A Universal Vaccine Against All Variants of COVID and SARS

The Covid-19 pandemic changed a massive influence on human life around the world and led to many negative consequences in terms of global health, tourism, economics, and many other things. Today, the pandemic continues across the world, although two mRNA-based vaccines and an adenovirus vector-based vaccine have been approved for emergency use in the United States and reduce mortality rates for COVID-19. (1-2)   

However, there are currently significant and growing concerns about more contagious new COVID-19 variant, Omicron that will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, more likely to reinfect individuals who have survived COVID, and even more resistant to vaccines according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (3) This is likely to contribute to a new wave with as many as a predicted 60% of people infected by March and 140 million new infections beyond that in the United States. (1, 4)  Therefore,   it is strongly suggested that only the effective and safer vaccine can control this vicious pandemic.

The universal SpFN vaccine

Currently, many platforms have been designed for developing the most efficacious and safe vaccines designed by different technologies including protein subunit, RNA, DNA, viral vector, inactivated, and live attenuated approaches.(5)

The good news is that recently U.S. Army, scientists at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have developed a universal vaccine， called Spike-Ferritin-Nanoparticle (SpFN) that effective against all variants of COVID and SARS including Omicron known to man and potential variants of the viruses.(6) Upon vaccination, the host will generate a strong immune response and broad protection against multiple COVID and SARS variants. 

The mechanism of the SpFN vaccine

Unlike most currently available vaccines, which use mRNA to trigger the immune system. This novel vaccine is designed on a new platform called "self-assembling protein nanoparticle,”(7)  which operates based on a spike-ferritin nanoparticle or SpFN immunogen paired with two distinct adjuvants, Alhydrogel® or Army Liposome Formulation containing QS-21 (ALFQ, a vaccine adjuvant) for unique vaccine evoked immune signatures,(8) and  offer the advantage of multivalent antigen presentation,  which is a pivotal innovation as a vaccine adjuvant that provides excellent safety and potency and could lead to dual-use military and civilian benefits.

According to US Pentagon, Defense One, ferritin is a naturally occurring, ubiquitous, iron-carrying protein that self-oligomerizes into a 24-unit spherical particle. (9) Each of the molecule's 24 different faces could carry a different spike protein drawn from unique COVID variants, creating a strong and broad immune response through SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells that might be effective across different strains. (8,10) 

Furthermore, SpFN protected against a potent viral challenge, as replicating virus concentrations detected in the upper and lower airways of unvaccinated controls reached a mean of 106-107 copies/ml. SpFN also protected lower airway viral burden and disease as early as within one day of virus inoculation. (11)

Today’s status of the vaccine

The vaccine is not yet fully developed. Early results in primates suggest the vaccine could work against COVID-19 variants and other coronaviruses as well. (6) 

Currently, the vaccine is in its phase I clinical studies (NCT04784767)(12),   which started in April 2021 is a first-in-human study of the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of different doses of SpFN vaccine against COVID-19 in healthy adults. This  study enrolled a total of 72 healthy adult participants (age range 18-55) to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immune response of the SpFN COVID-19 vaccine on human subjects who had neither been vaccinated nor previously infected with COVID.  Next, the vaccine will need to be tested on human subjects who have been vaccinated or previously tested positive for the virus.  

The official report of the results is yet to come and the preliminary results provide good reasons to be hopeful, it is sure to take some time to get approval and  produced.  It is believed that a new and better way of managing the COVID-19 pandemic is possible and that new and existing strains could be targeted through a single vaccine. If you want to get more information about SpFN vaccine and other kind of medical health supplies, Pharmasources would be a great choice.

Advantages of the SpFN vaccine 

The advantages of this universal vaccine are clear. One of the central concerns with variants like Delta and Omicron are their own danger, as well as the possibility of emerging new strains that could appear faster than individuals can get vaccinated for the previous strain. This new vaccine would negate this concern, as it could protect individuals from many strains, including emerging ones. Rather than needing several vaccines and boosters, the person would only require a single one to stay safe even if new, more contagious, or dangerous variants emerge. This makes it a strong line of defense against existing and emerging variants. 

The second advantage is that the vaccine can create a strong immune response  when applied that is likely to lead to stronger and longer protection  according to preliminary results. This is good news in the situation when existing vaccines are proving less effective against new variants like Omicron.

It appears that the vaccine may be effective not only against the current strain of coronavirus but also against the SARS strain that emerged in 2002 and others. (8) This means that a single vaccine could do a lot to protect individuals from various strains, emerging viruses, and variants of the same one, by targeting a particular characteristic that is common among most coronaviruses.

What’s the outlook?

This is very good news indeed and the future looks bright. This vaccine technology is still early in the development process, but the preliminary results suggest that it should have good outcomes with safe, effective and durable protection,(6) and might become a new first line of defense  against multiple coronavirus strains, species and the next pandemic. Therefore, our immune response to the viruses could become a lot stronger and more enduring protecting people from damaging public health as much as has happened so far.

References

1.  https://www.raps.org/news-and-articles/news-articles/2020/3/covid-19-vaccine-tracker)

2.  Fox, M. (2021). https://edition.cnn.com/2021/12/13/health/omicron-variant-mild-alarming/index.html

3.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/omicron-variant.html

4.  Reyes, R. (2021). https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10337845/Enormous-spread-Omicron-cause-140-MILLION-new-infections-January-1-March-1.html  

5.  Biomed Pharmacol J 2021;14.

6.  Walter Reed Institute of Research. (2021) https://www.army.mil/article/252890/preclinical_studies_support_armys_pan_coronavirus_vaccine_development_strategy

7.  Guenot, M. (2021) https://www.businessinsider.com/us-army-universal-vaccine-target-spfn-variants-pan-coronavirus-sars-2021-12?r=MX&IR=T

8.  https://www.nature.com/articles/s41541-021-00414-4   (NPJ Vaccines, 2021 Dec 13;6(1):151)

9.   Eur. J. Biochem. (2016) 21, 13–28.

10.  https://www.defenseone.com/voices/tara-copp/16943/?oref=d1-post-author.

11. Sci Transl Med, 2021 Dec 16

12.  https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04784767?term=vaccine&cond=SpFN&draw=2&rank=1 

About the Author:

Lin Zhang, M.D., senior director of a health care industry company in the United States. With the experience in clinical medicine, biotechnology, health industry and other fields, he is responsible for the research and development of plant medicine, functional food and health products. He was a clinician and worked for the National Cancer Institute, FDA and the National Cancer Center of Japan for many years.