Connect with us

Lifestyle

COVID vaccine nasal spray shows strong immune response in study: ‘Could be a game changer’

Source image: https://www.foxnews.com/health/covid-vaccine-nasal-spray-shows-strong-immune-response-study-could-be-game-changer

A new study has shown promising results for a nasal COVID-19 vaccine, according to researchers at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany. 

When two doses of the live nasal vaccine were administered to hamsters, the animals showed a stronger immune response compared to their response to two doses of the vaccines that are currently available.

The study was published in the journal Nature Microbiology on Monday.

COVID VACCINE FATIGUE: STUDY EXPLORES WHY MANY ARE REFUSING BOOSTER SHOTS

The lead author of the study told Fox News Digital this week, “We find that a live attenuated vaccine prevents virus replication — this could be a game changer in controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”

Nasal vaccines not yet available in US

Today, there are four approved COVID vaccines in the U.S. — all of which are administered via injection into the muscle, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines are both mRNA vaccines, which use mRNA (messenger RNA) to trigger cells to produce a viral protein. 

This prompts the immune system to create antibodies.

A new study has shown promising results for a nasal COVID-19 vaccine in Germany, according to researchers at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universität Berlin. (A fictional prototype is pictured.)

A new study has shown promising results for a nasal COVID-19 vaccine in Germany, according to researchers at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universität Berlin. (A fictional prototype is pictured.) (iStock)

Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen is a viral vector vaccine, which delivers DNA “instructions” to the body’s cells via a different, non-harmful virus.

The Novavax vaccine is a protein subunit vaccine, which uses some proteins of the virus that causes COVID-19 — known as the “spike protein” — to “train” the immune system to act against future spike proteins.

“The goal is to create a barrier to stop virus spread.”

The nasal COVID vaccine that’s being tested is a live-attenuated vaccine, which means it contains a live but weaker form of the coronavirus. 

It works by stopping the virus in the upper airway before it can travel further into the body.

Study focused on Syrian hamsters

The researchers used Syrian hamsters for their vaccine testing. 

The study’s lead author, Dr. Jakob Trimpert, head of diagnostics at the Institute of Virology at Freie Universität Berlin in Germany, said hamsters are the “prime non-transgenic [not genetically modified] small animal model” for COVID-19 research.

AI TESTING OF BRAIN TUMORS CAN DETECT GENETIC CANCER MARKERS IN LESS THAN 90 SECONDS, STUDY FINDS

“These animals have the great advantage of being naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection, including natural spread between hamsters,” he explained to Fox News Digital. 

“The infection of Syrian hamsters resembles many key features of moderate human COVID-19 — this makes the hamster an ideal model to study COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.”

Nasal vaccines show ‘superior protection’

The nasal vaccines have significant advantages over the injectable vaccines that are currently available, Dr. Trimpert said. 

“An intra-nasally applied live-attenuated vaccine provides superior protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to intramuscularly applied vaccines,” he told Fox News Digital.

While he said currently marketed vaccines do a good job of preventing severe illness from COVID, Dr. Trimpert pointed out that they don’t prevent the infection, moderate illness or spread.

“We find that a live attenuated vaccine prevents virus replication” — so “this could be a game changer in controlling SARS-CoV-2 transmission.”

Nasal vaccines have significant advantages over the injectable vaccines that are currently available, said the study's lead author.

Nasal vaccines have significant advantages over the injectable vaccines that are currently available, said the study’s lead author. (iStock)

The main benefit of a nasal vaccine is that immunity is activated right where it’s needed, Dr. Trimpert said.

“It is the induction of local immunity at the site of natural infection that could be a game-changer here,” he said. 

“Judging from our results, this has considerable impact and greatly reduces the risk of infection.”

Doctor sees nasal vaccines as ‘a brilliant idea’

Dr. Marc Siegel, professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor, said he finds this new research promising. He was not involved in the study.

“The goal is very important: to create a barrier to stop virus spread,” he told Fox News Digital.

Today, there are four approved COVID vaccines in the U.S., all of which are administered via injection into the muscle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Today, there are four approved COVID vaccines in the U.S., all of which are administered via injection into the muscle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belgia/AFP via Getty Images)

“This involves IGA antibodies and works at the level of the mucus membranes.” 

