Lassa fever poses a major threat in West Africa, causing thousands of deaths and considerable suffering each year. This disease, primarily transmitted by rodents, can lead to severe symptoms, ranging from mild fever to internal bleeding, with a high risk of permanent hearing loss among survivors. Until now, no approved vaccine existed to prevent it.<\/p>\n
A significant breakthrough has been achieved with the development of an innovative vaccine that combines protection against Lassa fever and rabies. This vaccine, tested in a Phase 1 clinical trial, uses an inactivated rabies virus as a vector to deliver a key protein from the Lassa virus, the complex glycoprotein. An adjuvant, a substance that boosts the immune response, was added to enhance its effectiveness.<\/p>\n
The trial involved 54 healthy adults, divided into several groups receiving different doses of the vaccine or an already marketed rabies vaccine. Participants received two injections 28 days apart. The results show that the vaccine is safe and well-tolerated. Side effects, mostly mild, included pain at the injection site, fatigue, headaches, and muscle aches. No serious effects were reported, and no cases of hearing loss or undesirable immune reactions were observed.<\/p>\n
In terms of immune response, the vaccine exceeded expectations. After two doses, all participants who received the experimental vaccine developed antibodies against the Lassa virus glycoprotein, proving a robust immune response. Additionally, they all achieved a level of neutralizing antibodies against rabies sufficient for full protection, according to World Health Organization standards. Even participants who received the lowest doses showed a strong immune response.<\/p>\n
This vaccine is based on an innovative approach: the rabies virus, modified to express the Lassa virus protein, is inactivated, making it safe while effectively stimulating the immune system. This method had already demonstrated its effectiveness in preclinical animal studies, where it provided protection against lethal infections.<\/p>\n
Lassa fever and rabies share common geographical areas in West Africa, where health systems are often fragile. A combined vaccine could therefore have a major impact by simplifying vaccination logistics and reducing costs. Furthermore, existing rabies vaccines have a long history of safety and efficacy, which strengthens confidence in this new approach.<\/p>\n
The results of this study pave the way for larger and longer clinical trials, particularly in regions affected by these diseases. If its efficacy is confirmed, this vaccine could become an essential tool for protecting vulnerable populations, especially in areas where Lassa fever and rabies are endemic. It could also be integrated into routine vaccination programs, offering dual protection with a single series of injections.<\/p>\n
DOI:<\/strong> https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1038\/s41591-026-04429-z<\/a><\/p>\n Title:<\/strong> Adjuvanted inactivated rabies virus-vectored Lassa virus vaccine in healthy adults: a phase 1 trial<\/p>\n Journal:<\/strong> Nature Medicine<\/p>\n Publisher:<\/strong> Springer Science and Business Media LLC<\/p>\n Authors:<\/strong> Justin R. Ortiz; Drishya Kurup; Adam C. Kaufman; Sabrine Ben Hamed; Allison M. LaRocco; Kirsten E. Lyke; Sarah M. Litts; Shrimati Datta; Yuanyuan Liang; Megan F. McGilvray; Jeannie A. Losignor; Jennifer J. Oshinsky; Kari V. Palmer; Ifayet PL Johnson-Mayo; Gabrielle Scher; Uthra Balakumar; Anisha Chandwani; Rekha R. Rapaka; Meagan E. Deming; Joel V. Chua; Christoph Wirblich; Wilbur H. Chen; Kathleen M. Neuzil; Marcela F. Pasetti; Matthias J. Schnell<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A promising vaccine against Lassa fever and rabies Lassa fever poses a major threat in West Africa, causing thousands of deaths and considerable suffering each year. This disease, primarily transmitted by rodents, can lead to severe symptoms, ranging from mild fever to internal bleeding, with a high risk of permanent hearing loss among survivors. Until… Continue reading A promising vaccine against Lassa fever and rabies<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-75","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":76,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75\/revisions\/76"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biologistjournal.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}