Developing Next-Gen COVID-19 Vaccine Using Your Own Immune Cells

Nearly two years after the advent of the COVID-19 vaccine, the pandemic is still, frustratingly, with us. The vaccines have done an excellent job at their primary mission, preventing severe disease or death. But they haven’t been as effective at keeping people from catching and spreading the virus. That’s why researchers are excited about a crop of novel vaccines now under development. Now, researchers at IIT-Delhi have developed a nanovaccine using the body's immune cells, as opposed to the synthetic materials or adenoviruses used in COVID-19 vaccines.

COVID-19 Vaccine Developed Using Body’s Immune Cells may Prove Effective

This naturally derived nanovaccine developed by researchers may have several advantages over currently approved vaccines. It will reduce the possibility of blood clotting, which has previously been observed in vaccinated individuals.

The immune response elicited by this vaccine was tested in mice. It was found that this antigen was more effective than free antigens in producing antibodies against the COVID-19 virus.

When injected with a 10 times lower dose compared to the free antigen, the nanovaccine was equally efficient in raising antiviral immunity. Interestingly, it showed a durable immune response, including the generation of memory cells, which can act as a safeguard for the next infection.

In general, after vaccination, antigen-presenting cells (APCs) begin processing the antigens and subsequently activate other immune cells (B and T cells) to produce antibodies, and eliminate the virus.

This next-generation vaccine, however, is one step ahead since it uses nanovesicles from activated APCs, which already contain processed antigens on their surface and are also equipped with additional factors needed to directly activate B and T cells.

While this approach of vaccination could be used for other diseases like dengue, the institute said the Indian Council for Medical Research had already approved a research grant to the group for the development of a nanovaccine against dengue.

Advertisement

Source-IANS