IGA, or Immunoglobulin A, is an antibody that plays an important part in the immune function of mucous membranes.

The mucous membrane, or the nasal mucosa, is the tissue that lines the nasal cavity.

COVID VACCINES ARE NOT NEEDED FOR HEALTHY KIDS AND TEENS, SAYS WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

The nasal vaccine could be standalone or could work in conjunction with other vaccines, said Dr. Siegel. 

“If it’s effective and human trials of the German vaccine are ongoing, it will be a big step forward,” he said.

Dr. Norman B. Gaylis, who has treated over 1,000 patients at his Long Haul COVID Clinic in Aventura, Florida, also reviewed the findings.

“I believe it’s a brilliant idea to create a vaccine that can build immunity in the nasal mucosa,” he told Fox News Digital. 

"Research has shown that COVID and other viruses often enter through the nose, and travel up the olfactory nerve … and then into the brain," a doctor explained.

“Research has shown that COVID and other viruses often enter through the nose, and travel up the olfactory nerve … and then into the brain,” a doctor explained. (iStock)

“Research has shown that COVID and other viruses often enter through the nose, and travel up the olfactory nerve … and then into the brain,” he explained.

Developing a nasal vaccine could help prevent viruses from gaining easy access to the brain, said Dr. Gaylis. 

“This is important because many ‘long COVID’ patients are reporting brain damage from the virus,” he added.

MOST ‘LONG COVID’ SYMPTOMS AFTER MILD CASE OF VIRUS RESOLVE IN ABOUT A YEAR: NEW STUDY

Additionally, a nasal vaccine would provide a helpful alternative for patients who have a fear of needles, allowing them to get protected without a jab, said the doctor.

Other nasal vaccines in development

As of July 2022, there were at least 12 nasal COVID vaccines in clinical development, according to Science Immunology.

The biotechnology company Codagenix announced in October 2022 that it had entered the Phase 3 clinical trial for CoviLiv, its intranasal COVID-19 vaccine that is intended for healthy adults.

As of July 2022, there were at least 12 nasal COVID vaccines in development.

The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City has launched a Phase 1 study evaluating a new egg-based COVID vaccine, called NDV-HXP-S, which can be administered nasally or via muscular injection.

In June 2022, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases published a study illustrating the effectiveness of nasal COVID vaccines in hamsters. 

This was followed by another study in September 2022, which showed that nasal vaccines produced a strong immune response in rhesus monkeys.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR HEALTH NEWSLETTER

Both China and India have approved nasal COVID vaccines for humans, as reported in the journal Nature in September 2022.

Those who are considering a new vaccine should consult with a doctor to ensure that it’s right for them.

Iran and Russia have also approved nasal forms of the vaccine, though there is limited data available about their effectiveness.

More research is needed

The German research team plans to continue investigating the effectiveness of its vaccines and looks forward to moving into clinical trials.

The study focused on Syrian hamsters, finding that the nasal vaccine provided significant protection against the virus. The researchers look forward to moving into clinical trials with humans.

The study focused on Syrian hamsters, finding that the nasal vaccine provided significant protection against the virus. The researchers look forward to moving into clinical trials with humans. (iStock)

“While our results in the animal model are robust, only clinical trials will be able to ascertain translatability to human medicine,” Dr. Trimpert said.

Questions remain about the vaccine’s safety for people with weakened immune systems and the potential risk of combining it with different variants of the virus.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The CDC states that severely immunocompromised people and pregnant women should avoid live vaccines.

Said Dr. Trimpert, “We do think there is reason to hope for next-generation COVID-19 vaccines that better control virus transmission and greatly reduce disease burden.”

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/health/covid-vaccine-nasal-spray-shows-strong-immune-response-study-could-be-game-changer

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Ohio firefighters find 118-year-old time capsule buried in fire station: Here’s what was inside

A team of firefighters has uncovered treasure hidden in their fire department that’s nearly 12 decades old.

