Researchers recently studied a linear deoxyribonucleic acid, or linDNA severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 SARS-CoV-2 vaccine option for felines.
A News-Medical.Net report said SARS-CoV-2, the COVID-19 pandemic's etiologic agent, had tormented a wide range of animal species, specifically mammals worldwide, from its initial recovery in China in late 2019.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, on top of human-to-human transmission, some pets and wild animals, cats, have exhibited evidence of human-to-animal COVID-19 transmission.
Several previous studies indicate that cats are receptive to COVID-19 and are susceptible to airborne infections, which has exhibited the value of using animal models in research on infectious diseases and emphasized that the intermediate animal source remains unidentified.
Two cats in New York have become the first pets in the US to test positive for COVID-19 in 2020.
linDNA COVID-19 Vaccine
Searching for approaches for breaking the chain of transmission and reducing the threat of spillover to vulnerable species is vital considering the high transmissibility of COVID-19 to many host specie and the close interaction between humans and animals.
In this current study, preprinted in bioRxiv, the researchers presented findings from a randomized Phase ½ clinical test in domestic cats using a nucleic acid-based COVID-19 vaccine made of polymerase chain reaction or PCR-based linDNA.
Furthermore, the study authors evaluated the immunogenicity and safety of the linDNA vaccine that contained the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain or RBD. In addition, the vaccine was delivered using electro-gene transfer or EGT.
The expression sequence that carries the RBD region of the SARS-CoV-2 spike S protein in the pTK1S-TPA-RBD plasmid was amplified using PCR primers.
11 Domestic Cats Examined
The researcher carried out a randomized ½ clinical investigation involving 11 domestic cats to analyze the effectiveness of the linDNA vaccine in an animal species predisposed to COVID-19 infection.
This vaccination protocol involved the administration of one milligram of linDNA intramuscularly two times, on days 0 and 28, and then instantaneously electroporating the co-localized intramuscular reaction of the tibialisis carnialis of every leg.
The research team also noted that the preclinical results have shown that a linDNA vaccine expressing the SARS-CoV-2 RBD region was immunogenic in mice when given in a pre-boost inoculation regimen as it constantly elicits cellular and humoral immune reactions.
The linDNA vaccine was safe and lacked any detrimental adverse effects when administered to cats as part of a prime-boost vaccination project program.
Excellent Vaccination Platform for Vulnerable Animal Species
The research data collected that immunizing felines with the present linDNA-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate induces an RBD-selective T cell reaction and produces neutralizing antibodies toward SARS-CoV-2 and its variants.
Moreover, there were no notable negative occurrences. Such findings promote the establishment of vaccines for preventing viral spread in COVID-19-susceptible animals, particularly those in close contact with humans, and exhibit a genetic vaccination's immunogenicity and safety, delivered to cats towards COVID-19.
The researchers also mentioned that even though the current data back additional studies, more experiments are required to demonstrate that the linDNA vaccination effectively shields larger animals as protection from COVID-19 infections, a similar Streetsinc.org report specified.
To conclude, this recently preprinted study specified that the SARS-CoV-2 linDNA vaccine offers an excellent vaccination platform that stimulates protective T cell reactions and neutralizes antibodies among felines and potentially other vulnerable animal species.
Related information about COVID-19 in cats is shown on VetVid's YouTube video below:
RELATED ARTICLE: Pet Owners Can Easily Transfer COVID-19 Infection to Their Cats, Dogs [Study]
Check out more news and information on COVID-19 in Science Times.