The development of the mRNA vaccine, a long-awaited and widely-publicized biotechnology, is seen as a major victory for COVID-19 pandemic-stimulated medical research. Today, millions of people are vaccinated with these new vaccines, including both Pfizer / BioNTech Shot and Modana’s COVID-19 vaccine.
However, mRNA vaccine technology is not the only immunological innovation that can arise from a pandemic. Currently, a UK-based company called Emergex is preparing to test the next-generation COVID-19 vaccine based on a radically new technology. Unlike messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, which inject custom strands of messenger RNA into the human body, this new vaccine technology is delivered via skin patches and relies on T cells. It is part of the immune system and kills infected cells.
T cell vaccines are thought to provoke a faster and more durable response to the fight against infection.
“Current COVID-19 vaccines have made great strides in reducing mortality and morbidity, but challenges remain, especially when it comes to developing new mutants.” Said Professor Blazegenton, Principal Investigator for Exams at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, Primary Care and Public Health Center (Unisante). “This exciting new scientific approach to developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 addresses the need to generate a T cell response to elicit long-term immunity.”
T cells, one of the components of the immune system, play an important role in fighting foreign substances that threaten the human body. Unlike some immune system cells, T cells do not attack foreign bodies. Rather, they are laser-focused only on specific pathogens. Researchers believe that this property can be used by vaccines to instill a T cell response in the human body. It does not actually give the immune system the dangerous SARS-CoV-2 virus first.
The vaccine proposed by Emergex prepares T cells to remove infected cells from the body immediately after infection. This will prevent the virus from replicating and progressing to COVID-19. Targeting and priming T cells also reduces transmission between infected and non-infected individuals by blocking viral replication and preventing the onset of symptoms.
Current vaccines elicit an antibody response that prevents the virus from affecting cells, but researchers believe that direct targeting of T cells may be a more direct approach. increase. Of course, this mechanism of action has not yet been proven until it has been rigorously tested in clinical trials.
As Genton pointed out, this new vaccine technology is theorized to provide longer lasting immunity than current vaccines on the market. Decline over time In their effectiveness.
Robin Cohen, the company’s chief commercial officer, said vaccine technology was likened to an asteroid colliding with a planet. Parent.
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“The virus is an asteroid, which ignites the planet and rapidly displays the virus code that characterizes the virus across its surface,” Cohen said. “These signatures are read as foreign by T cells, which kill the cells before they produce a new live virus.”
Interestingly, the vaccine is given as a thumbnail-sized skin patch, not a needle. A small, small microneedle releases the shot within seconds. Unlike the mRNA Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, which need to be stored in the freezer, or the Johnson & Johnson vaccines, which need to be stored in the refrigerator, the Emergex vaccine can last up to 3 months at room temperature. However, this is a double dose vaccine similar to the Pfizer and Modana vaccines.
“Our T-cell priming vaccine has the potential to offer significant benefits over current COVID-19 vaccines, including long-lasting immunity and broad protection against new mutants,” Cohen said. “We are proud to announce the start of this trial and look forward to collecting data to support the development of this important next-generation vaccine.”
The first phase of the clinical trial is small and involves two groups of 13 volunteers receiving high-dose and low-dose vaccines or placebo. As a double-blind study, neither the patient nor the researcher knows which study group the patient belongs to during the study. The first patient is expected to receive the first dose of the vaccine in early January 2022.
As has become clear in the last few years, the process of vaccine development is very complex and can take months or even years. in America, Set up the process Each pharmaceutical company must follow in order to obtain approval.They are Start with preclinical trials, And three phases of testing before being approved.
If the Emergex vaccine is successful in its clinical trials and approved for use worldwide, it may be another way to effectively deploy and administer the vaccine worldwide.
“The Emergex vaccine is designed to be administered through the skin using microneedles and to be stable at ambient room temperature for at least 3 months, so it can be distributed quickly and efficiently around the world, resulting in better vaccine administration. It will be patient-friendly, “says the company. Press release.
