Scientists create universal vaccine for future coronaviruses

Scientists from Cambridge, Oxford (both UK) and the California Institute of Technology (USA) have created a universal vaccine with the potential to protect against a wide range of coronaviruses — including those that have not even been discovered. The initiative begins a change in strategy in combating microorganisms that can cause harm to health.

Thus, vaccines are created before a potentially pandemic virus emerges. The WHO (World Health Organization) had already warned about the importance of preparing for new pandemics, especially diseases that are still unknown.

For now, the universal vaccine has only been tested on laboratory mice and the results have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Therefore, clinical trials in humans are still needed to ensure the effectiveness and safety of its use.

How the universal vaccine works

The universal vaccine contains several proteins that are common in different types of coronavirus. They are attached to nanoparticles that are then injected into a person’s body.

As the proteins are harmless, they stimulate the immune system to produce defense against these structures, so that the immune cells attack the viruses. And by injecting proteins that are shared across many different types of coronavirus, the protection it induces is extremely broad.

This makes it effective against known and unknown viruses in the same family. For example, tests on laboratory mice showed that the vaccine induced an immune response against Sars-Cov-1, which caused an outbreak of disease in 2003.

Advancement in science

Although it still needs to be tested in humans, if the universal vaccine is truly effective, regulatory bodies such as the FDA and Anvisa will have to determine how it will be used. According to the study authors, these regulatory agencies do not yet have procedures for proactive vaccination.

Therefore, they believe that the vaccine could be an option for a booster dose, for example for Covid-19. Most likely, countries will maintain stocks of the vaccine.

“In the event that a coronavirus or another pathogen crosses paths, you could have pre-existing stocks of vaccines ready and a clear plan to quickly scale up production if necessary,” explained Rory Hills, lead author of the study, to The Guardian.