Researchers note that limitations of the current study include the small sample size and potential biases that result from enrolling healthy, young adults, which may not be representative of the general population. Additionally, we see that the second dose does not result in circulating protein but does provide an additional boost in antibody levels, as expected." "We observed that antibodies that target Spike and S1 proteins are generated as early as 1-2 days after circulating S1 is detected, followed by the clearance of proteins. It is the Spike protein that can activate the immune system, which in turn creates antibodies to prevent future infections," said co-first author Alana Ogata, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow in the Walt lab. "The vaccine is designed to introduce mRNA into the body, which is then translated into the Spike protein. All participants in the study were healthy volunteers who were vaccinated but not infected with SARS-CoV-2. The researchers note that the level of translated protein detected was extremely low and disappeared once antibodies were detected. Increased antibody levels correlated with viral protein clearance from plasma. The team collected corresponding antibody data and showed that the immune response began to mount after the viral proteins were produced. After the second vaccine dose, no S1 or Spike was detectable. Spike protein was detected in 3-of-13 participants an average of 15 days after the first injection. In all participants, the level of S1 protein declined and became undetectable by day 14. S1 subunit protein level peaked on average five days after the first injection. The team found that 11-of-13 participants had low levels of SARS-CoV-2 protein (S1 subunit) as early as one day post-vaccination. The average age of participants was 24 and the percentage of female participants was 46. The team examined plasma collected at 10-13 timepoints between 1 and 29 days after the first injection and 1-28 days after the second injection. Specifically, the team measured levels of SARS-CoV-2 antigens Spike, S1, and Nucleocapsid. To conduct their study, Walt and colleagues measured levels of SARS-CoV-2 protein subunits in plasma samples collected from 13 participants who received two doses of the Moderna (mRNA-1273) vaccine. "We were able to detect extremely low levels of viral protein and see that as soon as the body begins generating antibodies, those levels declined to undetectable." Walt has a financial interest in Quanterix Corporation, the company that developed the ultra-sensitive digital immunoassay platform used in this work. Walt is also a member of the Wyss Institute and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Professor. So, they should only be undertaken when there’s a clear-cut benefit."Because of our ultra-sensitive method, we're able to corroborate that the mRNA vaccine is operating as intended, stoking the body's immune response," said co-corresponding author David Walt, PhD, a member of the faculty in the Department of Pathology at the Brigham. Technically, it’s not hard to do, but it could affect the public’s trust (“Were the first vaccines a waste of time and money?”) and present logistical challenges (overlapping supplies of new and old vaccines, for example). If mutated spike proteins cause current vaccines to be substantially less efficacious, then scientists may need to update the vaccines.ĭrawing on mRNA vaccines’ flexibility, scientists can insert the new spike protein’s mRNA sequence in the vaccine to maintain its current very high efficacy. The mRNA vaccines now in use are based on early SARS-CoV-2 strains and include a genetic sequence from the “original” spike protein. Some mutations, like those to the spike protein-which is essential to invading human cells-could reduce the original vaccines’ effectiveness. Like any virus, it’s constantly mutating. As soon as mRNA vaccines demonstrated startling efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 and began rolling out late last year, the virus revealed its slippery nature.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |