Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Like Others

Early data on Moderna's mRNA-based seasonal influenza vaccine are underwhelming, according to the Verge.

The company launched the trial of its candidate vaccine, called mRNA-1010, in July. It targets the seasonal influenza A lineages H1N1 and H3N2 and the influenza B lineages Yamagata and Victoria, and the phase 1/2 trial was to enroll 180 people to study the safety, reactogenicity, and immunogenicity of the candidate vaccine. Moderna has now reported initial results from the trial that indicates that the candidate vaccine does lead to antibody generation, but not, according to the Verge, any more than other flu vaccines.

Reuters notes that following the success of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines, developers have rushed to develop similar vaccines for other diseases, like the flu. The Verge adds that these results suggest that mRNA vaccines might not be as easy to develop and implement as hoped. At In the Pipeline, Derek Lowe writes that more work is needed to determine whether the shorter turnaround time for its development or other aspects of the approach give mRNA vaccines an advantage.

The early-stage study is ongoing, and Moderna is pursuing a mid-stage study of 500 individuals to compare mRNA-1010 to an already approved vaccine, Reuters adds.

The Scan

Machine Learning Helps ID Molecular Mechanisms of Pancreatic Islet Beta Cell Subtypes in Type 2 Diabetes

The approach helps overcome limitations of previous studies that had investigated the molecular mechanisms of pancreatic islet beta cells, the authors write in their Nature Genetics paper.

Culture-Based Methods, Shotgun Sequencing Reveal Transmission of Bifidobacterium Strains From Mothers to Infants

In a Nature Communications study, culture-based approaches along with shotgun sequencing give a better picture of the microbial strains transmitted from mothers to infants.

Microbial Communities Can Help Trees Adapt to Changing Climates

Tree seedlings that were inoculated with microbes from dry, warm, or cold sites could better survive drought, heat, and cold stress, according to a study in Science.

A Combination of Genetics and Environment Causes Cleft Lip

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers investigate what combination of genetic and environmental factors come into play to cause cleft lip/palate.