University of Texas Medical Branch reports experimental plague vaccine success in mice

Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston have developed two experimental live‑attenuated vaccines, named LMA and LMP, targeting the bacterium Yersinia pestis, which causes plague. In mouse trials, the vaccines were administered intramuscularly with a booster dose after 21 days, and a nasal adenovirus‑based booster was also tested. All vaccinated mice survived a lethal challenge with Y. pestis, showing 100 % protection after a high‑dose exposure, while control animals died within four days. The study suggests the candidates could form the basis for a human plague vaccine, though further research is required.

The work follows ongoing efforts to address occasional plague outbreaks worldwide and represents a potential advance in preventing a disease that historically caused massive mortality.