BERNA: a century of immunobiological innovation.

This study documents the history and advancements brought upon by the Swiss Serum Vaccine Institute Berne (BERNA) in the vaccine and immunobiological field over a century. The researchers highlight the evolution from few resources and uncertainty regarding safety to the availability of effective vaccines for over 30 diseases today, thanks to institutes like BERNA.

Background

• The Swiss Serum and Vaccine Institute Berne (BERNA) was established in 1898, a time when vaccines were limited in availability. Back then, vaccines only existed for cholera, typhoid fever, plague, smallpox and rabies. Additionally, there was a shortage of equine anti-tetanus and diphtheria immune globulins.
• The use of these early vaccines was limited due to restricted production capacities, safety uncertainties, and lack of public health infrastructure to promote their use.

Progression and Achievements

• The researchers explain that today, there are safe and effective vaccines for over 30 infectious diseases, thanks to institutes like BERNA. Human hyperimmune globulins are also available now to treat or prevent diseases like rabies, tetanus, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, hepatitis A and B, and herpes virus infections.
• BERNA has also introduced novel technology leading to safer and more efficacious vaccines. It led the way in developing a freeze-dried smallpox vaccine free from bacterial contamination. They also formulated the Salmonella typhi Ty21a typhoid fever vaccine strain, demonstrating that oral immunization against enteric bacterial pathogens was possible, with minimal side effects.

Advancements in Vaccine Development

• This development spurred on the development of other live attenuated bacterial strains, not just as vaccines but as vectors for vaccine antigens and gene therapy. For instance, Vibrio cholerae CVD 103-HgR was the first live vaccine for human use derived via recombinant DNA technology.
• Studies showed these two vaccine strains could be combined without compromising safety or immunogenicity, paving the way for combined orally-administered vaccines. This was a significant milestone in the field.

Recent Innovations

• A new vaccine antigen delivery system, virosomes, was recently used to construct hepatitis A and influenza vaccines. These virosome-formulated vaccines were reported to cause fewer local adverse reactions than their traditional counterparts and showed enhanced immunogenicity.
• In addition, it was discovered that the virosome-formulated influenza vaccine was both safe and effective when administered intranasally.