vaccine to see newborn :: Article CreatorModel Advances Rational Design Of More Effective Maternal Vaccines For Newborns
Newborns, with their developing immune systems, face high risks of infection in the critical early months of life. While maternal vaccines can bolster infant immunity by delivering antibodies through the placenta, these vaccines and their administration schedule are not optimized, and they don't always provide uniform protection for the whole population. Researchers from the University of Virginia's Department of Biomedical Engineering have created an advanced computational model that includes the key factors modulating antibody transfer from mother to fetus. In their recent review paper published in Nature Immunology, they describe how a mathematical modeling framework opens doors for safer, more effective maternal vaccines for vulnerable populations and has broad implications for newborn immunity.
Targeted Maternal Vaccines for Newborns
Led by assistant professor of Biomedical Engineering Sepideh Dolatshahi and Ph.D. Student Remziye Wessel, the UVA team's research sheds light on the mechanisms driving selective antibody transfer across the placenta, particularly focusing on the IgG antibody that provides immunity to newborns. "Our model captures the kinetics and dynamic complexities of placental antibody transfer in ways that previous research simply couldn't," Dolatshahi said.
Dolatshahi also said that a mechanistic modeling approach paves the way for the rational design of maternal vaccines and personalized therapies by providing a framework for quantitatively assessing the relative impact of regulatory factors, as well as individual and population-level vulnerabilities, to more effectively protect all infants, including those born preterm, from serious infections.
This is a significant departure from traditional empirical vaccine design, which relied largely on static models or animal studies with limited applicability to human physiology. Instead, this model can integrate the dynamic changes in placental structure and maternal immune response over time, making it possible to identify kinetic bottlenecks that limit antibodies from reaching the fetus. By understanding these bottlenecks, researchers can develop maternal vaccines that are more effective at delivering the exact antibodies newborns need for immune defense.
Potential Impact for Newborns and Broader Patient Populations
The implications of vaccine design from a modeling lens extend beyond newborns to other high-risk populations, including immunocompromised patients and elderly adults, who may benefit from similar models tailored to their unique needs.
For infants, the impact of optimized maternal vaccines could be life-saving, especially for those born prematurely, who often lack the full maternal antibody protection provided during a full term pregnancy. Additionally, the model could enable the design of vaccines targeting specific infectious diseases that pose significant risks to newborns, potentially reducing neonatal mortality worldwide.
"Think of the placenta as a selective filter," Dolatshahi describes. "Our model helps reveal which antibodies can pass through effectively and when." Armed with this knowledge, the team's ultimate goal is to develop vaccines that optimize this natural transfer process, strengthening immunity for vulnerable newborns during their first critical months.
Beyond infancy, this modeling approach could eventually inform vaccine strategies for populations with varying immune capabilities, such as individuals with chronic diseases or those undergoing treatments that suppress the immune system. The framework may also offer insights into how antibody transfer efficiencies vary by patient characteristics, such as age, exposure to stressors, or genetic background, paving the way for a more personalized approach to immunization.
"The computational model is currently a research tool, requiring further validation before direct clinical application," Wessel said. "With additional refinement and validation, it could potentially be tested in the clinic to guide patient-specific vaccine strategies in the near future."
Pfizer Says Maternal RSV Shot Gives Strong Protection To Newborns
Pfizer has bolstered the evidence behind its respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine with a positive trial of the shot used to protect newborns, adding to earlier results in older adults.
The phase 3 MATISSE study of RSVpreF given to pregnant women in order to protect their babies after birth found that the vaccine had efficacy of 81.8% in preventing lower respiratory tract infections caused by RSV in the first 90 days of life, falling to 69.4% at six months.
It also reduced infants' risk of needing medical intervention for an RSV infection by around half in the first six months, although that was not a statistically significant difference.
Armed with the new data, Pfizer intends to file for approval of RSVpreF as a maternal immunisation before the end of the year, as an addition to its plans to submit the shot for older adults based on the results of its recently reported RENOIR trial.
