The same technology that saved millions of lives during the coronavirus pandemic appears to hold promise against the scourge of new infectious diseases, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania.
In studies using mice, hamsters, and non-human primates, researchers at Pennsylvania state have found that an improved version of an mRNA COVID-19 vaccine based on technology also pioneered in Pennsylvania has been tested. They found that it appears to be able to prevent and fight infections caused by Clostridioides difficile. The bacterium, also known as C. difficile or C. diff, causes 500,000 infections and approximately 30,000 deaths in the United States each year.
“C. diff is a very difficult pathogen,” said lead author Joseph Sackler, assistant professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. He added: “This vaccine is like a very good proof of principle that mRNA technology can address another major public health threat.”
C. diff is damaging in several ways. It hangs out in our intestines and can produce toxins that cause problems such as diarrhea. However, it also exists as spores that exist outside the body and can survive for long periods in the soil or on surfaces, acting as a major source of infection.
Most of the time, our bodies can keep C. diff at bay, but as we age and take antibiotics, we wipe out the “good bacteria” that keep C. diff in check. That ability will be reduced. An alarming trend is that more young people are becoming infected with C. diff even if they are not taking antibiotics.
Once infected with C. diff, it is very difficult to shake it off. Approximately 1 in 6 people infected with C. diff become infected again within a few weeks.
In a study published earlier this month in the journal Science, Sackler and his team modified an mRNA vaccine that targets the COVID-19 virus to instead target the entire C. diff bacteria. now attacks.
They found that an mRNA vaccine that targets C. diff cells and the toxins they produce produces a long-lasting immune response in mice and hamsters.
When mice were given 20 times the lethal dose of C. diff, all unvaccinated mice died within two days, but all vaccinated mice survived and remained alert and active. However, the symptoms were mild. The vaccinated mice survived a second infection six months later. A version of the vaccine that also targets spores appears to help mice and non-human primates fight off C. diff infections.
Other mRNA applications
The researchers’ next steps include continuing to test the vaccine in animal models and eventually humans. As with any animal research, there is no guarantee that what works in mice will work in humans. Additionally, C. diff is not an easy pathogen to target. Sanofi discontinued its C. diff vaccine candidate in 2017, and a 2024 report showed that Pfizer’s C. diff vaccine failed to prevent infection in a Phase 3 clinical trial.
Still, mRNA vaccines are an established platform, and Penn State researchers have also used them to target Lyme disease, norovirus, and herpesvirus, and are working on other targets such as cancer. There is. In the future, it may be possible to develop mRNA vaccines for many other bacterial infections, such as salmonella, Sackler said. “There are a lot of really, really nasty bugs that are multi-drug resistant, and we’re really concerned about that.”
The C. diff study was funded in part by BioNTech, which produced part of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine in collaboration with Pfizer. In addition, Mr. Penn has optioned and licensed some of its intellectual property related to the C. diff mRNA vaccine development project to BioNTech and, therefore, may receive “additional financial benefits under the option and license in the future.” There is a possibility of receiving “. Penn news release about this study.
