New Plague Vaccines Show 100% Success in Mice

Researchers have developed two new vaccines, LMA and LMP, which have shown remarkable success in tests on mice, achieving 100 percent effectiveness against the plague bacterium, Yersinia pestis. These live-attenuated vaccines utilize weakened versions of the bacteria to stimulate a robust immune response. Crucially, the vaccines were effective against pneumonic plague, a particularly lethal form that attacks the lungs and is often fatal if untreated. Control groups in the study succumbed to the infection within days, highlighting the severity of the disease. The development represents a significant advancement, as there are currently no plague vaccines approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. Future research will involve testing in nonhuman primates before progressing to human clinical trials, a necessary step to potentially combat a disease that continues to cause hundreds to thousands of cases annually worldwide.