Ear Infections may be Prevented by Skin Vaccines

An experimental vaccine that can be delivered through the skin may protect against ear infections in the future, according to scientists at the Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

The researchers reported their findings at the 109th General Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology in Philadelphia.

Ear Blockage | Clogged Ears
Ear blockage or clogged ear causes include earwax, infection or inflammation. Treatments include de-congesting the Eustachian tubes and using ear drops.

"Our data are the first to show that transcutaneous immunization is an effective way to prevent experimental ear infections and lays the foundation for an effective, yet simple, inexpensive - and potentially transformative - way to deliver vaccines," says Laura Novotny, one of the study researchers.

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is one of the three main bacterial causes of otitis media (OM), an infection or inflammation of the middle ear that often afflicts children.

Given that infections are currently managed with antibiotics, the emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms is a major cause of concern.

About Otitis Media
Middle ear infection, or otitis media, is a common type of infection that may or may not accompany the infections of nose and throat. It is the infection of any part of the middle ear.

Though surgery to insert tubes through the tympanic membrane relieves painful symptoms, the procedure is invasive and requires the child to be under general anaesthesia.

Considering all this, the researchers say that it is necessary to develop different ways to treat or preferably prevent this disease.

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Tinnitus is the perception of ringing, hissing, or other sound within the ears when no corresponding external sound is present.

"We have designed several vaccine candidates which target proteins on the outer surface of this bacterium. Previous work in our lab showed that after immunization by injection, each of the three vaccine candidates prevented experimental ear infections caused by NTHi. In this study, we now wanted to test an alternative but potentially equally effective method to deliver a vaccine," says Novotny.

The method, known as transcutaneous immunization, involved placing a droplet of each vaccine onto the ear and rubbing it into the skin.

Anatomy of Ear and Hearing
Ear converts sound waves into electrical impulses that are transmitted to the temporal lobe of the brain through the auditory nerve. It consists of outer, inner and middle sections.

During the study, the researchers immunized four groups of chinchillas with one of the three vaccine candidates. A fourth group received a placebo.

Each vaccine was placed on the ears of chinchillas once a week for three weeks. All animals were then inoculated with NTHi through the nose and directly into the middle ears.

Animals that received the vaccines were able to very rapidly reduce, or completely eliminate NTHi from the nose and ears, but animals that received a placebo did not.

Source-ANI
RAS