The importance of vaccinations in the fight against infectious diseases is undisputed. The European Immunisation Week, initiated by the World Health Organization's (WHO) European Regional Office, calls attention every year to the importance of comprehensive immunisation for health protection. The European Immunisation Week encourages the public to check their vaccination status and catch up on any vaccines that they are due for. The aim of the campaign is to raise vaccination awareness and to achieve a sufficient level of immunisation among the population. This year, the European Immunisation Week will take place from the 21st to the 27th of April.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, the Federal Institute for Vaccines and Biomedicines, welcomes all actions that serve to improve vaccination protection and therefore also supports the European Immunisation Week. The Federal Institute is responsible for testing the quality, efficacy, and safety of vaccines in Germany. Its remit includes responsibilities such as conducting a federal batch test for all vaccine batches that are to be placed on the market in Germany.
The Paul-Ehrlich-Institut is not only responsible for the regulatory tasks connected with vaccines, but it also conducts its own research on all medicinal product groups in its remit. This has led to the Institute's research on relevant infectious agents. Infectious agent research involves tasks such as deciphering the mechanisms that occur during infections. The resulting findings can be a starting point for the development of vaccines. They can also serve to identify the underlying pathophysiological processes and thus potentially lead to the development of treatment options.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) causes serious liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. The viral multifunctional hepatitis B X protein (HBx) is considered an essential factor in the development of such diseases. HBx influences HBV-associated pathogenesis by disrupting multiple cellular pathways and could be a potential target for prognostic and therapeutic applications. However, HBV-associated pathogenesis differs significantly between genotypes. The relevant factors and in particular the contribution of the genetic diversity of HBx are largely unknown.
A research team led by Anja Schollmeier from the research group of Professor Eberhard Hildt, head of the Virology Division at the Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, investigated the genotype-dependent impact of HBx on cellular signalling pathways. The group focused primarily on morphological and functional changes in the mitochondria, the powerhouse of the cell. They found that the effects of HBx on mitochondria vary depending on the HBV genotype. Certain genotypes cause more damage to mitochondria than others. This damage leads to the "defective" mitochondria forming highly reactive oxygen compounds (radicals), which can heavily damage the genetic material of the infected cells and those surrounding them. This mechanism is an essential process in tumour development. The results indicate that HBx plays an important role in virus genotype-dependent liver pathogenesis, underscoring the importance of personalised treatment of HBV infections.
It is important to decipher the pathogenic processes involved in infectious diseases in order to develop effective therapies. Infectious agents that can be vaccinated against and for which there is a vaccination recommendation from the Standing Committee on Vaccination (Ständige Impfkommission, STIKO) can usually be prevented by vaccination. This means you should not wait until after infection. Checking your vaccine records or discussing them with your doctor is worth the effort.
Updated: 25.04.2024