Captain Ryan Redmon and a group of six firefighters from the City of Marion Ohio Fire Department were on a mission to retrieve an old department cornerstone from a retired fire station that was about to be demolished, but they ended up finding something truly unexpected.

The Marion Fire Department (MFD) has recently been researching the history of their department, going back to 1848, by digging up some information — both figuratively and literally, Captain Redmon told Fox News Digital.

ALABAMA MUSEUM OF LOST LUGGAGE DISPLAYS UNPACKED ‘TREASURES,’ FROM OLD ARTIFACTS TO AUTOGRAPHED MEMORABILIA

On May 25, Redmon and the firefighters went down to the old Marion Fire Department Station No. 2, which was built in 1905, to excavate their department’s cornerstone for preservation purposes before the building was scheduled to be torn down.

MFD cornerstone 2

Captain Ryan Redmon and a team of six firefighters from the Marion Fire Department in Marion, Ohio, discovered a hidden time capsule dating back to 1905. Firefighter Andrew Niles is pictured above removing a brick. (City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

After spending nearly 30 minutes on the excavation, Redmon and his men quickly realized the cornerstone was deeper into the building than anticipated, so they called in professionals to complete the removal.

As Redmon and his team were about to leave, they pulled out one last brick and saw a copper box fall out of the sandstone, Redmon shared.

Redmon and the other firefighters on the scene took it back to the station excited to show everyone their new discovery.

ANCIENT ROMAN ‘REFRIGERATOR’ DISCOVERED IN MILITARY BARRACK WITH PRESERVED BONES: ‘SHROUDED IN MYSTERY’

“Obviously, everybody wanted us to open it right away, and we wanted to, trust me. It was killing us to see what was in there,” Redmon commented.

copper time capsule

The 118-year-old time capsule was hidden near the cornerstone of the retired fire station building that was set to be demolished. (City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

The MFD has been working on the written history of their department, but nothing in their prior research led them to believe there would be a time capsule hidden in the 1905 fire station.

“We’ve done so much history work around the station and I feel like we’ve got a pretty good grasp on our past and where we’ve been, and [to] discover something like [this], there’s no written record of it,” Redmon stated.

“We scoured newspapers, we scoured old records [and] there was never any mention of a time capsule in there, so it was very exciting,” he added.

SUNKEN JEWELS, BURIED TREASURE UNCOVERED IN THE BAHAMAS FROM ICONIC 17TH CENTURY SPANISH SHIPWRECK

The time capsule was placed near the cornerstone of the old MFD station on July 20, 1905, according to a letter found in the capsule written by the fire chief at the time, Redmon added.

men opening time capsule

Chief Chuck Deem (left) looks on as Captain Redmon (center) and Andrew Niles (far right) pry open the time capsule during a public ceremony on May 31.   (City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

“Firemen aren’t exactly known for being gentle, delicate creatures with things,” Redmon joked. “So we took it to the historical society in town.”

The copper box had been soldered shut on the edge and wasn’t easy to pry open, according to Redmon.

On May 31, the MFD invited the residents of Marion to be a part of a public opening of the time capsule.

BURIED TREASURE FOUND IN TEXAS SCHOOL: PURSE FROM 1950S REVEALS WOMAN’S LIFE, OPENS ‘WINDOW INTO PAST’

Inside the 118-year-old copper box were dozens of well-preserved memorabilia referencing the department including: nine MFD badges from the “turn of the century,” an invitation to the 1878 “Northwestern Ohio Volunteer Fireman’s Association Fireman’s Games” (which is still held today), four newspapers from July 1905 and so much more, according to the City of Marion Ohio Fire Department Facebook page.

Redmon took note of the differences between the “turn of the century era” badges that had been found in the time capsule, detailing the difference in style and size.

“There has been talk about trying to back to that style now that we know that’s our history and that’s kind of where we came from. In the future, maybe we can go back to that,” Redmon commented.

One of Redmon’s favorite discoveries in the box was the letter from Chief McFarland, the department’s fire chief for almost 40 years, he added.

KANSAS FINDS 71-YEAR-OLD TIME CAPSULE INSIDE COURTHOUSE: HERE’S WHAT’S INSIDE

“He has kind of got his touch on everything. To have an actual letter from him was very [exciting].”

