Every year scientists face the challenge of developing overnight a vaccine against the mutation of flu strains travelling the globe during the winter season. This however can change in case the scientists from the Institute of Microbiology at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS) succeed in bringing to successful completion their research for the development of the so-called DNA flu vaccine.

DNA flu shots represent a new technology in virology creating chimeric molecules with the help of genetically engineered manipulations. The purpose is to make sure that such molecules would be equally effective against all flu strains. 

“DNA vaccines are much easier to produce provided there are good clinical trials”, the Director of the Institute of Microbiology prof. Hristo Naydenski explains. “We are currently at the stage of an experimental laboratory model, and the path to implementation in practice is long. These vaccines help to avoid seasonal cyclicality of the flu virus’s serotype. During this year’s autumn-winter season the vaccine was 4-valent – it was efficient but will not work next year because the spectrum of flu serotypes might change. This happens every year with a view to the variability of the virus and the epidemic processes etc. In contrast, DNA vaccines are much more secure from this point of view and more polyvalent compared to current seasonal shots.”

Research of flu vaccines is only one scope in the work of scientists at the Institute of Microbiology. Recently it marked its 71^st anniversary and the 140^th birth anniversary of its founder Academician Stephan Angeloff. Its departments study agents causing various diseases – human papilloma viruses, enteroviruses, polioviruses, as well as tuberculosis, cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

The plant Golden Root (Rhodiola Rosea) is at the basis of developing a medicine to treat cancer. For the time being the scientists have achieved good results in cultivating the plant and have isolated a series of biologically active substances that suppress cancerous cells. According to prof. Hristo Naydenski the medicine may prove effective against some cancer types.

Microbiologists have also been working on ways to alleviate pain of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and increase their physical activity.

And as time goes by many diseases will be defeated successfully and scientists will more often look at the stars.

“One serious problem at present is the issue of cellulose waste and especially hygienic materials which astronauts use during flights in orbit”, says prof. Hristo Naydenski. “Our target now is Mars and we are trying to find ways of utilizing this waste in a circular process in which with the help of microorganisms we could obtain products beneficial for human health and for the crew of manned flights. This is a big challenge all the more so that these flights will be very long, and for the time being, there will be no coming back.”

It turns out that microbiologists have many secrets in store to decode:

“We know very little about the world of microorganisms – we have studied below one percent of them and there are many unexplored types”, prof. Hristo Naydenski says. “There are no limits to microorganisms - while we are studying a strain, it begins to change its appearance and behavioral reaction under the influence of the environment. In outer space, there are strong rays and magnetic fields that inevitably influence microorganisms and their properties.” 

English Daniela Konstantinova

Photos: courtesy of Institute of Microbiology and BTA