"Protective T-cell memory has long been thought to reside in blood and lymph nodes, but recently the concept of immune memory in peripheral tissues mediated by resident memory T (TRM) cells has been proposed.
Here we show in mice that localized vaccinia virus (VACV) skin infection generates long-lived non-recirculating CD8+ skin TRM cells that reside within the entire skin. These skin TRM cells are potent effector cells, and are superior to circulating central memory T (TCM) cells at providing rapid long-term protection against cutaneous re-infection.
We find that CD8+ T cells are rapidly recruited to skin after acute VACV infection. CD8+ T-cell recruitment to skin is independent of CD4+ T cells and interferon-?, but requires the expression of E- and P-selectin ligands by CD8+ T cells.
Using parabiotic mice, we further show that circulating CD8+ TCM and CD8+ skin TRM cells are both generated after skin infection; however, CD8+ TCM cells recirculate between blood and lymph nodes whereas TRM cells remain in the skin. Cutaneous CD8+ TRM cells produce effector cytokines and persist for at least 6 months after infection. Mice with CD8+ skin TRM cells rapidly cleared a subsequent re-infection with VACV whereas mice with circulating TCM but no skin TRM cells showed greatly impaired viral clearance, indicating that TRM cells provide superior protection.
Finally, we show that TRM cells generated as a result of localized VACV skin infection reside not only in the site of infection, but also populate the entire skin surface and remain present for many months. Repeated re-infections lead to progressive accumulation of highly protective TRM cells in non-involved skin. These findings have important implications for our understanding of protective immune memory at epithelial interfaces with the environment, and suggest novel strategies for vaccines that protect against tissue tropic organisms." ___
To translate this ground breaking stuff into more simple terms, scientists have discovered that intra-dermal delivery of vaccines by microneedle patch technology is more effective than delivery via the standard method of injections under the skin or into the muscle.
"Putting this research in historical context, it helps explain the uniquely powerful efficacy of the first successful vaccine developed for smallpox by Jenner in 1796," said Kupper. "Syringes had not yet been invented, so Jenner administered the first vaccine by disrupting the upper layers of skin with a specialized needle, a process similar to how the vaccinia virus was delivered in our study. It is worth remembering that the smallpox vaccine remains the most effective vaccine in the history of medicine, resulting in the elimination of smallpox in human populations." ___
"Researchers at Emory and Georgia Tech have found that vaccine patches - small squares riddled with incredibly small microneedles - are more effective at delivering protection against the flu than vaccines injected under the skin or into the muscle.
"Our research reveals new details of the complex but efficient immune response to influenza virus provided by microneedle skin patches," Dr. Richard Compans, a professor of professor of microbiology and immunology at Emory, told Science Daily.
"Despite the success of vaccination against influenza, the virus has many subtypes, mutates rapidly and continues to elude complete and long-term protection, and therefore requires annual vaccination with an updated vaccine each year," he said. "New vaccine formulations and delivery methods such as vaccine-coated microneedle patches could provide an improved protective response, which would be of particular benefit to those at high risk of related complications."
In other words: The patch is painless, and could make getting annual shots (and still coming down with the flu anyway) a thing of the past. ___
This groundbreaking research provides a major opportunity to develop a new class of vaccines with improved preventative and therapeutic efficacy that can potentially have a major impact on human health
More importantly, whilst this exciting news is being hailed as a major scientific breakthrough in March 2012, it may be the perfect opportunity to reflect back on one of many announcements made by OBJ Limited as early as 2005.
Imo, it's times like this where OBJ's patient holders may appreciate why there remains so much secrecy surrounding OBJ and its global funding partners...
"OBJ Limited is pleased to announce that it has received Ethics Committee approval to commence animal trials to investigate the efficacy of its Dermaportation drug delivery technology in the development of a Vaccine and Anti-body drug patch.
The approval provides OBJ with the ability to trial its technology as a means of delivering a number of key vaccines and anti-bodies through the skin, rather than by injection, as is currently the case.
Inter-dermal delivery of vaccines has been shown to be up to 6 times more efficient than intra-muscular injections. This would allow more people to be immunised using current vaccine stocks or less vaccine being needed by an individual to create the same immunological response.
Through-the-skin administration of drugs, vaccines and anti-bodies offers a number of additional commercial and social advantages, including over-thecounter distribution plus safe and simple self-administration. A vaccine patch would also reduce the need for sterile conditions, highly trained staff and safety concerns relating to needle stick injuries.
The vaccine and anti-body program will be conducted as an independent research program by Murdoch University, under the supervision of Dr Robin Jacobs."
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