/ "Argentina’s Breakthrough: Next-Gen Anti-Rabies Vaccine")
Argentine Scientists Develop next-Generation Rabies Vaccine
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A team of scientists from Argentina‘s INTA (National Institute of Agricultural Technology) and ANLIS-Malbrán (National Institute of Infectious Diseases Dr. Carlos G. Malbrán) are leading the charge in developing cutting-edge rabies vaccines. This groundbreaking research offers a potential solution to a deadly disease affecting livestock and posing a risk to humans.
At the XXXV RITA (Rabies in the Americas) Congress,the researchers unveiled significant progress in their work on third-generation anti-rabies vaccines. These vaccines promise a stronger, longer-lasting immune response compared to their predecessors.
Rabies, a viral disease affecting all mammals, including humans, is transmitted through the saliva of infected animals via bites or scratches. While fatal, it’s entirely preventable through vaccination. The researchers’ work aligns with the “One Health” approach, recognizing the interconnectedness of human, animal, and environmental health.
According to the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, and Fisheries, this scientific advancement focuses on creating safe and effective vaccines without requiring the handling of live rabies viruses during production. This considerably reduces the risk to researchers and the surroundings. For more details on the urgency of rabies vaccination, see this related article: It is urgent to vaccinate against wild rabies.
These new vaccines, based on recombinant technology, offer a significant improvement over current second-generation vaccines. The third-generation vaccines utilize viral vectors that don’t replicate in the vaccinated organism,ensuring enhanced safety for both animals and humans. Moreover, they induce a robust and durable immune response.
The collaborative effort between the Pox and Adenovirus Vectored Vaccines group at the Institute of Biotechnology and the Anti-Rabies Vaccine Service of ANLIS-Malbrán is yielding promising results. “These candidates are based on safe viral vectors since they do not spread in the target organism for vaccination,” explained María Paula Del Médico Zajac, a researcher at INTA and CONICET. “We are very excited about the results obtained so far,” she added. “We have managed to develop very promising vaccine candidates that have demonstrated their effectiveness in preclinical tests.”
Paresian Rabies: An Endemic Threat
Paresian rabies, caused by the rabies virus transmitted by the common vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus), is an endemic disease primarily affecting cattle and horses in Argentina. Understanding its pathogenesis, epidemiology, and effective control measures is crucial. For more on Argentina’s ongoing alert for rabies outbreaks due to bats, see: Argentina continues the alert for outbreaks of rabies due to bats.
This year’s RITA conference highlighted the researchers’ progress.They presented their work, “Advancement of third-generation anti-rabies vaccines based on viral and plasmid vectors,” showcasing various vaccine candidates and their effectiveness in pre-clinical models.
“The development of biotechnological vaccines is a long process, so having a portfolio of different platforms allows progress in several lines in parallel,” stated Gabriela Calamante, a researcher at INTA’s Institute of Biotechnology and CONICET. “We are convinced that these vaccines will have a positive impact on animal and human health.”
Cutting-Edge Vaccine Offers Hope in Fight Against Rabies
Argentina’s leading scientific institutions are making strides in the growth of a next-generation rabies vaccine. This groundbreaking research promises too provide a safer and more effective solution to protect both livestock and humans from this deadly disease.
Interview with Dr. Gabriela Calamante, Researcher at INTA’s Institute of Biotechnology
Dr.Gabriela Calamante, a prominent researcher at Argentina’s National Institute of Agricultural Technology (INTA), sheds light on the progress made toward developing this potentially life-saving vaccine.
Senior Editor: Dr. Calamante, your team is at the forefront of developing a new generation of rabies vaccines. Can you tell us more about this exciting research?
Dr. Calamante: Absolutely. We’re focusing on creating third-generation anti-rabies vaccines which utilize safer viral vectors and offer a more robust and durable immune response compared to older vaccines. This is crucial in the fight against rabies, a disease that poses a serious threat to both animal and human health.
Senior Editor: How are these next-generation vaccines different from previous generations?
Dr. Calamante: Customary vaccines rely on weakened or inactivated forms of the rabies virus. While effective,they can pose certain safety risks. Our third-generation vaccines use recombinant technology and viral vectors that don’t replicate in the vaccinated organism. This makes them significantly safer while still triggering a strong immune response.
Senior Editor: What drove the need for this new approach?
Dr. Calamante: Rabies is a persistent problem in many parts of the world, especially in south America.
In Argentina, we are particularly concerned about Paresian rabies, transmitted by vampire bats.
Traditional vaccines can be expensive to produce and require careful handling. our aim is to develop a vaccine that is more accessible, easier to administer, and offers longer-lasting protection.
Senior Editor: Has there been notable progress in pre-clinical testing?
Dr. Calamante: Yes, the results from our pre-clinical trials have been highly promising. We’ve seen strong antibody responses and long-lasting protection in animal models.
This gives us great hope that these vaccines will be effective in humans as well.
Senior Editor: What are the next steps in the development process?
Dr. Calamante: The development process for any new vaccine is lengthy and rigorous. Our immediate next step is to move into human clinical trials.
We will work closely with regulatory agencies to ensure all safety protocols are met.
If these trials are successful,we hope to make this new vaccine widely available quickly.
senior Editor: This research certainly holds tremendous potential. Thank you for sharing your insights, Dr. Calamante.
Dr. Calamante: It was my pleasure. We are dedicated to finding effective solutions to combat rabies and protect global health.
