In a study published in Cell Host & Microbe, researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden discovered that smallpox vaccines, which were administered until the mid-1970s, offer continuing cross-reactive immunity to monkeypox (mpox).
Monkeypox, caused by an orthopoxvirus closely related to the smallpox virus, poses a significant global health risk. The researchers at Karolinska Institutet investigated whether individuals vaccinated against smallpox in the past would have any residual protection against monkeypox due to a persistent memory response.
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The study, led by Karolinska Institutet researcher Marcus Buggert, analyzed the T-cell immune response in 105 healthy blood donors, finding that individuals born before 1976, who had received vaccination for smallpox, exhibited a significantly stronger immune response against both viral types. The study also observed a robust immune response to monkeypox in 22 recently infected individuals, suggesting potential future immunity.
“Our study shows that this is the case, which implies that the memory cells are very long-lived and that they can recognize closely related viruses such as the mpox virus and provide overlapping, or cross-reactive immunity,” says Marcus Buggert.
These findings provide valuable insights into the potential for repurposing smallpox vaccines to combat modern-day infectious diseases. Future research could contribute to developing effective prevention strategies to fight against orthopoxviruses.