As the novel coronavirus continues to spread its tentacles across the globe, scientists are also racing against time to find the fastest way to end this pandemic. Researchers are leaving no stone unturned to find a vaccine, drug, or therapy to get rid of the deadly virus. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 120 COVID-19 vaccines are under development across the world and 10 vaccine candidates are already in human trials. Several other existing drugs are also being clinically tested to see whether they can also work against the COVID-19 virus.
In the latest development, US researchers have identified regions of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to target with a vaccine. They were able to do so by harnessing tools used for the development of cancer immunotherapies. According to the researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, cancer behaves like a virus in many ways. So, they decided to apply the tools used to identify unique aspects of childhood cancers that can be targeted with immunotherapies in their COVID-19 research too. And it turned out to be successful. The same tools enabled them to identify the right protein sequences to target in SARS-CoV-2.
A foolproof protection against all coronaviruses
The researchers have proposed a list of 65 peptide sequences that, when targeted by a potential vaccine, offer the greatest probability of providing population-scale immunity. The team will be testing various combinations of a dozen or so of these sequences in mouse models to assess their safety and effectiveness. The researchers believe that if their approach proves successful, it could lead to protection against not only SARS-CoV-2 but also other coronaviruses that might emerge in the future. The study findings appeared in the journal Cell Reports Medicine.
Oxford’s COVID-19 vaccine likely in September
The University of Oxford is apparently leading in the global search for a vaccine against the novel coronavirus. The University’s adenovirus vaccine, named AZD1222, is the first to enter phase 3 studies. British drugmaker AstraZeneca, which is supporting the University of Oxford project, plans to “roll out” the vaccine for the masses in the month of September or October. The Cambridge-based company also revealed that it has begun making the AZD1222 jab in factories in the UK, Switzerland, Norway and India. As per media reports, it has signed agreements to produce up to 400 million doses for America, 100 million for the United Kingdom and more for developing and low-income countries if the human trials lead to positive results.
Formerly known as ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the Oxford vaccine is made from a weakened version of a common cold virus (adenovirus) that causes infections in chimpanzees. The virus has been genetically modified to stop replicating it in humans. The vaccine will enable our body’s immune system to recognise the SARS-CoV-2 virus’ spike protein, which the virus uses to bind to and enter host cells, thereby stopping it from entering human cells and preventing infection.
More updates on vaccine development
China will have a COVID-19 vaccine for ’emergency use’ as early as this autumn – the country’s top coronavirus expert Dr Zhong Nanshan has claimed. As per a Chinese government white paper, at least five vaccines are undergoing human trials in the country. According to WHO, 10 vaccine candidates are already in human trials – four in the US, five in China, and one in the UK. The mRNA-1273 vaccine developed by U.S. drug company Moderna is currently in crucial phase 2 trials. The other frontrunners in the global COVID-19 vaccine race include BioNTech and Pfizer, Novavax, Sinovac, CanSino Biologics and Inovio Pharmaceuticals.
(With inputs from IANS)