The adult population is a much bigger market for a potential RSV vaccine, although maternal immunisation would be a valuable add-on, and one in which Pfizer has a clear lead over its main rival, GSK.
GSK has also reported high levels of protective efficacy with its RSV vaccine candidate in older adults, but was forced to halt trials of its shot in expectant mothers earlier this year over as-yet undisclosed safety concerns.
"This is the first-ever investigational vaccine shown to help protect newborns against severe RSV-related respiratory illness immediately at birth," said Pfizer's head of vaccine R&D, Dr Annaliesa Anderson.
"We look forward to working with the FDA and other regulatory agencies to bring this vaccine candidate to expectant mothers, to help protect their infants against severe RSV during their most vulnerable first six months of life, which has the highest burden of RSV illness in infants."
That timeframe would make Pfizer's vaccine an alternative to antibody-based therapies that are given not to the mother, but to the infants themselves, to protect against RSV in the crucial first few months of life.
AstraZeneca and Sanofi are out in front in this category with nirsevimab, a long-acting antibody designed to provide passive protection to infants through their first RSV season with a single dose, which has already been filed for approval in the US and Europe.
It will compete with Sobi's established antibody therapy Synagis (palivizumab), an antibody originated by AZ, which is dosed once a month.
What To Know Now To Help Protect Your Newborn From RSV
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Dec. 19—By Rebecca Norwick,
National Association of Nurse
Practitioners in Women's Health
(NAPSI)—When I first started my career as a nurse practitioner, I saw pediatric wards fill each winter with children suffering from common infections that cause rotavirus diarrhea and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). Since then and following the introduction of the rotavirus vaccine nearly two decades ago, hospital visits for rotavirus have notably decreased.
Protecting Newborns Now
Today, we are in a similar position to help prevent RSV through a maternal vaccine given to protect infants at birth. Getting vaccinated while pregnant helps your body create protective antibodies that you can pass on to your baby. These antibodies can help protect your baby from diseases such as RSV during the first few months of life when they are most vulnerable.
While RSV can cause cold-like symptoms most of the time, it can be dangerous in infants and young children—and is the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States. RSV season usually starts in the fall and peaks in the winter in most regions, which is why the vaccine is typically given from September through January. Because the RSV vaccine is administered seasonally, the protection passed to the baby will last for their first RSV season.
The good news is that if you or a loved one is pregnant, the maternal RSV vaccine is available now at no out-of-pocket cost to you through almost all insurance plans, including Medicaid and employer-sponsored plans. You should receive the maternal RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy if you are pregnant between September and January.
Vaccines have been recommended during pregnancy for decades and are our most effective tool against preventable respiratory diseases. They are also a critical part of routine prenatal care, adding an important line of defense against severe respiratory diseases that can leave pregnant people and their babies at an increased risk of complications. The maternal RSV vaccine can be administered during the same visit that you may receive other vaccines during pregnancy, including Tdap, flu, or COVID-19 vaccines.
All recommended vaccines are held to the highest standards of safety—meaning they are carefully studied and monitored for side effects. Having worked for 20 years in community health centers in underserved areas, I have witnessed firsthand the protection that maternal vaccinations provide. At one clinic, we even implemented a "cocooning" approach, vaccinating the entire family against flu to help protect newborns who are too young for vaccines. By ensuring the pregnant mother, father, siblings, and grandparents received their flu shots, we worked to minimize the risk of influenza spreading within families.
These days we can go a step further by providing early RSV protection to newborns during their first months of life. If you or a loved one is pregnant, ask your healthcare provider about the maternal RSV vaccine, along with other recommended maternal vaccines. Maternal vaccination is a powerful way to help strengthen your baby's immunity and share protection before they are even born.
Learn More
For more information on maternal vaccines and their importance, visit www.Cdc.Gov/vaccines/pregnancy.
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"If you're pregnant, you should get the maternal RSV vaccine during weeks 32 through 36 of pregnancy, advises Rebecca Norwick, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health"
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