Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute have created a vaccine with the potential to protect against multiple types of coronavirus.
The new pan-coronavirus vaccine, which has had promising results in protecting mice and monkeys from a variety of coronavirus infections, could be useful as a booster shot and a way to vaccinate against new variants of SARS-CoV-2. It could also help prevent more coronavirus outbreaks in the future.
“Now is the time to plan for the next coronavirus pandemic or outbreak. We’ve had two major outbreaks before COVID-19: one in 2003, the [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] outbreak, and one in 2011, the [Middle East Respiratory Syndrome] outbreak,” said Barton Haynes, director of the DHVI and Frederic M. Hanes distinguished professor of medicine, in a May 17 COVID-19 media briefing. “Both [were] coronaviruses. And certainly we expect others.”
Unlike the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines, which rely on mRNA technology, the pan-coronavirus vaccine is protein-based. The vaccine takes a small piece of the virus and presents copies of it to the immune system, which can in turn build a response against that part of the virus.
In developing this vaccine, researchers at the DHVI drew from their previous research efforts to develop an HIV-AIDS vaccine.
“Fortunately, the pan-coronavirus vaccine has proved much easier to develop than the more difficult HIV vaccine,” Haynes told The Chronicle. “However, we used the technology developed for the HIV vaccine and were able in early 2020 to apply it to the new coronavirus epidemic.”
Since the vaccine interacts with a site on the virus that varies across different coronaviruses, it can only protect against a subset of coronaviruses. The vaccine targets a group of beta-coronaviruses called Group 2B coronaviruses, which also caused the 2003 SARS epidemic and the 2011 MERS epidemic.
“One highlight of the study is that it prevents virus replication in the nose,” DHVI Director of Research Kevin Saunders said during the briefing. This vaccine would help prevent the spread of the virus if someone were to sneeze or blow their nose. Previous coronavirus vaccines have only prevented virus replication in the lungs.
Research on the pan-coronavirus vaccine is being funded by the state of North Carolina with funds from the federal CARES Act, according to a Duke Health press release. The researchers are also planning to apply for funds from the National Institutes of Health to manufacture the vaccine.
Haynes discussed how the SARS and MERS epidemics died out before they got to the pandemic stage, which also halted interest in moving forward on developing their respective. He noted that “now is the time to prepare for the next one.”
Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and White House senior advisor on the pandemic, called the new research “exciting” and “an important proof of concept” during a May 13 White House briefing presentation.
Not only could this vaccine prevent the next coronavirus outbreak, but it could also serve as a booster shot. During the next several years, the U.S. population may need booster shots to maintain COVID-19 immunity. The researchers’ next steps are therefore to manufacture this vaccine and test it in humans in a Phase 1 safety trial as quickly as possible.
“Our job is to prepare for pandemics and we’re already preparing for what might be the next pandemic,” Haynes said in the briefing. “Whether it’s another type of coronavirus, influenza or yet another type of outbreak, that’s what the Vaccine Institute is here for, and it’s a very exciting time.”
