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New study offers insights into designing safe, effective nasal vaccines

Most vaccines—and boosters—are injected directly into muscle tissue, usually in the upper arm, to kickstart the body’s immune system in the fight against disease. But for respiratory diseases like COVID-19, it can be important to have protection right where the virus enters: the respiratory tract.

In a new study, Yale researchers have found that nasal vaccine boosters can trigger strong immune defenses in the respiratory tract, even without the help of immune-boosting ingredients known as adjuvants. The findings, researchers suggest, may offer critical insights into developing safer, more effective nasal vaccines in the future.

“Our study shows how a simple viral protein antigen can boost respiratory tract immune responses against viruses,” said Akiko Iwasaki, Sterling Professor of Immunobiology at Yale School of Medicine (YSM) and senior author of the study. “These data imply that viral proteins in may be used as a safe way to promote antiviral immunity at the site of viral entry.”

Scientists Developed a Questionnaire to Find Out if Your Cat Is a Psychopath

What, exactly, is your cat thinking? Scientists came up with a questionnaire in 2021 that might give you some idea of where your feline friend fits on what’s known as the triarchic model of psychopathy.

The model measures levels of boldness, meanness, and disinhibition in order to assess overall psychopathic tendencies. Ordinarily, the test is for human beings, of course, but here it’s being applied to cats.

Having completed the survey – which you can find online – you’ll be given what’s called a CAT-Tri+ measure for your pet’s level of psychopathy. The team is hoping that knowing this score can improve human and cat relationships.

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