Live attenuated vaccines articles from across Nature Portfolio

Authors utilise a murine model of Escherichia coli infection to immunologically characterise the properties of their live attenuated vaccine candidate. They also demonstrate protection of newborn mice following maternal immunisation.

Bacillus Calmette–Guérin (BCG) is the only available vaccine against tuberculosis. As well as being an effective vaccine against tuberculosis, BCG also provides off-target protection against various pathogens. Here, we report a mechanism for BCG-mediated cross-protection against influenza A virus (IAV), which requires a dialogue between the innate and adaptive immune memory systems.

While anticipating the development of a COVID-19-specific vaccine, several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) explored the potential of BCG vaccination to protect against COVID-19, based on trials demonstrating beneficial effects of BCG vaccination on unrelated infections and all-cause mortality in neonates in high-mortality geographical settings. Results are now available from 12 RCTs, which suggest that BCG vaccination is not an effective intervention against COVID-19. That the BCG–COVID-19 trials failed to meet expectation emphasizes the importance of rigorous clinical trials to validate hypotheses, even in urgent situations such as a pandemic.

New World arenaviruses are pathogens capable of zoonotic infections that cause viral haemorrhagic fevers, which are frequently lethal in humans. However, a recombinant live-attenuated pentavalent vaccine shows promising efficacy against infection.

An influenza vaccine is created by attenuating the live virus through targeted proteolysis.

Lung fibroblastic stromal cells support inflating memory CD8⁺ T cells after vaccination with an adenovirus vector through the creation of organized lymphoid structures that support the metabolic fitness of these expanded antigen-specific T cells.