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Watafiti wa Taasisi ya Chanjo ya Binadamu ya Duke wameunda chanjo inayoweza kulinda dhidi ya aina nyingi za virusi vya corona. Chanjo mpya ya pan-coronavirus, ambayo imepata matokeo ya kuahidi katika kulinda panya na nyani kutoka kwa maambukizi mbalimbali ya coronavirus, inaweza kuwa na manufaa kama risasi ya booster na njia ya chanjo dhidi ya aina mpya za SARS-CoV-2. Pia inaweza kusaidia kuzuia milipuko zaidi ya coronavirus katika siku zijazo. Sasa ni wakati wa kupanga kwa janga au mlipuko wa pili wa coronavirus. "Tumekuwa na milipuko miwili mikubwa kabla ya COVID-19: moja mnamo 2003, milipuko ya ""Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome"" na moja mnamo 2011, milipuko ya ""Middle East Respiratory Syndrome,"" alisema Barton Haynes, mkurugenzi wa DHVI na Frederic M. Haynes, profesa mashuhuri wa dawa, katika mkutano wa vyombo vya habari wa COVID-19 Mei 17." <unk>Vyote viwili [zilikuwa] virusi vya korona. "Kulingana na chanjo za Pfizer na Moderna, ambazo zinategemea teknolojia ya mRNA, chanjo ya pan-coronavirus inategemea protini. """ Chanjo inachukua sehemu ndogo ya virusi na kutoa nakala zake kwa mfumo wa kinga, ambayo inaweza kujibu dhidi ya sehemu hiyo ya virusi. Katika kuendeleza chanjo hii, watafiti katika DHVI walijenga kutoka kwa juhudi zao za utafiti wa awali za kuendeleza chanjo ya HIV-AIDS. "Kwa bahati nzuri, chanjo ya pan-coronavirus imethibitika kuwa rahisi sana kuendeleza kuliko chanjo ngumu zaidi ya HIV", Haynes aliiambia The Chronicle. "Hata hivyo, tulitumia teknolojia iliyotengenezwa kwa chanjo ya virusi vya Ukimwi na kuweza mwanzoni mwa 2020 kuitumia kwa janga jipya la coronavirus, ""alisema, ""Kwa kuwa chanjo inashirikiana na tovuti kwenye virusi ambayo inatofautiana katika virusi tofauti vya coronavirus, inaweza tu kulinda dhidi ya sehemu ndogo ya virusi vya corona.""" Chanjo hiyo inashambulia kundi la virusi vya corona vya beta vinavyoitwa Group 2B, ambavyo pia vilisababisha janga la SARS la 2003 na janga la MERS la 2011. "Kitu kimoja muhimu katika utafiti huo ni kwamba huzuia kuenea kwa virusi katika pua,"" Mkurugenzi wa Utafiti wa DHVI Kevin Saunders alisema wakati wa mkutano huo. Chanjo hiyo itasaidia kuzuia kuenea kwa virusi hivyo ikiwa mtu atapiga chafya au kuvuja pua. Chanjo za zamani za virusi vya corona zimezuia tu kuenea kwa virusi katika mapafu. Utafiti wa chanjo ya pan-coronavirus unafadhiliwa na jimbo la North Carolina na fedha kutoka kwa Sheria ya CARES ya shirikisho, kulingana na taarifa ya waandishi wa habari ya Duke Health. Watafiti hao pia wana mpango wa kuomba fedha kutoka kwa Taasisi za Kitaifa za Afya ili kutengeneza chanjo hiyo. Haynes pia alisema kuwa janga la SARS na MERS limekufa kabla ya kufikia hatua ya janga, na hilo limezuia maslahi ya maendeleo ya janga hilo. "Anthony Fauci, mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Kitaifa ya Madhara na Ugonjwa wa Kuambukiza na mshauri mwandamizi wa Ikulu ya White House juu ya janga hilo, aliita utafiti huo mpya ""kuvutia"" na ""uthibitisho muhimu wa dhana"" wakati wa maonyesho ya taarifa ya Ikulu ya White House ya Mei 13." "Tiba hii inaweza kuzuia tu janga la pili la coronavirus, lakini pia inaweza kutumika kama risasi ya kuongeza.""" Katika miaka ijayo, idadi ya watu nchini Marekani inaweza kuhitaji risasi za booster ili kudumisha kinga dhidi ya COVID-19. Hatua ya pili ya watafiti ni kutengeneza chanjo hii na kuijaribu kwa wanadamu katika jaribio la usalama la awamu ya kwanza haraka iwezekanavyo. "Kazi yetu ni kujitayarisha kwa janga na tayari tunajitayarisha kwa kile kinachoweza kuwa janga linalofuata", Haynes alisema katika mkutano huo. "Kama ni aina nyingine ya coronavirus, mafua au aina nyingine ya janga, hiyo ni nini Taasisi ya Chanjo ni hapa kwa, na ni wakati wa kusisimua sana. ""Pata Chronicle moja kwa moja kwenye sanduku lako la barua Saini kwa jarida letu la kila wiki." Futa wakati wowote.