mRNA Vaccine Found Effective Against the Plague

The peer-reviewed journal Science Advances recently disclosed researchers from Tel Aviv University and the Israel Institute for Biological Research developed the first mRNA-based, lipid nanoparticle (LNP) vaccine effective against a lethal bacteria.

Published on March 8, 2023, this study on mice demonstrated that all vaccinated animals were fully protected against the bacteria that causes the plague.

Humans usually get the plague after being bitten by a rodent flea that is carrying the plague bacterium, says the U.S. CDC.

The most common sign of bubonic plague is the rapid development of a swollen and painful lymph gland called a bubo.

Plague morbidity and mortality rates have substantially decreased since the introduction of antimicrobials.

However, the isolation of Y. pestis strains resistant to multiple therapeutic antibiotics and the concern of a natural or intentional disease outbreak initiated by antibiotic-resistant strains emphasize the need to develop vaccines against the plague.

The researchers wrote, "Our mRNA-LNP vaccine elicited humoral and cellular immunological responses in C57BL/6 mice and conferred rapid, full protection against lethal Y. pestis infection after a single dose."

This study's findings suggest there is a new way of developing vaccines for bacterial diseases, including diseases caused by antibiotic-resistant bacteria.