Professor Camille Locht is an outstanding specialist in molecular pathogenesis of respiratory infections and in the field of vaccinology and new vaccines development. He is the founder of the Center for Infection and Immunity of Lille, on the campus of the Institut Pasteur de Lille in France. He is also a Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Lodz. Yet another visit of Professor Locht to Poland has just come to an end. During the visit he shared his knowledge, among other things, on the new pertussis vaccine with students, doctoral students and academics from the University of Lodz.
(prof. Camille Locht)
Why do we need a new vaccine?
There are several pertussis vaccines on the market that do an excellent job, but despite the use of vaccination, pertussis is still present and the incidence is increasing. Research conducted by my team, but also by other scientists, has found that current vaccines protect well against disease, but not against infection and not against microbial transmission.
What does this mean? Vaccinated people may not become ill; however, they may be infected and transmit the disease. Similarly, the Covid-19 vaccine works very well, but we use masks because we can still transmit the virus and let’s remember that pertussis is three times more contagious than Covid-19.
– warns Prof. Camille Locht.
Aerosol instead of a needle
The vaccine under development differs from the existing vaccines primarily in the way it is administered to the patient. The existing vaccines are administered intramuscularly, this one will be administered nasally by spray. What significance does this have for those vaccinated, apart from the obvious comfort of administering the medicine? – Nose is the gateway to infection with Bordetella pertussis which causes the disease. Germs enter the body through the nose – explains Prof. Locht. – We, therefore, want to block this 'entrance' and thus, protect not only against the disease, but also against infection. During the study, it turned out that the vaccine may also be helpful in treating other diseases, such as allergies.
Research, research, research
The vaccine has already undergone a phase of animal testing, during which it has been proven that the protective effect of the vaccine is induced correctly and actually protects against infection. The vaccine is now in clinical trials to test the safety and efficacy of the vaccine in humans. – In the work we have just published in the scientific journal “Lancet”, we have shown that the vaccine induces an immune response in the nasal region and the upper respiratory tract in adults – emphasises Prof Locht. – However, this is not the end of the research. So far, we have tested the vaccine on volunteers aged 18 – 65. We need to test its safety and efficacy in other age groups as well. At the moment, the study is being carried out in a group between 6 and 18 years of age. – We also need to study it in a group of people older than 65 and increase the group of people taking part in the study to make sure that the vaccination is safe and effective for everyone – adds Prof Locht. – We need to screen at least 3,000 people. I think we will be able to do this within two years and the vaccine will be ready for the market by 2026.
Polish thread
Professor Camille Locht has been cooperating with the Department of Immunology and Infectious Biology of the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Lodz for more than 10 years. Scientists exchange knowledge and experiences about the non-specific effects of vaccines. – At the Institut Pasteur de Lille, where the BCG vaccine has been invented and described, we proved that it can also prevent other diseases, including allergic asthma – recalls Prof. Locht. – At that time, we established cooperation with Dr hab. Magdalena Kowalewicz-Kulbat from the University of Lodz, who was then involved in research on BCG mycobacteria. Our new pertussis vaccine also shows such non-specific effects. A new element in our international cooperation is research on halophilic archaeons, which Dr hab. Magdalena Kowalewicz-Kulbat deals with, and which occur in Polish salt mines. – Students and doctoral students also benefit from the cooperation. – Didactics and the opportunity to talk to young scientists and to follow their research is a very important part of this cooperation – adds Prof. Locht.