A new study is suggesting that an existing vaccine delivery approach could have potential against Covid-19.
A team who have worked on a Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus vaccine believe their approach could prove useful for the present pandemic.
Dr Paul McCray of the University of Iowa, USA, outline their method in a study published yesterday (7 April) in mBio. The team explain that their vaccine delivery method is an RNA virus called parainfluenza virus 5, which is harmless to humans.
An extra gene added to the virus makes infected cells produce a protein that attacks the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus, they report.
The team explain that humans have been exposed to parainfluenza virus 5, but it seems to be innocuous. In lab tests on mice, a single dose triggers immune responses against a target protein. Then after a few weeks, these mice are immune to the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome virus.
Co-author Dr Biao He said the parainfluenza virus 5-based vaccine “should be investigated for its potential against other dangerous coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-2”.
"Our new study indicates that parainfluenza virus 5 may be a useful vaccine platform for emerging coronavirus diseases, including the virus causing the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic," says Dr McCray. "Using the same strategy, vaccine candidates based on parainfluenza virus 5 expressing the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 have been generated.
“We are planning more studies in animals to test the ability of parainfluenza virus 5 vaccines in preventing disease caused by SARS-CoV-2."
Li, K. et al. Single-Dose, Intranasal Immunization with Recombinant Parainfluenza Virus 5 Expressing Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) Spike Protein Protects Mice from Fatal MERS-CoV Infection. mBio 7 April 2020 doi: 10.1128/mBio.00554-20
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