Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine have developed an mRNA vaccine with the potential to prevent life-threatening allergic reactions.
The new vaccine, described in an article published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, prevented dangerous immune reactions and life-threatening inflammation caused by allergens in tests with mice. Developed in conjunction with the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, the vaccine is likely to undergo further experimentation in hopes of being tailored to several seasonal and food-related allergies.
“This is a potential breakthrough for millions of people worldwide who suffer from life-threatening allergies,” Perelman professor and study co-lead Drew Weissman said to Penn Medicine.
According to Penn Medicine, the vaccine’s model is based on the design of the COVID-19 mRNA lipid nanoparticle vaccines.
“This time, however, scientists tweaked the mRNA to instruct cells to produce proteins that resemble certain allergens,” Penn Medicine said in a press release. “By presenting these proteins in a controlled way, the vaccine didn’t cause allergic reactions but did instruct the immune system to respond more appropriately in the future.”
When the researchers used the vaccines on mice, they found that when those with specific allergies were exposed to their allergens, none of the ones treated with the respective allergy vaccines suffered allergic reactions.
Mice that received the vaccine showed reduced numbers of allergy-associated white blood cells, produced fewer inflammatory proteins, and had lower mucus production in their lungs, according to the researchers. They also found that the mice’s airways were protected, as special antibodies were produced in order to prevent allergic reactions.
The mRNA approach has the potential to encode proteins from different allergens. This means that it could be adapted to protect against a wider range of allergens, such as seasonal pollen allergies and asthma.
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“People with food allergies that can cause anaphylactic shock are rightfully fearful in social situations,” Weissman said. “Allowing people to partake in foods they were never able to eat would be incredibly rewarding, but I’ll even be happy if we can one day introduce a vaccine that allows parents to breathe just a little easier when sending their kids to class birthday parties.”
According to the researchers, the next phase includes determining human compatibility and safety, the quantity of allergens that the vaccine can target in one serving, and how long the vaccine lasts.
“We saw mRNA vaccines save lives during the pandemic, and as the most-tested type of vaccine in history, we know it’s the safest and most effective vaccine ever created,” Weissman said. “We are deeply committed to continuing to uncover the potential of this technology.”
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Staff reporter Ryan Rucker covers the University’s graduate schools and can be reached at rucker@thedp.com. At Penn, he studies political science.
