Study suggests measles vaccine may offer protection against Nipah virus

A new study from the La Jolla Institute for Immunology has examined the body's T cells. These immune cells help fight infections.

The results have been published in the journal Cell Reports Medicine according to SciTechDaily.

Shared characteristics

The researchers took a closer look at viruses from the paramyxovirus family, which includes both the measles virus and the Nipah virus.

T cells recognize specific parts of a virus. Some of these parts change very little, even as the virus evolves.

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As a result, several related viruses may share common characteristics.

According to the researchers, this may enable the immune system to respond to more than one virus at a time.

Blood samples provided answers

In the study, the researchers analyzed blood samples from 31 individuals who had all received the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella.

They first mapped which parts of the measles virus the participants' T cells responded to. They then investigated whether the same cells could recognize the Nipah virus.

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The researchers also gained new insights into how the measles vaccine affects T cells, an area that has previously received relatively little attention.

Vaccine development

None of the participants had been infected with the Nipah virus. Nevertheless, the analyses showed that some of their T cells were able to recognize parts of the virus.

The explanation is that the measles virus and the Nipah virus share certain structural features.

As a result, T cells trained through measles vaccination may, in some cases, respond to both viruses.

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T cells from individuals vaccinated against measles may therefore exhibit a degree of cross-reactivity against the far more deadly Nipah virus.

According to the researchers, this knowledge could eventually be used in the development of vaccines that provide protection against several related viruses at the same time.

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This article is made and published by Ida-Marie Palm Varbæk, who may have used AI in the preparation.