Vonnies Health Spot

FLU VACCINE INHALERS? YES, ON THE HORIZON

In the last few years, the bird flu virus has been in the news a lot. There were fears in the world medical community that a pandemic might overrun the planet. Authorities in many countries put safeguards in place to prevent the spread from one continent to another. Wild migrating bird flocks were monitored carefully. In European countries there were worries about running short of vaccine if an epidemic hit, because the vaccine has a very short shelf life.

Then a PhD student at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands, Jean-Pierre Amorij, announced at the end of 2007 all that could change. In his thesis he describes a way of storing flu vaccine in powder form. It can then be stored for at least a year—more than enough time to build up stocks.

SUGARS ARE THE SECRET
During his four-year program, Amorij examined all kinds of methods for long-term storage of the flu vaccine. The answer came in what is known as freeze-drying. A protein molecule, such as a vaccine, can be frozen between millions of sugar molecules. These molecules bunch together like miniscule balls around the vaccine, protecting it, so it can be stored stably in dried form. He used special sugars for the process, inulin and trehalose and searched for 18 months to find the freeze-drying process that was exactly right. 

“The biggest problem was choosing the right freezing speed and the right sugar,” says Amorij. But he managed it, with the results looking like sugar used for frosting cakes.

ONE BENEFIT? EASE OF APPLICATION
Freeze-dried flu vaccine not only has a longer shelf-life, it is also easier to use.  The powdered vaccine can be swallowed or inhaled, so there will be no more need for injection needles. You don’t need to have medical personnel involved and distribution can be a lot faster, making it possible to immunize large groups of people in a short time. “Inhaling the vaccine is by far the most effective …” Amorij says. “The immune reaction was even more powerful than with an injection.” According to him, the powder is particularly suited to inhalation. It is very light and stays suspended so it can penetrate deep into the lungs. That makes absorption even more efficient.

WHEN WILL IT BE AVAILABLE?
To date only laboratory tests have been run. “So far we’ve tested it only on mice. The tests on people still have to take place. If everything goes well, then that could happen within five years. If there are a few setbacks, it could take 10 years. One thing is certain, though, it’s on its way.”

Amorij was awarded his PhD on January 4, 2008.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.

THAT LITTLE WORD "MAY" MAKES SUCH A DIFFERENCE

The New York Times Magazine recently ran a story by author Gary Taubes titled "Do We Really Know What Makes Us Healthy?" that served up some healthy skepticism about what investigators know and don’t know about staying healthy. The story concluded with the answer “not really,” except for the obvious, such as not smoking, limiting sun exposure, avoiding obesity, controlling blood pressure and being poor.

Taubes' focus was on the limitations and unreliability of some of the basic tools used by medical researchers, especially epidemiological (observational) investigation. He looked at why the results of studies are often misleading and why this produces confusing health advice. Epidemiological studies are an indispensable arm of research, focusing on the distribution of disease and trying to find links to lifestyle or environmental factors. Epidemiology is plagued by pitfalls, though, mostly because, unlike clinical or laboratory research, it looks at people living in the real world, without any intervention or control by the researchers. These studies usually cannot prove cause and effect, but can identify associations.

John Swartzberg, MD and chair of the editorial board of the University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter says,  “Such a study on the connection between vegetables and prostate cancer, for example, may conclude that men who regularly eat broccoli have a lower risk of prostate cancer. But that is not the same as ‘broccoli prevents prostate cancer.’ It is fair to report that finding as ‘broccoli may prevent prostate cancer.’”  Put the emphasis on may. “Vegetable eaters are usually health-conscious in other ways, which may account for the benefit. Researchers try to control for such ‘confounders’ statistically, but can’t eliminate all of them. These hidden variables can easily cloud results.”

He goes on to say, “Observational studies are good at generating hypotheses that can be tested in clinical trials. Most hypotheses turn out to be wrong, so you shouldn’t change the way you live on the basis of such observations. Still, a body of research (including basic lab studies and clinical trials), in which evidence accumulates bit by bit, can eventually uncover the truth.”

“Research into human health has made enormous strides, but only by the process of trial and error.” It’s a good idea to retain a spirit of inquiry and a healthy skepticism, and not to fall victim to cynicism when conflicting research results come out or when common wisdom is overturned.

The take-away is this:

>epidemiological studies deal with people living in the real world, a less controlled research environment (key-word may)
>clinical or laboratory trials are conducted in a controlled environment and eventually prove or disprove the hypotheses of the epidemiological studies

Also keep in mind that the media jump on every crumb in an effort to be the first to report findings, so some of their reporting may be a little premature for you to take action on.

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Disclaimer: The purpose of this weblog is not to dispense medical advice nor in any way is meant to be construed as diagnostic or prescriptive. Always check with your physician before beginning any new program or trying any of the items discussed in the posts that appear on this site.