Image of nanoparticles exposing on their surface the hRSV fusion F viral protein
A collaborative project between the Institute for Research in Biomedicine (IRB, affiliated to USI) and several other European and American research institutes provides new hope for the development of an efficient vaccine against human Respiratory Syncytial Virus (hRSV), which is responsible, in particular, for acute lung infections such as bronchiolitis in children. The results of the study, coordinated by Dr. Laurent Perez at the IRB in Bellinzona, were published in the renowned scientific journal Cell . The discovery The study describes the development of protein nanoparticles capable of self-assembling and exposing on their surface a particular protein (a stabilized variant of the so-called viral fusion protein F). The presence of these nanoparticles improves the body's response against infection and is therefore an interesting basis for a potential vaccine: the nanoparticles generate an antibody response which neutralizes the virus with an efficacy up to ten times higher than the one generated by vaccines that are now used in clinical research. The research therefore opens new hopes for the development of a truly effective vaccine and confirms that, in this area, nanoparticles can be a useful tool, especially when the infectious agent induces a weak immune response or when it is physically instable. The hRSV virus Human Respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is an enveloped RNA virus and a worldwide public health concern. Infection of healthy adults by RSV typically results in mild respiratory symptoms.
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