Molecule with promise to enhance vaccine efficacy

Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Mansour Haeryfar (second from left) with Haeryfar Lab trainees Rasheduzzaman Rashu, Marina Ninkov and Nicole Wang. (Prabhjot Sohal/Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry) Western researchers discover molecule with promise to enhance vaccine efficacy Findings have significant implications for strengthening the global response to current and future viral threats Taking a significant leap in the field of vaccine development, Western researchers have discovered a potential 'super molecule' that can bolster the effectiveness of several vaccines against viral diseases, including influenza, COVID-19 and smallpox. A team led by Western professor Mansour Haeryfar found that a vitamin B 2 -derived molecule called 5-OP-RU, which is produced by bacteria, can enhance the efficacy of several vaccines for viral diseases. The study revealed the molecule binds to a protein called MR1 before stimulating a population of T lymphocytes called mucosa-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells - essentially, one of the "first responders" that come rushing to fight off infection when a virus invades the body. The findings, recently published in PLOS Pathogens , could have significant implications for strengthening the global response to current and future viral threats. "We need better vaccines to combat viruses of pandemic potential, which are among the most vicious existential threats to human populations," said Haeryfar, professor of immunology at Western's Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.  "Our strategy of targeting the MR1-MAIT cell axis using 5-OP-RU shows promise in generating strong antiviral immune responses in the body.