This India-made vaccine might protect you from Chikungunya
What's the story
The Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) of the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) is gearing up to conduct large-scale trials of an indigenously developed mRNA vaccine against Chikungunya. AIC-CCMB CEO N. Madhusudhana Rao stressed the need for a vaccine against this debilitating disease, which currently has no preventive measure in India.
Technology
Similar tech used during COVID-19 pandemic
Rao highlighted the successful use of mRNA technology for vaccine development during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said, "We have already demonstrated the ability to make use of mRNA technology to develop vaccines with a 'Proof of Concept' (PoC) during the COVID-19 pandemic." The lab trials conducted on animals showed that their Chikungunya vaccine candidate can generate antibodies against Chikungunya proteins.
Trial progression
Trials for TB vaccine also underway
The next step in the trial process is to infect animals with Chikungunya and observe if the virus load decreases after administering the developed vaccine. Rao also revealed that initial trials of a potential mRNA vaccine against tuberculosis (TB) have been completed, but further testing requires adequate funding. The team is currently exploring different options for this purpose.
Mechanism
How the vaccines will work
Rao explained how vaccines work by training the immune system to recognize and eliminate disease-causing microorganisms. He said, "In mRNA technology, the host cell's immune system is trained to evade the real infection by introducing mRNA of an important protein of the microorganism of concern into the host." This method has been successfully used in COVID-19 vaccines such as Comirnaty (by Pfizer) or Spikevax (by Moderna).