As much as we dislike them, bacteria are very clever creatures. The micro-organisms have the ability to not only multiply rapidly, but alter themselves, making it difficult, in some cases, for medication to tackle them.
Although antibiotics are typically prescribed for bacterial infections, there are some that are resistant to drugs.
That may be all about to change, however, thanks to a new vaccine developed by scientists at Tel Aviv University.
“There are many pathogenic bacteria for which we have no vaccines. Moreover, due to the excessive use of antibiotics over the last few decades, many bacteria have developed resistance to antibiotics, reducing the effectiveness of these important drugs,” explained Professor Dan Peer, who is head of the Laboratory of Precision Nano-Medicine at the Shmunis School of Biomedicine and Cancer Research at Tel Aviv University.
The new vaccine is the first mRNA version in the world that will be effective against bacteria. Researchers modified mRNA technology used to fight COVID and other viral pathogens, thus creating a single-dose jab that was proven to protect mice from the Plague.
Work is now underway to determine whether the mRNA vaccine will be effective against other bacteria that cause food poisoning, respiratory infections, and strep throat.
