The Future of COVID-19 Vaccine: Proactive Vaccinology

by Kausalyaa Kaliapan

‘Our focus is to create a vaccine that will protect us against the next coronavirus pandemic, and have it ready before the pandemic has even started.’ – Rory Hills

Looking ahead, scientists shifted their focus towards developing next-generation Covid-19 vaccines using an innovative approach called proactive vaccinology. This proactive strategy highlights the forward-thinking nature of scientists aiming to prepare us for potential future coronavirus pandemics by developing vaccines in advance that could provide broad protection against a variety of coronaviruses, including those are currently unknown, before an outbreak occurs.

Unlike traditional vaccine development, which typically begins after a pathogen has emerged, proactive vaccinology leverages our expanding understanding of viral families and immune responses to create vaccines that may provide protection against both known viruses and those that may emerge in the future.

So, how does this approach work? According to researchers, the new vaccine, ‘Quartet Nanocage’ was designed based on nanoparticle structure, which is a ball of proteins bound together by strong interactions. This nanoparticle is linked to chains of several viral antigens using a unique ‘protein superglue.’

The immune system will then be trained by these antigens to identify specific regions of a range of coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and several viruses that are currently circulating in bats with the potential to jump to humans and cause a pandemic.

By priming the immune system to attack these regions, the vaccine could potentially offer protection against other coronaviruses not directly included in the vaccine even those that have yet to be identified. For instance, the new vaccine does not include the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus, which caused the 2003 SARS outbreak, but it still induces an immune response to that virus, showcasing its cross-protective capabilities.

The application of this new vaccine has been tested by scientists on mice that were pre-immunised with SARS-CoV-2. The results showed that the new vaccine elicited a broad immune response, demonstrating its effectiveness. However, further clinical trials will be conducted to validate its applicability in humans, with researchers carefully monitoring for both effectiveness and safety across diverse populations. In short, the future of vaccines appears promising, with innovative technologies paving the way for a new era of vaccine development.

This approach could be utilized to protect against many other emerging health challenges. By shifting our approach to vaccine research from reactive to proactive, we could be better equipped to prevent future pandemics before they take hold, potentially saving millions of lives and mitigating the global impact of infectious diseases.