By Heather Hobbs
BRINGING YOU THE LATEST NEWS & EVENTS FROM THE SCIENCE INDUSTRY First vaccine for Strep A on the horizon
The University of Dundee are leading an initiative to develop the first vaccine for Strep A as part of a £2.3 million project funded by the RIGHT Foundation.
Researchers from the university’s School of Life Sciences are teaming up with the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine: South Korea’s International Vaccine Institute and Gyeongbuk Institute for Bio-Industry, to develop the first recombinant glycoconjugate vaccines for the bacteria.
“Strep A is a deadly pathogen, but at present there is no vaccine against these bacteria,” said Dr Helge Dorfmueller Principal Investigator at Dundee and lead scientist of the collaboration. “Our preclinical data shows that our novel approach can deliver a universal Strep A vaccine that is affordable for all.”
The Foundation’s Product Development Award will enable the University to expand its patented engineered methodology which fuses together the Strep A carbohydrate and pathogen specific proteins – both Strep A vaccine candidates – on specific sites of the protein. This will produce a ‘dual hi’ vaccine, prompting antibodies to respond to both parts.
Group A Streptococcus – or Strep A, kills more than 500,000 people each year according to the World Health Organisation (WHO); in 2022 at least five European member states including the UK, saw an increase In Strep A infections which claimed at least 30 lives, causing widespread public concern.
“We know that if Strep A is left untreated, then it can prove fatal. A vaccine for Strep A offers a crucial solution to enhance the lives of millions of people worldwide,” added Dr Dorfmueller. “We
are excited to partner with our distinguished new collaborators, which will allow each of us to push the boundaries of our research and bring new hope to anyone at risk of Strep A disease.”
Professor Brendan Wren, Co- Director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, added, “Group A Strep bacteria cause devastating disease, particularly in children. We look forward to working with the University of Dundee and the International Vaccine Institute to develop affordable Group A Strep vaccines using novel technology, particularly for individuals in low income countries where they are most needed.”
Helge Dorfmueller (Credit: University of Dundee)
The RIGHT Foundation is an international public-private partnership funding agency in Korea, supporting global health R&D with the goal of improving global health equity through a partnership between the Government of Korea, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Korean Life Science companies.
More information online:
ilmt.co/PL/Wl26 62582pr@reply-direct.com
Scottish research hub to trial early stage Alzheimer’s test
The new Scottish Brain Sciences (SBS) laboratory at the University of St Andrews Eden Campus innovation hub and multinational healthcare company Roche Diagnostics, are collaborating in a study that will bring the first blood tests to Scotland for the detection of Alzheimer’s disease in its early stages.
SBS researchers will use a new test incorporating a biomarker for detection of the proteins indicating the build-up of amyloid in the brain, an early step in the development of Alzheimer’s.
In the last year, the first medicines have become available that can clear amyloid and slow the cognitive decline associated with it.
Small scale studies have shown the new tests can match the accuracy of existing diagnostic tools – brain scans and lumbar punctures – which are costly, invasive and can only be carried out in specialist centres where the equipment is often in huge demand. The study will investigate how the tests might be used in the frontline NHS to aid early diagnosis.
SBS Head of Laboratory Sciences Dr Alison Green, who has more than 25 years of experience developing dementia biomarkers, said early testing is crucial: “Most people do not see a doctor until they experience memory problems, which means disease processes such as the build-up of amyloid are likely to have started years before.”
SBS founder and CEO, Professor Craig Ritchie, who is also Professor of Brain Health and Neurodegenerative Medicine at the University of St Andrews commented: “Memory and thinking tests are a key part of any diagnosis, but our current healthcare system is not set up to find the people who are at the very early stages of the disease.”
Dr Ashton Harper, Head of Medical Affairs for Roche Diagnostics UK and Ireland added: “Early and accurate diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease has many potential benefits including timely management of symptoms, the ability to plan for the future, facilitating access to clinical trials and, when they become available, disease-modifying treatments.
The University of St Andrews is supporting the initiative by providing purpose-built laboratory space at its innovation hub, Eden Campus.
St Andrews Quaestor and Factor (Chief Operating Officer) Derek Watson said the partnership with SBS is an important part of the process of developing a nationally important innovation campus.
More information online:
ilmt.co/PL/A69q 62595pr@reply-direct.com
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