Ohio time capsule split FINAL

Redmon is looking forward to making a new time capsule for the new fire station which will include an item from the newly found 1905 capsule. (City of Marion Ohio Fire Department)

Redmon gave a lot of credit to Andrew Niles, a firefighter on his team, who has been heading up the department’s historical research and was the one to open the time capsule.

One of the biggest takeaways for Redmon is knowing that he now has a tangible place in the history of the MFD.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

“I was becoming a part of history because I was involved in this opening and this finding,” he shared.

The MFD is planning on taking an item from the 1905 time capsule, most likely one of the badges, and placing it in a new time capsule that will be buried in the construction of the new fire station, Redmon added.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

The hope is that another 118 years will pass by before the new capsule is opened and someone will be able to discover a 236-year-old badge, paying homage to the history and legacy of the Marion Fire Department, Redmon said.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

On this day in history, June 7, 1942, Battle of Midway ends in decisive US victory

On this day in history, June 7, 1942, the Battle of Midway — regarded as one of the most decisive U.S. victories in its war against Japan — came to an end.  

The Battle of Midway was an Allied naval victory and a major turning point in World War II. 

The battle was fought between Japanese and American carrier forces near the Midway Atoll, a territory of the United States in the central Pacific, from June 4-7, 1942.

On June 4, 1942, the Battle of Midway began. 

ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY, JUNE 6, 1944, US AND ALLIES INVADE NORMANDY IN GREATEST MILITARY INVASION

Midway Island is a fairly isolated atoll, so named because it is midway between North America and Asia in the North Pacific Ocean, according to National Geographic.

Midway’s importance grew for commercial and military planners, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). 

Battle of Midway

In this June 4, 1942, file photo provided by the U.S. Navy, the USS Astoria (CA-34) steams by USS Yorktown (CV-5), shortly after the carrier had been hit by three Japanese bombs in the Battle of Midway.  (William G. Roy/U.S. Navy via AP, File)

In the 1930s, Midway became a stopover for Pan American Airways’ “flying clippers” — seaplanes crossing the ocean on their five-day transpacific passage, the same source indicates.

Midway was an incredibly strategic location, multiple sources say. 

“The Imperial Japanese Navy planned to use it to secure their sphere of influence in the Pacific theater of the war,” according to National Geographic. 

D-DAY 79 YEARS LATER: HOW FDR’S POWERFUL PRAYER UNITED AMERICANS

“The Japanese had not lost a naval battle in more than 50 years, and had nearly destroyed the American fleet just six months earlier in a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.” 

The American success at Midway was a major victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy. 

Pearl Harbor is about 1,300 miles east of Midway, says the same source.

In preparation, American military and intelligence forces worked together to defeat the Japanese. 

Battle of Midway Island

The Battle of Midway Island, which resulted in a major victory for the U.S. fleet. The USS aircraft carrier ‘Yorktown’ received a direct hit from a Japanese plane, which got through despite the heavy barrage put up by American destroyers.  (Keystone/Getty Images)

Code breakers were able to decipher Japanese naval code, allowing American leaders to anticipate Japanese maneuvers, notes National Geographic. 

Because of this, the U.S. Navy was then able to launch a surprise attack on the larger Japanese fleet in the area and the Battle of Midway turned the tide of the war, says the same source. 

WORLD WAR II’S D-DAY: PHOTOS REVEAL WORLD’S LARGEST AMPHIBIOUS INVASION

The American success at Midway was a major victory over the Imperial Japanese Navy as all four Japanese carriers — Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga and Soryu — had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor, says the National WWII Museum.

The Battle of Midway is often referred to as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

“Sinking those Japanese carriers represented a resounding defeat over the enemy fleet which had wrought such destruction only six months before,” the same source says.

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER

The Imperial Japanese Navy would not be capable of overcoming the loss of four carriers and over 100 trained pilots — and with the loss at Midway, the Japanese offensive in the Pacific was overturned and the United States began offensive action in the Pacific, says the National WWII Museum.

The Battle of Midway is widely considered the most decisive U.S. victory of that period.

