Medical Discovery News
Science permeates everyday life. Yet the understanding of advances in biomedical science is limited at best. Few people make the connection that biomedical science is medicine and that biomedical scientists are working today for the medicine of tomorrow. Our weekly five-hundred-word newspaper column (http://www.illuminascicom.com/) and two-minute radio show provide insights into a broad range of biomedical science topics. Medical Discovery News is dedicated to explaining discoveries in biomedical research and their promise for the future of medicine. Each release is designed to stimulate listeners to think, question and appreciate how science affects their health as well as that of the rest of the world. We also delve into significant biomedical discoveries and portray how science (or the lack of it) has impacted health throughout history.
Medical Discovery News
Another Cruise Ship Virus - Maybe
973 - A Cruise Ship Virus Vaccine Maybe
Welcome to Medical Discovery News. I’m Dr. David Niesel.
And I’m Dr. Norbert Herzog.
If you’re a fan of cruises, you may have heard of the norovirus or maybe even been sickened by one.
Even though infections usually clear in one to three days, that’s enough to ruin a trip. And the virus can cause serious illness in places such as nursing homes where the people are more vulnerable.
Now scientists are testing a new vaccine that could protect people from this stomach ailment. Noroviruses are sometimes called stomach flu even though they’re unrelated to influenza. They’re the leading cause of vomiting, diarrhea and foodborne illness.
People can spread the virus before symptoms start and continue to spread it days after. Touching someone infected or something they used, even if it’s a handrail two weeks later, can get you infected.
The new vaccine is a tablet called VXA-G1.1-NN and delivers a non-replicating virus that triggers the immune system to respond.
They tested the vaccine on two groups of healthy older adults in their fifties to sixties and another group in their sixties to eighties.
Some received the vaccine and others a placebo. They found that regardless of the dose, the vaccine triggered a robust immune response in the oral cavity and gut that remained strong for over two hundred days. People also tolerated the vaccine well.
Now, a phase two clinical trial is testing a version that targets two types of noroviruses. Imagine being able to pop a pill before getting on a cruise and not having to worry about getting sick.
We are Drs. David Niesel and Norbert Herzog, at UTMB and Quinnipiac University, where biomedical discoveries shape the future of medicine. For much more and our disclaimer go to medicaldiscoverynews.com or listen to our podcast on your favorite podcast service.
