy >95% could robustly detect most pathogens in human respiratory samples. Existing sequencing platforms do not meet this combination of targets, so focused technology development is needed. Nanopore and single-molecule optical sequencing are highlighted as promising approaches if optimized for the proposed specifications rather than long reads and maximum accuracy. Realizing ubiquitous MGS may require push and pull incentives for innovation. A low-cost, rapid MGS diagnostic appears technically feasible and could greatly enhance pandemic preparedness.

New tests of a recently approved vaccine for respiratory syncytial virus—RSV—show the shot remains effective against a range of variants producing potent antibody responses against current and past strains, and may even bode well against future viral offshoots.

The new research, led by scientists in Belgium, involved small and large animals as well as antibody samples from older human adults. The positive antibody response against the virus was particularly evident when the vaccine was combined with an adjuvant, which is an additional ingredient to boost the immune response.

The new research arrives as seasonal viruses begin their annual circulation throughout the Northern Hemisphere—and public health officials wait with baited breath to gauge whether a "tripledemic" could mark the 2023–2024 season. COVID cases have already gotten a jump on the season in many countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Whether RSV and influenza will be more or less aggressive has yet to be determined.

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