Publications by authors named "Wanni Chia"
Background: BBV152 (Covaxin™) is a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine mixed with an immune adjuvant. We aimed to compare immune responses after booster vaccination with heterologous BBV152 versus homologous mRNA vaccine.
Methods: We conducted a randomized, participant-blinded, controlled trial.
Among their many unique biological features, bats are increasingly recognized as a key reservoir of many emerging viruses that cause massive morbidity and mortality in humans. Bats are capable of harboring many of these deadly viruses without any apparent signs of pathology, in a mechanism known as viral disease tolerance. However, the immunological mechanisms behind viral tolerance remain poorly understood.
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- - A study evaluated the immune responses from two types of booster vaccinations (homologous BNT162b2 and heterologous mRNA-1273) in individuals who had previously received BNT162b2 and had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2.
- - The results showed that those who received the heterologous booster had significantly higher antibody levels against wild-type SARS-CoV-2 six months after vaccination, and many participants experienced Omicron breakthrough infections regardless of the booster type.
- - The findings suggest that while booster shots are beneficial, the immune response decreases significantly over time, highlighting the need for timely booster administration before infection surges. !*
Article Synopsis
- The study examines the efficacy of different COVID-19 vaccine booster combinations to enhance immune response against the Omicron variant, addressing concerns about decreasing antibody levels after vaccination and the emergence of variants.
- A total of 100 individuals who initially received the BNT162b2 vaccine were randomly assigned to receive either a homologous booster (BBB) or a heterologous mRNA-1273 booster (BBM), with antibody levels measured 28 days after the booster.
- Findings revealed that the heterologous booster (BBM) led to significantly higher levels of neutralizing antibodies compared to the homologous booster (BBB), particularly in older adults, highlighting the potential benefits of mixed vaccine approaches for improved protection against emerging variants.
The search for new antimalarial drugs with unexplored mechanisms of action is currently one of the main objectives to combat the resistance already in the clinic. New drugs should target specific mechanisms that once initiated lead inevitably to the parasite's death and clearance and cause minimal toxicity to the host. One such new mode of action recently characterized is to target the parasite's calcium dynamics.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEmerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern pose a challenge to the effectiveness of current vaccines. A vaccine that could prevent infection caused by known and future variants of concern as well as infection with pre-emergent sarbecoviruses (i.e.
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