Brazil A new COVID-19 novel chimeric protein SpiN. is developed using Vaccination Human experiments could begin within this year, and the results of the research were published in August in the international journal “Nature Communications.”
Brazilian scientists have been authorized by the National Research Ethics Committee (CONAP) to start clinical trials and are now awaiting approval from the National Health Monitoring Agency (ENVISA).
To develop the vaccine formulation, the research team combined two different Sars-Cov-2 pathogen proteins N and S, and invaded human cells, resulting in a chimeric molecule named SpiN, intended to enter the body. It aims to induce a cellular immune response, and produce defense cells (T lymphocytes) that specialize in recognizing and killing the new coronavirus.
Julia Castro, a doctoral student who conducted preclinical experiments under Gazzinelli’s direction, explained that the currently used COVID-19 vaccine induces neutralizing antibodies primarily against the S protein, allowing the virus to be transmitted to humans. Prevents infecting cells, that is, body fluids, by the immune response. But with multiple mutations in the S protein, the antibody lost its ability to recognize the antigen, while the N protein remained in the new strain.
Castro said the chimeric protein spine vaccine itself does not induce the production of neutralizing antibodies, but if used as a booster dose, it can stimulate the humoral and cellular immune responses generated by previous vaccinations, leading to dual Security is available.
Vaccine purity and stability tests against the chimeric protein spines have shown that the vaccine can be stored at room temperature for up to two weeks or at least 6 months if kept at 4 °C. The vaccine’s safety and toxicity were also tested in white mouse experiments.
The research team has completed all tests required to receive approval from the National Health Surveillance Agency and human clinical trials are expected to begin by mid-September. To assess human safety and ability to induce immune responses. Phases 1 and 2 of the trials will be conducted at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. medicine Court did.
A control group of volunteers will receive the AstraZeneca (AZ) vaccine, and then the research team will compare the production of total antibodies, neutralizing antibodies against Sar-CoV-2 and T lymphocyte responses. Gazzinelli believes that the creation of the new vaccine is expected to induce stronger cellular responses.
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