KEY TAKEAWAYS: Tulane University received a $4 million federal contract to develop an experimental treatment designed to protect against multiple infectious diseases. The four-year project will study T-prop, a treatment intended to activate the body’s immune defenses within hours rather than weeks. Preliminary studies showed complete protection in mice treated 24 hours before exposure to a highly lethal dose of influenza. Researchers will evaluate the treatment’s safety, effectiveness and delivery methods, including nasal sprays and oral formulations, before potential human trials.   Tulane University researchers have received a $4 million federal contract to develop an experimental treatment that could provide protection against multiple infectious diseases within hours, potentially offering a new approach to preventing illness during pandemics and other public health emergencies. The four-year project, funded by the U.S. Department of War’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency, will focus on developing a treatment called T-prop that stimulates the body’s natural immune defenses against a broad range of viruses and bacteria. Unlike traditional vaccines, which target specific pathogens and can take weeks to establish immunity, T-prop is designed to temporarily activate the body’s innate immune system, providing rapid protection against infectious threats. The research is being led by James McLachlan, associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Tulane University School of Medicine, and Lisa Morici, professor and interim chair of the school’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology. “You could give it ahead of time — maybe a day, maybe even a few hours — and potentially protect someone against whatever pathogen they might encounter,” McLachlan said. “The idea is that you give one treatment and provide protection across the board.” The technology uses outer membrane vesicles, or OMVs, microscopic particles naturally released by bacteria. Tulane researchers have spent years studying the particles for use in vaccines and other treatments that stimulate immune responses. Rather than targeting a particular virus or bacterium, T-prop uses the particles to activate the innate immune system, which serves as the body’s first line of defense against infection. Early laboratory results have shown promise. In one study, mice given the treatment 24 hours before exposure to a highly lethal dose of influenza were fully protected. Researchers also observed substantial protection when the treatment was administered 48 or 72 hours before exposure. The findings remain preliminary, and researchers have not yet established whether the treatment would provide similar protection in humans. “Now we’re trying to determine how long that protection lasts, how far in advance we can give it and exactly what the immune system is doing to produce that protection,” McLachlan said. The federal funding will support additional studies examining the treatment’s effectiveness against multiple bacterial and viral pathogens. Researchers will also evaluate different dosages, administration methods and the duration of protection. Depending on the type of infection, T-prop could eventually be administered through a nasal spray, tablet or slow-release oral formulation. A nasal spray could target respiratory infections, while oral treatments could potentially protect against pathogens entering through the digestive system. One of the project’s primary challenges will be determining how to generate a protective immune response without causing excessive inflammation that could damage healthy tissue. “Inflammation in the mucosa isn’t always a good thing,” Morici said. “You don’t want your lungs inflamed, and you don’t want your gut inflamed. If we’re trying to induce an inflammatory response that is protective, we want to make sure it is exactly that — protective and not detrimental.” According to Morici, previous studies involving Tulane’s OMV technology in nonhuman primates found that inflammation returned to normal within approximately 24 to 72 hours after treatment ended. Researchers also must determine whether T-prop prevents infections entirely, accelerates the body’s ability to eliminate pathogens or reduces infections enough to prevent symptoms. The treatment is intended to provide temporary protection during periods of elevated exposure risk rather than the long-term immunity associated with conventional vaccines. Although the initial research is focused on protecting military personnel from infectious threats, Tulane researchers believe the technology could eventually have broader applications in civilian healthcare. Potential uses include protecting people during disease outbreaks or providing short-term preventive treatment to individuals exposed to an infected household member. The research team ultimately hopes to generate sufficient safety and effectiveness data to advance T-prop into human clinical trials. No timeline for clinical testing or potential commercial availability has been announced. “Instead of doing this after the fact, when you get the flu and then take a drug that makes you less sick, could we prevent you from getting sick at all?” McLachlan said. “That’s ultimately where we envision this going.” ...read more read less