I'm talking about using the measles vaccine as a base for the COVID-19 vaccine.
With the background that the measles vaccine is the safest and most effective vaccine available, the story goes that researchers have used it to develop an experimental vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
The Ohio State University.
The research team, led by Dr. Jianrong Li, created and tested a series of measles-based vaccine candidates and developed various forms of coronavirus spike protein genes inserted into the measles vaccine genome.
The modified measles virus acts as a medium to carry the genes for the spike proteins into the body, so it can instruct the body's cells to produce the coronavirus spike proteins and encourage the immune system to produce antibodies that recognize the proteins.
This research was conducted by the
Funded in part by the NIH's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the results will be published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on March 23, 2021.
In rodents, the team identified a candidate that could be the most promising vaccine to generate the highest levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
The vaccine was a gene for a stabilized "pre-fusion" version of the spike protein, the shape of the protein before it infects the cell.
The structure of the pre-fusion spike protein is the basis for currently available vaccines, including mRNA vaccines produced by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
Experiments have now shown that the new vaccine, called rMeV-preS, produces higher levels of neutralizing antibodies in rodents than are found in recovered COVID-19 patients.
In addition, the vaccine was found to produce a strong T-cell response, indicating that the vaccine was effective.
The next step was to test whether the vaccine would prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The team used Golden Sirian hamsters, which can be infected with COVID-19, and found that rMeV-preS prevented the hamsters from being infected. They also found that this prevented the virus from replicating in the lungs and nasal cavity.
These findings show the potential of rMeV-preS, and this new vaccine may also have advantages.This is because the measles vaccine has already been established as safe, effective, and long-lasting.
It remains to be seen how long the mRNA vaccine will protect and how much it will cost. Until then, we need long-term protection, and an alternative vaccine that is easy to manufacture and inexpensive seems like a good idea.
said co-author Dr. Stefan Niewiesk of Ohio State University.
A safe and highly effective measles virus-based vaccine expressing a pre-fusion spike stabilized by SARS-CoV-2.Lu M, Dravid P, Zhang Y, Trivedi S, Li A, Harder O, Kc M, Chaiwatpongsakorn S, Zani A, Kenney A Zeng C, Cai C, Ye C, Liang X, Shimamura M, Liu SL, Mejias A, Ramilo O, Boyaka PN, Qiu J, Martinez-Sobrido L, Yount JS, Peeples ME, Kapoor A, Niewiesk S, Li J. Proc Natl Acad SciUSA . 2021 Mar 23; 118(12): e2026153118. doi: 10.1073 /pnas.2026153118. PMID: 33688034.
Summary
The results of this study have shown new possibilities in vaccine production.
Since it is not conducted on the human body, we do not know what the actual results will be in clinical trials, but depending on the results, this vaccine may be used in some cases.
