Common cold virus to help develop new meningitis vaccine

Pioneering researchers are hoping that developing a new meningitis vaccine by inserting part of the bacterium inside a harmless version of the cold virus, could be key to providing effective protection against the devastating condition. The project is being funded by children’s charity Action Medical Research.

Case study: Cieran’s story

Cieran was just nine-months-old when he caught meningitis but the scars of his battle with the deadly infection remain today. Lucky to survive, little Cieran had to be resuscitated after he stopped breathing during a prolonged seizure while being treated in hospital.

His mum Sue says: “He came home a 22lb newborn. He lost all his skills and was unable to even hold his own head up anymore or smile.”

Cieran never developed the typical septicaemia rash but was classed as having meningococcal meningitis type B due to the damage caused inside his tiny body. He is now profoundly deaf, with very little speech, and also has epilepsy and cerebral palsy.

Sue adds: “People questioned had he not had his vaccinations as a baby? They seemed unaware that there is more than one type of meningitis and there is still no vaccine to prevent the type that Cieran had.”

Watch the short film about Cieran’s story at: www.action.org.uk/take60 Please be prepared – Cieran’s story is inspirational but some may find it upsetting.

What is meningococcus B (MenB) research

Infection by the meningococcus B (MenB) bacterium is a leading cause of meningitis and septicaemia in the UK.[i] Both illnesses can strike seemingly at random with alarming speed and healthy children can become seriously ill within just a few hours. Many victims are babies or very young children, or teenagers aged between 15 and 19.

There are more than 1300 reported cases of MenB disease each year in the UK and Ireland.^2,3 Sadly around 5% of those who become ill will die, more than three quarters of whom are under five years old. ¹ Survivors can be left with permanent disabilities – some become deaf or blind, for example, or develop learning disabilities, and some have fingers, toes or even whole limbs amputated.

Antibiotic treatment can save lives. However, some children are so poorly by the time they reach hospital that antibiotic treatment comes too late. Vaccination is therefore considered the best way to tackle the problem. Vaccines against other bugs that cause meningitis and septicaemia are available in the UK but no vaccine has yet been approved to protect children from MenB.

Now, researchers based at the University of Oxford are developing a new vaccine against MenB, which they hope will protect children, thanks to a grant of £148,052 from children’s charity Action Medical Research.

Lead researcher, Professor Andrew Pollard, Director of the Oxford Vaccine Group, said: “Vaccines normally contain fragments of the bug that causes a particular disease, or bugs that have been killed or weakened in some way. They work by stimulating a child’s immune system to recognise and attack the bug if it ever invades the body.”

“We hope the new vaccine will give broad-ranging protection against the many, subtly different types of MenB bacteria. Evidence suggests that using the cold virus might stimulate a rapid, large and long-lasting immunity to MenB infection,” he added.

The researchers are investigating how well the novel vaccine works in a laboratory model. They are also investigating the possibility of using it in conjunction with other vaccines against MenB that they are studying in other projects. Mixing the most promising vaccine candidates together, in a single formulation, might be a good way to boost their overall potency, for example.

Dr Caroline Johnston, Research Evaluation Manager at Action Medical Research, said: “An effective vaccine could save many children’s lives and stop countless others from developing serious, lifelong disabilities, such as blindness, deafness and loss of limbs. Preventing disabilities could spare children from suffering and bring large cost savings – to the children, their families and society as a whole.”

The researchers believe their new vaccine could benefit children in the UK and worldwide. They expect it to be highly affordable, making it suitable for widespread use. If their laboratory work is successful, they plan to set up clinical trials of the vaccine as soon as possible.

Visit www.action.org.uk for more information