Propose vaccine against fatal diarrhea

• April 23, 2024

Researchers from the Hannover School of Medicine (MHH), in Germany, discovered that if you add Retinoic acid Vaccines to fight cholera and salmonellosis increase their effectiveness.

This acid contributes to the immune cells reach the Intestinal mucosa , where they produce antibodies to neutralize the pathogens that cause the deadly diarrhea of these diseases.

"This innovative vaccination strategy is of great importance, not only in regard to the bacterium E.coli, but especially in diarrheas that affect children in developing countries. Many vaccines do not work well and this is due to malnutrition, especially vitamin A deficiency, "he said. Reinhold Förster , of the Faculty of Immunology of the MHH.

In the trials, scientists injected vaccines against salmonellosis and cholera into 2 groups of mice; and the same with retinoic acid added to 2 other groups; and then fed the animals with salmonella and cholera toxins.

"The groups that had received retinoic acid vaccines were significantly better protected," the professor reported.

In his opinion, this new vaccination strategy has great potential because it allows immunizing against pathogens more effectively.