Researchers develop nasal vaccine offering wide protection against viruses and bacteria in mice

economictimes.indiatimes.com · Feb 20, 2026 · Collected from GDELT

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For more than two centuries, vaccines have followed a familiar script, which looks like this: identify a pathogen, mimic part of it, and train the immune system to fight back. But what if protection didn’t depend on chasing one virus at a time?Researchers at Stanford Medicine believe they may have taken a major step toward that possibility. In a new mouse study published in the journal Science, scientists describe a nasal vaccine that shields against multiple respiratory viruses, bacteria and even allergens, an achievement that moves the idea of a universal vaccine closer to reality.Could one vaccine protect against many respiratory threats?The experimental vaccine, delivered as a nasal spray, protected mice from SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses, as well as bacterial infections including Staphylococcus aureus and Acinetobacter baumannii. It also reduced allergic reactions to house dust mites, a common trigger of asthma.“I think what we have is a universal vaccine against diverse respiratory threats,” said senior author Bali Pulendran, PhD, a professor of microbiology and immunology.The study’s lead author is Haibo Zhang, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in Pulendran’s lab.In vaccinated mice, the protection lasted for at least three months. Animals that received three doses showed minimal weight loss after viral exposure and survived infections that proved deadly in unvaccinated mice. Their lungs remained largely clear of virus, as quoted in a report by Stanford Medicine.ALSO READ: Word of the Day: SusurrationHow is this different from traditional vaccines?Since Edward Jenner pioneered vaccination in the 18th century, vaccines have relied on antigen specificity — teaching the immune system to recognize a particular piece of a pathogen. That strategy works well, but it struggles when viruses mutate quickly, as seen with COVID-19 and influenza.“That’s been the paradigm of vaccinology for the last 230 years,” Pulendran said.“It’s becoming increasingly clear that many pathogens are able to quickly mutate. Like the proverbial leopard that changes its spots, a virus can change the antigens on its surface,” he added.Rather than copying a virus, the new vaccine mimics immune signals. It activates both the innate and adaptive branches of the immune system, creating a feedback loop that keeps the lungs on high alert for months.ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by George Clooney: 'You learn nothing from success…'—inspiring quotes by the famous actorWhat role does the Immune System play?The adaptive immune system — responsible for antibodies and memory T cells — is the foundation of current vaccines. The innate immune system, which responds quickly but briefly, has traditionally been viewed as short-lived.“What’s remarkable about the innate system is that it can protect against a broad range of different microbes,” Pulendran said, as quoted in a report by Stanford Medicine.Earlier work by the team in 2023 showed that the tuberculosis vaccine could trigger a longer-lasting innate response in mice. T cells in the lungs appeared to send signals that kept innate immune cells active far longer than usual."Those T cells were providing a critical signal to keep the activation of the innate system, which typically lasts for a few days or a week, but in this case, it could last for three months,” Pulendran said.In that earlier paper, the team speculated about building a synthetic nasal vaccine using similar signals.“We were interested in this idea because it sounded a bit outrageous. I think nobody was seriously entertaining that something like this could ever be possible," Bali Pulendran stated.ALSO READ: Nancy Guthrie's case update: Sheriff Nanos believes the victim was held near home-here's what he meantWhat happened when mice were exposed to allergens?The vaccine, known for now as GLA-3M-052-LS+OVA, includes immune-stimulating components along with ovalbumin, a harmless egg protein that draws T cells into the lungs, as quoted in a report by Stanford Medicine.When exposed to house dust mite proteins, unvaccinated mice developed strong allergic responses and mucus buildup. Vaccinated mice maintained clear airways, with the immune response toned down.Pulendran described the approach as a “double whammy.” The sustained innate response reduces viral levels dramatically, while adaptive immunity launches within days instead of weeks.“The lung immune system is so ready and so alert that it can launch the typical adaptive responses — virus-specific T cells and antibodies — in as little as three days, which is an extraordinarily short length of time,” Pulendran said. “Normally, in an unvaccinated mouse, it takes two weeks," as quoted in a report by Stanford Medicine.ALSO READ: Employee almost quit for a startup, boss stepped in, decision turned into a blessing - many call manager 'class'What comes next?The researchers hope to move into human trials, beginning with a Phase I safety study. If funding aligns, Pulendran estimates a universal respiratory vaccine could be available in five to seven years.“Imagine getting a nasal spray in the fall months that protects you from all respiratory viruses including COVID-19, influenza, respiratory syncytial virus and the common cold, as well as bacterial pneumonia and early spring allergens," Pulendran said. “That would transform medical practice.”Collaborators from Emory University School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Utah State University and the University of Arizona contributed to the study, which was funded by the National Institutes of Health and several endowments, as quoted in a report by Stanford Medicine.ALSO READ: Quote of the Day by Paul McCartney: 'Take these broken wings and...'FAQsHas this universal vaccine been tested in humans?Not yet. The research has so far been conducted in mice, with human trials planned to begin with a Phase I safety study.How is this vaccine different from current COVID or flu shots?Instead of targeting a specific virus, it stimulates broader immune signals, aiming to protect against many respiratory threats at once.