Eternal Shield: Science Breakthrough for Long-Lasting Vaccines

, researchers from Monash University’s Central Clinical School have made a significant discovery that could revolutionize the longevity of vaccine efficacy. The team discovered that the key to long-lasting immunity after vaccination might lie in the generation of a unique subtype of immune cell that produces antibodies indefinitely.

Vaccines trick our immune cells into thinking the body has been infected. In response, we produce antibodies to fight off what is perceived as an infection. According to Dr. Robinson, “most vaccines work by generating high levels of antibodies against these invaders, but how long these antibodies persist in the body is highly variable by vaccine,” he said.

Using an animal model, the researchers studied the lifespan of antibody-secreting cells, identifying surface markers on these cells that indicated longevity. The scientists used a method called ‘timestamping’, which effectively tracks individual antibody-secreting cells across their entire lifespan. “We found those cells with particular markers on them were more likely to be long lasting. They also expressed really distinct patterns of genes, so we think longevity is programmed into the cell.

“It is these cells we need to target when developing vaccines we want to provide long-lasting protection.” Importantly the researchers also found that there is a maximum number of these long-lasting antibody-secreting cells the body can hold at any one time, and they generally reside in special sites in tissues like the bone marrow – so improved vaccines will need to focus on maintaining these reservoirs of long acting cells, according to Dr. Robinson.-cell lifespan” by Marcus James Robinson, Zhoujie Ding, Mark R. Dowling, Danika L. Hill, Rosela H.

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