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US scientists are working on a coronavirus super-jab for the ‘pandemic age’
- DHVI researchers say their ‘nanoparticle’ vaccine triggered an immune response to several coronaviruses in tests on monkeys
- Their aim is to develop a shot that can protect against a range of such viruses, both known and unknown, to prepare for future outbreaks
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As countries race to vaccinate their populations against the coronavirus and its variants, some scientists have turned their focus to a broader goal: a vaccine that protects against a range of coronaviruses, even those that have yet to emerge.
Researchers at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute (DHVI) in the United States say they have taken a critical step towards such a super-jab.
Their “nanoparticle” vaccine can trigger an immune response not only to the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 and several of its variants, but also to the Sars virus and related coronaviruses found in bats, according to findings published in the journal Nature last week.
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The findings – based on animal tests – could have an impact on controlling the Covid-19 pandemic, the researchers say. The nanoparticle vaccine blocked monkeys from getting infected with the Sars-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. It also provoked a stronger immune response, with higher levels of virus-fighting neutralising antibodies than seen with current vaccines.
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That suggests the vaccine, if approved for humans, could be used as a booster shot to enhance immunity and counter new variants of the virus in the future, according to the researchers.
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