{"id":2430312,"date":"2020-08-31T14:12:36","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T18:12:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/?p=2430312"},"modified":"2020-09-01T08:56:15","modified_gmt":"2020-09-01T12:56:15","slug":"sars-cov-2-nasal-vaccine-covid-19-2430312-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.futurity.org\/sars-cov-2-nasal-vaccine-covid-19-2430312-2\/","title":{"rendered":"1 dose of COVID nasal vaccine prevents infection in mice"},"content":{"rendered":"
One dose of a new nasal vaccine that targets the SARS-CoV-2 virus effectively prevents infection in mice susceptible to the novel coronavirus, a new study shows.<\/p>\n
Investigators next plan to test the vaccine in nonhuman primates and humans to see if it is safe and effective in preventing COVID-19 infection.<\/p>\n
Unlike other COVID-19 vaccines<\/a> in development, this one is delivered via the nose, often the initial site of infection. Researchers discovered that the nasal delivery route created a strong immune response throughout the body. It was particularly effective, however, in the nose and respiratory tract, preventing the infection from taking hold in the body.<\/p>\n “We were happily surprised to see a strong immune response in the cells of the inner lining of the nose and upper airway\u2014and a profound protection from infection with this virus,” says Michael S. Diamond, a professor of medicine, of molecular microbiology, and of pathology and immunology at Washington University in St. Louis, as well as senior author of the paper in Cell<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n “These mice were well protected from disease. And in some of the mice, we saw evidence of sterilizing immunity, where there is no sign of infection whatsoever after the mouse is challenged with the virus.”<\/p>\n To develop the vaccine, the researchers inserted the virus’ spike protein<\/a>, which coronavirus uses to invade cells, inside another virus\u2014called an adenovirus\u2014that causes the common cold. But the scientists tweaked the adenovirus, rendering it unable to cause illness.<\/p>\n The harmless adenovirus carries the spike protein into the nose, enabling the body to mount an immune defense against the SARS-CoV-2 virus without becoming sick.<\/p>\n In another innovation beyond nasal delivery, the new vaccine incorporates two mutations into the spike protein that stabilize it in a specific shape that is most conducive to forming antibodies against it.<\/p>\nNasal vaccine better than injection<\/h3>\n