US scientists develop a potential vaccine for all variants of coronavirus

Scientists in the United States have developed a vaccine that protected mice from COVID-19 and all the variants of coronavirus, which are spreading among humans and animals. The researchers from the University of North Carolina (UNC) also observed that, following the outbreak in 2003 and 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS ) remains to be one of the biggest global threats.

The study, which was published in the journal ‘Science’,  looked at a second-generation vaccine, that is, the one that targets sarbecoviruses. Sarbecovirus, a species of coronavirus, has been one of the main concerns for virologists after it caused two deadly diseases in the last two decades, which are SARS and COVID-19.

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The UNC team’s approach began with an mRNA preventative that is similar to the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines of today. When the vaccine was given to mice, it effectively produced nullifying antibodies against spike proteins that viruses latch onto, reported PTI.

“The vaccine has the potential to prevent outbreaks when used as a new variant is detected”, said Ralph Baric, an epidemiologist at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the lead author of the study, reported PTI.

The research includes data from mice infected with SARS-CoV and related coronaviruses and the vaccine prevented infection and lung damage in mice. Additional testing could lead to human clinical trials next year, the researchers said.

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“Our findings look bright for the future because they suggest we can design more universal pan coronavirus vaccines to proactively guard against viruses we know are at risk for emerging in humans,” said another lead author David Martinez, a postdoctoral researcher at UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health.

“With this strategy, perhaps we can prevent a SARS-CoV-3,” Martinez said.