Vaccines against infectious agents Flashcards
Immunology 5 - Vaccines against infectious agents
What is a vaccine?
Biological product that can be used to safely induce an immune response for protection against infection and/or a disease on subsequent exposure to a pathogen
How do vaccines work?
Most induce humoral immunity.
Antibodies are important to prevent infection by neutralising and clearing microbes before they can cause illness in the host.
T cells are important in eliminating virus-infected cells and controlling disease development.
Longevity of vaccine-induced protection varies greatly
Active Immunity
Protection produced by a persons own immune system
Immune system is stimulated by an antigen to produce antibody-mediated and cell-mediated immunity.
Lasts for many years, even a lifetime
Passive Immunity
Protection gained when receiving antibody or antitoxin produced by one animal or human.
Is temporary
What are live attenuated vaccines?
Wild viruses/bacteria that have been weakened.
Virus is passed through many generations of cells in the lab to pick up mutations which weaken it - cant cause disease in the body.
Target your bodys immune system directly.
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Examples of live attenuated vaccines:
measles. mumps, rubella vaccine, varicella vaccine
Benefits of live attenuated vaccines
s contain a
live pathogen- immune system reacts well to them and will typically remeber the pathogen for a very long time - booster shots not always needed.
How do attenuated vaccines create immunity
antigen presenting cell - fragmented viral protein displayed by cell
Immune helper cells trigger an immune response.
Body creates army of B-cells to produce antibodies against viruses.
Antibodies bind to virus preventing entry into cells
Memory cells created to launch attack if the body encounters the virus
Infected cells recognised and destroyed
What are inactivated Vaccines
Wild viruses/bacterria that have been inactivated.
Wild virus killed by chemicals/heat so it cant replicate/cause disease and is safe for immunodeficient people.
Target your bodys antibody production
Often requires multiple doses
Benefits of inactivated vaccines
Can be mass produced
Relatively inexpensive to make
How do inactivated vaccines work?
- inactivated vaccine delivered by syringe/ orally
- Vaccine virus or bacteria taken up by antigen-presenting cells
- Vaccine chopped up into pieces (antigens)
- antigens developed on cell surface where they can be recognised by immune system
- immune helper cells trigger an immune response
- Body creates army of B-cells to produce antibodies against wild virus/bacteria
- Antibodies bind to virus/bacteria and present entry into cells
- Antibody levels fade with time and usually additional shots are needed
What are sub-unit vaccines
Use a portion of bacteria or virus to cause an immune response independent of its virus/bacteria of origin. Elements of subunit vaccines can be proteins, polysaccharide chains or a combination.
Subunit vaccines: Protein vaccines
Viral proteins are isolated in a lab, mixed with an adjuvant immune-system stimulator and injected into the body to cause an immune response without the virus that makes you sick
sub-unit vaccines mechanism of producing immunity
- Vaccine released into your body.
- Protein taken up by antigen-presenting-cell and displayed on surface as antigen
- Immune helper cells identify antigen and trigger an immune response.
Benefits of sub-unit vaccine
Contain pieces of a pathogen not the whole organism - cant cause infection.
Suitable for people who cant get live vaccines
Polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines - How are they made
Some bacteria use polysaccharide chains as a disguise from the immune system.
Protein conjugate attached to the polysaccharide n the lab and injected into the body to teach it to recognise the polysaccharide disguise as a harmful invader