New vaccine against dengue fever successfully tested. The world’s first vaccination campaign against malaria started in Cameroon

A new vaccine against the tropical disease dengue would be promising: according to a research team from Lausanne, the vaccine based on a new technology did not lead to any significant side effects in an initial human study.

The Lausanne-based University Center for General Medicine and Public Health (Unisanté) assessed the results published in the journal “The Lancet eBio Medicine” as positive and encouraging in a statement on Monday.

As the climate warms, the tiger mosquitoes that transmit dengue fever are spreading further – including in Europe. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), half of the world’s population is at risk of contracting dengue. According to WHO estimates, the number of dengue cases has increased eightfold in the past 20 years.

New vaccine technology

Having an effective vaccine is therefore a priority, Unisanté said. There are currently two vaccines against dengue fever available in Europe. However, according to the university center, these have proven to be unsatisfactory in terms of safety and effectiveness.

Instead of stimulating antibody production like these conventional vaccines, the PepGNP-Dengue vaccine candidate acts on the body’s T cells. T cells are a type of immune cell that play an important role in defending against pathogens. According to Unisanté, immunity is generated by so-called memory cells. The vaccine developed by the British biotechnology company Emergex Vaccines is administered using microneedles.

Also against Corona

The purpose of this phase 1 study was to determine whether the vaccine causes adverse side effects. A total of 26 participants aged 18 to 45 years were vaccinated and followed for six months. There were no serious side effects, the study showed. Local side effects, such as pain at the injection site, were the most commonly reported to researchers.

As Unisanté announced, the researchers from Lausanne also tested a vaccine against Covid-19 based on the same technology. The results of this study are therefore in the publication process. (saw/sda)