After comparing the response to the two types of vaccines for the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) based on its fusion protein (F), prefusion (pre-F) versus postfusion (post-F) vaccines, scientists at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Astrazeneca plc have demonstrated that targeting the pre-F protein led to better protection. No more bets on RSV immunization based on the post-F protein of the virus. Laboratories can now bet all on red for the pre-F technology.

Ice, juice, the exact measure of liquor, a few drops of Angostura... What goes into a good New Year’s Eve cocktail? According to researchers working on vaccines for the most elusive viruses, it will be time soon to toast next-generation vaccines. If 2020 was the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2021 the year of mRNA vaccinations, 2022 brought polyvalent designs of antigens, evaluated highly neutralizing antibodies, and fine-tuned mRNA technology against SARS-CoV-2, HIV and the flu.

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is so common that it infects approximately 0.7% of the world population to ultimately cause ~300,000 deaths each year. Small molecule-based antivirals can cure most HCV infections, but these are often only used after irreversible liver damage has already occurred, prohibitively expensive, and inaccessible for high-risk populations.

Eleven vaccines have now been approved by the World Health Organization for preventing COVID-19, but all exhibit drastically reduced activities after 6 months. Unlike vaccines that express only the spike protein as the immunogen, live attenuated vaccines have the potential to confer a broader and more durable protection.

Ethris GmbH has entered into a collaboration with Diosynvax Ltd. to jointly develop a protective mRNA vaccine candidate against a broad range of betacoronaviruses utilizing the company's highly differentiated mRNA modification and design technologies as well as its lipidoid nanoparticle (LNP) and stabilization platforms.

Everest Medicines Ltd. has achieved a preclinical proof-of-concept milestone for its mRNA rabies vaccine program. This new vaccine candidate for rabies post-exposure prophylaxis was developed in partnership with Providence Therapeutics Holdings Inc. utilizing a clinically validated mRNA technology platform.

Currently, most patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs) require long-term antibiotic treatment, which poses risks of resistance development and alters the patients' microbiota. Therefore, vaccines that raise safe, effective and long-lasting immune responses across populations for UTI prevention constitute a critical medical need. However, developing such vaccination strategies remains challenging because the responses need to be specific to a broad range of UTI-causing bacteria and include both blood and mucosal responses in the urogenital tract.