VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

VOINews, Jakarta - The National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) formulates and develops an oral vaccine utilizing a combination of hepatitis B surface antigen with hepatitis B core antigen that is expected to improve the hepatitis vaccine's effectiveness.

"The development of this vaccine is using chitosan, as carrier agent, to deliver the protein to the target. Also, alginate is added to control the release of antigen into the intestines," researcher of genetic engineering research center at BRIN Nurlaili Ekawati stated here on Friday.

Ekawati noted that the significant jump in cirrhosis cases had become a cause for global concern. Cirrhosis is a serious disease that is often caused by chronic hepatitis B infection that can cause liver cancer, she explained.

She cited the World Health Organization (WHO) saying that hepatitis treatment and intramuscular vaccine that contains hepatitis B surface antigen has limited efficiency against chronic hepatitis patients.

"Intramuscular vaccine is usually not so effective in developing countries with large population, like Indonesia, due to high cost and dependency on available medical services," she noted.

Ekawati explained that prior to testing the vaccine in-vivo, or inside living beings, to gauge the effect of the substance, the microparticle is characterized first by determining its efficacy loading, particle size, distribution, potential zeta, and its morphology.

A Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIP) is also employed to analyze the function in the vaccine's formula, she revealed.

"According to parameters of efficacy loading, Pdl, potential zeta, particle size, FTIR, and immune response or antibody formation (anti-HBc), it is concluded that the combination of HBcAg (core antigen) and HbsAg (surface antigen) can be encapsulated in alginate chitosan microparticle with good effectivity," she elaborated.

On the 35th day after the first vaccination, an important antibody (HbcAb) is created as a response in the form of adaptive immune cells that will fight off hepatitis B, Ekawati remarked.

The alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate transaminase (AST) enzymes that show the liver's function are still at the normal rate after the vaccine is administered, so the oral vaccine is safe, and it does not damage the liver, she said.  (Antaranews)