Nanoparticle vaccine candidate shows promise against emerging tick-borne virus in early studies

Cleveland Clinic researchers have used nanoparticles to develop a potential vaccine candidate against Dabie Bandavirus, formerly known as Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV), a tick-borne virus that currently has no prevention, treatment or cure. The patent-pending vaccine uses nanoparticles to carry the antigens that contain instructions for fighting off a virus. Nanoparticle vaccines are designed to effectively deliver antigens at a lower dose with fewer side effects for at-risk groups – including adults over age 50, who are the most vulnerable to SFTSV and the most susceptible to vaccine side effects. The pre-clinical research, published in mBio, was led by Jae Jung, PhD, Director of Cleveland Clinic’s Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research. “The Pathogen Center was founded to prepare for and protect against future global health crises before they start,” says Dr. Jung, who also serves as Department Chair of Cancer Biology and...