May 1, 2023

After helping to develop and test new mRNA technologies for COVID-19 vaccines, University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) researchers and scientists are turning their attention to utilizing this innovative technology to ward off other infectious diseases like malaria and influenza. The Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health (CVD) launched a new clinical trial to investigate the use of mRNA technologies to create a vaccine against malaria. According to CVD Director Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA, there are more than 20 nationwide studies underway or in the planning stages to test novel influenza vaccines utilizing this technology. She commented on a recent animal study published in Science, which tested an mRNA vaccine against all 20 known influenza virus subtypes. The study found that the single vaccine can provide protection against different strains of the influenza virus by simultaneously inducing antibodies against multiple antigens, which she said suggests that an mRNA vaccine against influenza is “feasible” but that “careful attention to safety evaluations will be critical.”

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Depicted: Kathleen M. Neuzil, MD, MPH, FIDSA