With asthma now affecting up to one in four New Zealand children, the researchers say this is a promising step in the challenge to understand and control asthma.
The experimental approach is one of the newest frontiers in the rapidly advancing field of immunotherapy, which harnesses the body's own ability to fight diseases.
The research is an extension of work at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research developing vaccines for cancer by Associate Professor Ian Hermans, in collaboration with synthetic chemist Dr Gavin Painter from the Ferrier Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington where the vaccines are designed and synthesized.
"Cancer and asthma both involve the immune system, but in cancer we are trying to get the body to take notice of tumour proteins, while in asthma, we want to stop it over-reacting to an allergen," says Dr Hermans.
"Allergy is the wrong sort of immune response. Using the vaccine, we have initiated a more appropriate immune response and prevented the allergy from taking hold."
Vaccines work by presenting the body with an antigen, which provokes an immune response. This involves activating T cells, produced by the body's immune system, which are then ready to protect from the disease in the future.
To strengthen the immune response, a chemical called an adjuvant is administered along with the antigen, to make the vaccine more effective.
In the asthma vaccine, the antigen and the adjuvant are chemically linked, rather than simply co-delivered. This novel approach ensures the essential components reached the target cells together and created the most powerful but highly specific immune response that targets the disease.
Dr Herman's says preparing the linked vaccine required some "pretty clever chemistry".
"By linking them, we make sure they are both delivered to the right place in the body. Once there, they are split and presented to the immune system to initiate a response," he says.
The idea of using a vaccine to prevent asthma was the brainchild of Malaghan Institute Professor Franca Ronchese who explains how the vaccine works.
"In asthma, allergens such as those produced by house dust mites are inhaled and taken up by dendritic cells in airways, causing inflammation and many of the symptoms of asthmatic disease. With the vaccine, we think we can direct other immune cells, the killer T-cells, to go and block the dendritic cells, so they stop sending out the wrong messages. It's like taking out the generals of the enemy's army in order to overpower it," she says.
The linked vaccine technology could in principle be applied to other allergic diseases. Patent protection has been obtained and opportunities to commercialise the technology are currently being pursued.
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With asthma now affecting up to one in four New Zealand children, the researchers say this is a promising step in the challenge to understand and control asthma.
The experimental approach is one of the newest frontiers in the rapidly advancing field of immunotherapy, which harnesses the body's own ability to fight diseases.
The research is an extension of work at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research developing vaccines for cancer by Associate Professor Ian Hermans, in collaboration with synthetic chemist Dr Gavin Painter from the Ferrier Research Institute at Victoria University of Wellington where the vaccines are designed and synthesized.
"Cancer and asthma both involve the immune system, but in cancer we are trying to get the body to take notice of tumour proteins, while in asthma, we want to stop it over-reacting to an allergen," says Dr Hermans.
"Allergy is the wrong sort of immune response. Using the vaccine, we have initiated a more appropriate immune response and prevented the allergy from taking hold."
Vaccines work by presenting the body with an antigen, which provokes an immune response. This involves activating T cells, produced by the body's immune system, which are then ready to protect from the disease in the future.
To strengthen the immune response, a chemical called an adjuvant is administered along with the antigen, to make the vaccine more effective.
In the asthma vaccine, the antigen and the adjuvant are chemically linked, rather than simply co-delivered. This novel approach ensures the essential components reached the target cells together and created the most powerful but highly specific immune response that targets the disease.
Dr Herman's says preparing the linked vaccine required some "pretty clever chemistry".
"By linking them, we make sure they are both delivered to the right place in the body. Once there, they are split and presented to the immune system to initiate a response," he says.
The idea of using a vaccine to prevent asthma was the brainchild of Malaghan Institute Professor Franca Ronchese who explains how the vaccine works.
"In asthma, allergens such as those produced by house dust mites are inhaled and taken up by dendritic cells in airways, causing inflammation and many of the symptoms of asthmatic disease. With the vaccine, we think we can direct other immune cells, the killer T-cells, to go and block the dendritic cells, so they stop sending out the wrong messages. It's like taking out the generals of the enemy's army in order to overpower it," she says.
The linked vaccine technology could in principle be applied to other allergic diseases. Patent protection has been obtained and opportunities to commercialise the technology are currently being pursued.
Explore further: Researchers create vaccine for dust-mite allergies
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If you're allergic to dust mites (and chances are you are), help may be on the way.
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Oct 01, 2014
Cancer vaccines have recently emerged as a promising approach for killing tumor cells before they spread. But so far, most clinical candidates haven't worked that well. Now, scientists have developed a new ...
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Jul 25, 2014
Many particles and molecules in the environment can trigger allergic asthma in susceptible individuals. The allergic response to some of these allergens results in lung inflammation that can lead to a narrowing ...
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Jul 22, 2014
(Medical Xpress)—Asthma is a debilitating condition that kills 250,000 people around the world each year. People with asthma have hyperreactive airways and thickened lung walls obstructed with mucus. During ...
One cell type may quash tumor vaccines
Apr 28, 2014
Most cancer vaccines have not lived up to their promise in clinical trials. The reason, many researchers suspect, is that the immune cells that would help the body destroy the tumor – even those reactions boosted by cancer ...
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Study finds potential new target to treat asthma attacks brought on by colds
Oct 01, 2014
Researchers have identified a molecular mechanism that could explain why the common cold can bring on life-threatening asthma attacks.
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Sep 22, 2014
Job loss fears may boost the risk of developing asthma for the first time, indicates research published online in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.
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© Medical Xpress 2011-2014, Science X network
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