SUMMARY:
UCLA Researchers in the Division of Nanomedicine and Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics have developed a new SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that provides long lasting and robust immunity.
BACKGROUND:
An effective vaccine for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) constitutes a major global health priority. While multiple vaccines have been developed, the recent emergence of numerous viral variants of concern has raised substantial new fears as a result of increased transmissibility and ability to escape vaccine-induced immune responses. Recently, there has also been concern over the persistence of protection from the available vaccines because of limitations in their ability to induce long-term memory of protective immune responses. Furthermore, the limited number of available vaccines has proven, thus far, insufficient to deliver protection to the global population, with supply shortages hindering global vaccination efforts. In addition, given that SARS-CoV-2 represents the third coronavirus outbreak in the past 20 years, there are significant concerns about the possibility of a future pandemic due to the numerous SARS-like coronaviruses identified in non-human viral reservoirs. Thus, while existing vaccines are critical to curtail the ongoing pandemic, new vaccine candidates are urgently needed for enhancing protection against viral variants of concern, including emerging coronaviruses, and improve upon existing limitations of available vaccines including supply constraints and limited memory response.
INNOVATION:
UCLA Researchers in the Division of Nanomedicine and Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics have developed a new vaccine that can provide long lasting and broader protection for SARS-CoV-2 and potentially other coronaviruses. The protection that the currently available mRNA afford is largely reliant on inducing immune B cells to produce neutralizing antibodies against the viral S-protein.However, the titer and potency of these antibodies naturally diminishes over time and at an even faster rate in some of the variants of concern. In contrast a newly developed nano-enabled vaccine delivers multiple epitope combinations that activate CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in addition to producing B cells. The activated T cells trigger cytotoxic activity, which is important for ultimate viral clearance, as well as providing memory T cells afford long term protection. The vaccine is designed to deliver highly conserved, T and B cell epitopes that could prevent viral escape from the cytotoxic T-cells and neutralizing antibodies, thereby providing broader protection against variants and future coronavirus infections.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS:
● Effective and robust vaccine for SARS-Cov-2 and potentially other SARS-like coronaviruses
ADVANTAGES:
● Delivers multiple epitopes, activating both T cells and B cells, which act synergistically
● Long-lasting immune memory that provides durable immune protection
DEVELOPMENT-TO-DATE:
Epitope sequences have been identified using computational methods, with design of mRNA constructs that can be delivered by a lipid nanoparticles. The study is expected to be carried out in the next few months (See IR).
Related Papers (from the inventors only):
Nel, A. E.; Miller, J. F., “Nano-enabled COVID-19 vaccines: meeting the challenges of durable antibody plus cellular immunity and immune escape,” ACS nano 2021, 15, 5793-5818.