Covid vaccine against all variants, the first results of the ISS study: “Lasting protection, a mechanism that can overcome current limits”

The results of a preclinical study ofHigher Institute of Health (Iss) conducted in mouse animal models indicate the prophylactic potential of a new vaccine platform against the Sars-CoV-2. The study is based on one common protein a all variants and one highlights lasting protection even on high viral loads. Just published in the magazine Viruses and conducted by the researchers of the National Center for Global Health ISS, the study showed that this innovative new approach generates a effective immune response and lasting in infected mice.

The method, explains the ISS, is based on one new strategy which has targeted the protein Na protein that contrary to the best known Spikeinvolved in the development of current vaccines, hardly shows no mutation among the Sars-CoV-2 variants known so far. The method by which the N protein is used in this study also generates a immune memory a lung level that could be warranty of a protective effect lasting in time. The new mechanism is based on the engineering of nanovescicole naturally released by muscle cells and may exceed limits of current vaccines on decay of antibodies and the loss of effectiveness against emerging variants.

The ISS team of researchers has shown that, when the extracellular vesicles are loaded with the N protein, a immune reaction in mice such as to induce a substantial protection from infection with very high viral loads. Furthermore, in the animal model studied, the developed technique is able to generate a immune memory at the level of respiratory tractessential condition for a lasting effect of any vaccination strategy against pathogens respirators.

“All cells constantly release tiny lipid-based vesicles called extracellular vesicles – explains Maurizio Federicosenior author of the study – and the technique developed in Iss is capable of load these natural nanovesicles with Sars-CoV-2 proteins. These nanovescicole engineered in this way, they are processed by the immune system to generate a strong cellular immunity orchestrated by a family of lymphocytes identified as CD8 lymphocytes“. Additional studies planned will establish parameters such as the safety of the vaccine platform and its own tolerability. These parameters will be essential to lay the foundations of future clinical trials acts to definitively confirm the effectiveness of this discovery. It will also be necessary comprehend whether any vaccines developed with the new platform should be integrated from forms of immunization based on technologies currently in use, for example based on mRNA. The study, funded through funding from the ISS, demonstrates, the Institute concludes, “the commitment of the ISS and its researchers in the search for strategies that can lead to vaccines against Sars-CoV-2’s greater effectiveness“.