Just adding a natural immune substance in the body can keep the effectiveness of vaccines unchanged, even if the dosage is reduced by up to 100 times. This is a new idea from Canadian scientists, which holds significant importance in the fight against avian influenza, SARS, and tuberculosis.
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| A small amount of vaccine can maintain its effectiveness. (Photo: AFP/VNE) |
The natural immune substance is a molecule named TAP, which acts as a “beacon” helping the immune system identify its targets for attack. Researchers at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, have found that adding TAP to vaccines maintains the drug’s effectiveness, even when the dosage is reduced by 100 times compared to the standard.
Lead researcher Wilfred Jefferies tested this new technique on mice and observed immune responses that protected these mice from rabies, measles, and smallpox.
The TAP molecule serves to deliver amino acid chains inside cells. In cancer cells, TAP is mysteriously disabled, resulting in the immune system’s inability to recognize its targets.
“The TAP model can be applied to many types of viruses and promises advancements in developing new vaccines and improving existing ones,” the research team affirmed.
Jefferies’ initiative is considered especially important at this time, as the world holds its breath in the face of a potential avian flu pandemic, should the H5N1 virus mutate into a strain that can easily spread from person to person. Additionally, the reduced dosage can help decrease the toxicity of certain vaccines, particularly smallpox and anthrax, while also aiding those with weakened immune systems, such as AIDS patients, in better absorption. The research team is preparing to produce a batch of prototype vaccines to move towards clinical trials within the next two years.
Jefferies first recognized the potential of TAP after discovering that this molecule was disabled in cancer cells (which explains why the body cannot combat cancer cells). By actively attaching TAP to diseased cells, Jefferies found that the immune system suddenly became agile and targeted the right objectives.
“TAP is a crucial molecule in the formation of immune responses. Its presence will enable the body to precisely attack viruses,” Jefferies asserted. However, the research team is unsure why the TAP molecule is “turned off” in cancer cells.
Mỹ Linh (according to AFP)
