Vaccine that fights off range of fungal infections is 100% effective at ... trends now
Scientists have developed a first-of-its-kind vaccine to prevent severe symptoms from hard-to-treat fungal infections.
In a study on animals, the shot - made by researchers from the University of Georgia (UGA) - worked against the three most common families of fungi that cause disease in people.
Known as a 'pan-fungal' vaccine, the shot targets three strains of fungus that caused the most infections in the US - all of which have also developed resistance to available treatments. The strains cause 50,000 combined hospitalizations annually.
Increased attention has been placed on fungal infections because of the hit HBO show 'The Last of Us', which sees infected people transform into zombies.
While that is far from reality, data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows fungal infections already caused 7,000 deaths in the US - and 1.5million worldwide, in 2021.
The World Health Organization warns that fungal infections are becoming more common worldwide, as the changing climate makes environments more suitable for them.
Fungal infections were responsible for more than 75,000 hospitalizations in the US in 2021. Among those, Candida caused the most, leading to the admission of more than 26,000 people. The next to most common were also targeted by the Georgia vaccine, Aspergillosis, responsible for nearly 15,000, and Pneumocytis, which caused just over 10,000
Candida caused 1,769 deaths in 2021, the most of any fungal infection in the US. Aspergillosis caused 1,236 deaths, while Pneumocytis was responsible for 449
The vaccine, called NXT-2, works by providing the body with antibodies that can fight off these infections.
It targets Aspergillus, Candida and Pneumocystis, the fungi responsible most infections in the US.
Researchers highlight Candida in particular, as a threat, as strains of the fungus are becoming resistant to the drugs used to treat it.
The shot was 100 percent effective at preventing infection in monkeys and mice that were immune suppressed and exposed to a fatal amount of fungi.
Researchers say that plans for a human trial are now underway.
'There's a significant unmet clinical need for this kind of prevention and also treatment, particularly among immunocompromised individuals,' Dr Karen Norris, a veterinary medicine professor at UGA and the chief scientist behind the vaccine.
'The patient population at risk for invasive fungal infections has increased significantly over the last several years.'
The NXT-2 shot was effective at preventing severe infection in all of the monkeys and rats it was tested on. It also did not cause any severe adverse events (file photo)
Fungal infections are caused when a person either breathes in or come in contact with spores.
When humans inhale, the immune system will usually dispose of them by sneezing or coughing them out.
People with weakened immune systems are at risk of serious infection. Once infected,
