A new formulation of COVID-19 would possibly be quite easier to manufacture, widely distribute them specifically in less developed nations, and no cold storage is needed.
A Medical Xpress report said at present, vaccines as protection for the said disease necessitate refrigeration, not to mention sophisticated capacity for manufacturing, making it a struggle to produce and, as mentioned, widely distribute them, particularly in less developed countries.
Boston Children's Hospital researchers said a new vaccine type would be simpler to produce and no longer require cold storage.
The study authors, led by Hidde Ploegh, Ph.D., and Novilia Pishesha, Ph.D. and Thibault Harmand, Ph.D., the first authors, believe their technology could contribute to the filling up of worldwide vaccination gaps and that the same technology could be applied to vaccines in as protection from other illnesses.
Strong Immune Responses
In mouse models, the vaccine stimulated strong immune responses against COVID-19 and its strains. It was successfully freeze-dried and later redeveloped minus loss of efficacy. In tests, it stayed stable and potent for approximately seven days at room temperature.
Unlike the present vaccines against COVID-19, the new design is protein-based, making it easy for several facilities to produce.
Essentially, it has a pair of components, including antibodies resulting from alpacas, also called "nanobodies," and a portion of the spike protein of the virus that's binding to receptors on human cells.
Pishesha noted, they could also attach the entire "spike protein or other parts of the virus." More so, the vaccine for COVID-19 variants can be changed rapidly and easily.
Antigen-Presenting Cells
The nanobodies are the main part of the vaccine technology. They are specifically designed to target antigen-presenting cells, critical cells in the immune system, by homing to the so-called class II "major histocompatibility complex or MHC antigens on the surface of the cells.
This latest development has brought the business end of the COVID-19 vaccine, in this circumstance, the spike protein's segment, directly to the very cells that will exhibit it to other immune cells, igniting a broader immune response.
Existing COVID-19 vaccines are stimulating the production of the spike protein at the area in the body where they are inoculated and are assumed to stimulate antigen-presenting cells, explained Ploegh indirectly.
Nonetheless, he continued, eliminating the middleman, not to mention talking directly to antigen-presenting cells, is much more effective. The secret sauce, Ploegh added, "is the targeting."
In experiments in mouse models, the vaccine stimulated strong humoral immunity against COVID-19 infection, stimulating high levels of neutralizing antibodies versus the spike protein fragment. It stimulated a strong cellular immunity as well, stimulating the T helper cells rallying other immune defenses.
Manufacturing Edge
Since the vaccine is a protein, instead of a messenger RNA like the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines, it lends itself much more to large-scale production.
According to Harmand, not much fancy technology and expertise are needed to make an mRNA vaccine, as explained in the Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention site. Skilled workers are presently a bottleneck for manufacturing the COVID-19 vaccine, while biopharma has lots of experience manufacturing protein-based treatments at scale.
This could allow the vaccine production at numerous sites globally, near where it would be employed. The team applied for a patent on their technology, and now, they are hoping to engage biotech or pharmaceutical firms to take their work into additional testing and, eventually, a clinical test.
Ploegh said it might be that the first application is something else compared to COVID-19. This research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal, proved that their protein-based method works efficiently.
Related information about requiring cold storage for COVID-19 vaccines is shown on NewsClickin's YouTube video below:
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