Raphas hasreceived technology transfer from Seoul National University's Industry-AcademicCooperation Group and is developing it as a tuberculosis vaccine patch toreplace BCG.
Through its application to model animals,Raphas confirmed that the anti-tuberculosis effect, including Mpg's ability toform antibodies, is superior to that of conventional BCG vaccines. Currently,it will establish commercial incubation conditions for full-time testing forpermits and expand clinical trials for animals within the year. Raphasintroduced that the goal of the project is to develop a therapeutic vaccine,including proving the animal efficacy of the Mpg tuberculosis vaccine.
BCG vaccines are tuberculosis vaccines thathave been widely used for the past 100 years, but as they get older, theinoculation effect decreases significantly, and are usually inoculated duringthe age of newborns. In the case of newborns with weak immune systems, thereare side effects such as causing BCGosis of lymphatic gland. BCG vaccines hadlittle preventive effect on tuberculosis in adulthood, and five to sevenantibiotics had to be taken at least six months at the same time to treattuberculosis, making it imperative to develop a vaccine for treatment.
"Mpg, a key component of the new vaccineunder development, no longer grows at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius, 37degrees Celsius, the body temperature of a person," a Raphas officialsaid. "Unlike BCG, non-drug Mycobacteria can be expected to preventtuberculosis safely without worrying about side effects."
"The vaccine that Raphas is developing isa patch type that is attached to the skin using Raphas' soluble microarraytechnology," he said. "We can slowly inject the drug into the dermislayer of the skin rich in immunocytes to produce the same antibody in smalleramounts than the injection."
Tuberculosis vaccines have recently drawnattention as they are known to help reduce the infection rate of newcoronavirus infections (Corona19). Following a new type of tuberculosisvaccine, Raphas is also developing a Corona19 vaccine.
Mpg initially began developing it as atuberculosis vaccine, but its immune-boosting efficacy is also drawingattention. A team led by Kim Bum-joon, a professor at Seoul National Universitywho first separated MPg, released the results of a follow-up study to NatureResearch's Scienceport that said it was possible to induce immunity to HIV. Ithas been confirmed that Mpg is effective in inducing immunity as well as inpreventing tuberculosis, which was originally intended for development, andalso helps fight respiratory diseases.
This is why the results of a recent study bythe New York Institute of Technology (NIC) that the anti-virus immunity effectcaused by BCG tuberculosis vaccination greatly contributes to lowering thecoronal mortality rate.
We will develop a vaccine that can preventCorona19 infection as a booster function and carrier needed to preventtuberculosis of Mpg through recombinant Mpg (rMpg-S) strains that expressSARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in Mpg, said Jeong Do-hyun, CEO of Raphas.
