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In a collaborative effort between the Jenner Institute and the Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology at the University of Oxford, with colleagues in the University of Bern, and the Latvian Biomedical Research & Study Centre, scientists have developed and tested a vaccine that could be used to treat chronic pain caused by osteoarthritis, by blocking the cause of the pain – NGF.
The researchers developed a virus-like particle vaccine that triggers the immune system to produce antibodies to block naturally-occurring NGF. The new vaccine was tested in mice that had signs of painful OA (uneven distribution of weight across the hind legs), and it was shown to visibly reverse these effects.
Read more (University of Oxford website)