It is often referred to as the turning point of the war in the Pacific.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Midway Atoll has since been designated as a National Memorial to the Battle of Midway, says the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Continue Reading

Lifestyle

Invisible AI’s ‘intelligent agent’ cameras can see what autoworkers and machines are doing wrong

Tesla CEO Elon Musk often refers to the automobile factory as “the machine that builds the machine,” but there are plenty of human workers involved in even the most highly automated plants.

They remain a key part of the exceedingly complex process that is automobile assembly but need to operate as efficiently as their mechanical counterparts to keep cars and trucks coming off the line with a combination of quality and speed.

Weeding out issues and making sure everything is running smoothly has traditionally meant sending quality control personnel up and down the lines to get eyes on the action. But now there’s a way to automate that job with better results than ever before.

WHAT ARE THE FOUR MAIN TYPES OF AI?

Palo Alto-based Invisible AI was founded by veterans of the autonomous car industry who saw an alternative for the artificial intelligence-driven machine vision technology they were working on that could come to market long before the mass acceptance of self-driving cars.

invisible ai

Invisible AI’s cameras have two terabytes of storage, enough to capture two months of data. (Invisible AI)

The company designed a network of cameras that can monitor an assembly line in real time and spot even the smallest things going wrong.

“Productivity, safety and quality are always top of mind in manufacturing, especially auto,” Invisible AI CEO Eric Danzinger told Fox News Digital.

The self-contained units are equipped with stereoscopic vision and onboard processing that allows them to be easily set up in a factory without having to tap into the facility’s own networks.

Invisible AI workers

The cameras use stereoscopic vision that can monitor how workers are moving. (Invisible AI)

“Our AI is not just about watching one workstation but about getting that view across the line about where you’re hitting production bottlenecks, where you’re seeing deviations from how the work is supposed to be done and where you’re seeing issues like bad reaches that can cause physical issues for your workers,” Danzinger said.

The cameras don’t need to be programmed with the assembly process. They only have to scan a single, correct cycle, and then the system can determine if anything deviates from it later.

“Our AI system analyzes the video, from raw pixels, to understand the pattern of work that’s happening and then compares those patterns so we can tell if someone is following a standard,” Danzinger explained. “All of that is being done by an intelligent agent in the cameras so a person doesn’t have to.

“If you have 100 cameras on one section of an assembly, you are actually seeing in 3D the living, breathing line.”

invisible ai paint gif

The system can tell if a worker’s movements are deviating from the ideal process. (Invisible AI)

Pricing varies by application, but Danzinger said the cost is far less than bringing in a consulting team or trying to accomplish the same work manually, which really can’t be done given the scope of what the system is capable of. 

Since they’re self-contained, installing all the cameras can be done in a couple of days between shifts.

“Our system has become the place you can go to help frontline employees understand the work being done,” Danzinger said.

“There are a million things happening. People are sick, bad parts are coming from suppliers, machines are broken down. … To be able to know what’s going on, what’s the most crucial component to fix, how do I meet my numbers? That’s the most important thing.”

CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR THE FOX NEWS AUTOS NEWSLETTER

Invisible AI has collected a roster of a dozen automotive parts suppliers and four original equipment manufactures as clients, including Toyota, which uses the system at a factory in Indiana.

Toyota declined to provide comment for this report, but Senior Engineer Jihad Abdul-Rahim said when the project was announced last year that “Invisible AI is not only helping us find opportunities for improvement on the assembly lines, but we’re also constantly finding new use cases for their technology, such as ergonomics analysis to proactively prevent injuries.”

Invisible AI dashboard

Users can use an app to get an overview or check the status at a specific point in the assembly process. (Invisible AI)

Danzinger said details about its other customers and how they are using the system is confidential and that Invisible AI can’t provide details on their behalf.

As far as privacy is concerned, the system doesn’t have facial recognition technology, and it can blur faces captured on video. But the point of it is to offer direct feedback, so it is not an entirely anonymized analytical tool.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“Most of what we see is helping workers have a voice and raise their hand to say, ‘This is broken. We need help fixing it,’ and actually getting a response,” Danzinger said.

Continue Reading

Trending