Rising star: 'pan' COVID-19 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine

A series of recently published preclinical studies have shown that the spike ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN) COVID-19 vaccine developed at the Walter-Reed Army Research Institute (WRAIR) in the United States not only elicits an effective immune response, but also May offer broad protection against worrying variants of SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses
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These researchers developed a SpFN nanoparticle vaccine based on the ferritin platform as part of a forward-looking "pan-SARS" strategy to combat the current pandemic and act as a first line of defense
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Protection against worrisome mutated SARS-CoV-2 and similar viruses that may emerge in the future

 

Dr Kayvon Modjarrad, Director of WRAIR's Division of Emerging Infectious Diseases and co-inventor of the vaccine, said: "Over the past 20 years, the accelerated emergence of human coronaviruses and the rise of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including most recently Omicron, There continues to be a need for the next generation of pre-emptive vaccines to provide broad protection against coronavirus disease
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Our strategy is to develop a 'pan-coronavirus' vaccine technology that has the potential to protect people from multiple coronavirus strains, and provide safe, effective and lasting protection

 

A preclinical study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine shows that the SpFN vaccine protects non-human primates from the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 and major mutations, including those that emerged in 2002.

SARS-CoV-1 virus) and broad neutralizing antibody responses

SpFN entered the first phase of human clinical trials in April 2021
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Early analyses, expected to conclude in December 2021, provide new insights into the effectiveness and breadth of SpFN, and whether its protective effects can be extended to humans, as demonstrated in preclinical trials
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The data will also allow scientists to compare SpFN immunization with other COVID-19 vaccines approved for emergency use
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Image from Cell Reports, 2021, doi:10.
1016/ js celrep.
2021.
110143
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"This vaccine excels in the field of COVID-19 vaccines," Modjarrad said.
"The repeated and orderly presentation of the coronavirus spike protein on the surface of a faceted nanoparticle may stimulate immunity, which translates into broader protection
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"

WRAIR has developed a second vaccine candidate, the SARS-CoV-2 Spike (SARS-CoV-2 Spike) receptor binding domain ferritin nanoparticle (receptor binding domain ferritin nanoparticle, RFN) vaccine
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For the SpFN vaccine, it targets a small part of the coronavirus' spike protein
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A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) suggests that RFN vaccines may provide similar protection against a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV-1

Dr Gordon Joyce, WRAIR structural biologist and vaccine co-inventor, said: "The RFN vaccine candidate is more compact and has some natural advantages
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Because we are trying to use a single vaccine platform to improve immune responses to multiple coronaviruses, it remains Considered part of our pan-coronavirus vaccine development pipeline

Dr.
Nelson Michael, Director of the WRAIR Centre for Infectious Disease Research, said: “As COVID-19 develops, its threat will continue and eventually other emerging disease threats will emerge
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Our investment in the development of a coronavirus vaccine is ahead of COVID -19.

 

About the SpFN vaccine developed by WRAIR

The SpFN vaccine is a protein subunit nanoparticle vaccine platform, which means it displays viral fragments to the immune system to elicit a protective response
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SpFN contains multiple coronavirus spike proteins that attach to the surface of polyhedral ferritin nanoparticles
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The researchers speculate that presenting multiple copies of the spike protein in an ordered fashion may be key to inducing an effective and broad immune response
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The platform also has advantages as a potential global vaccine because it is stable over a wide temperature range
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This is especially useful in environments where ultra-low temperature refrigerators are not available

The SpFN vaccine is formulated with an adjuvant called ALFQ
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ALFQ is one of a series of adjuvants in Army liposomal formulations developed by WRAIR Army researchers
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Adjuvants are components of vaccines that help activate the immune system and improve immune responses
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Both preclinical and early clinical studies have shown that ALFQ is safe and effective as a vaccine adjuvant
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Reference: M.
Gordon Joyce et al.
A SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicits protective immune responses in nonhuman primates .
Science Translational Medicine, 2021, doi:10.
1126/scitranslmed.
abi5735.

Hannah AD King et al.
Efficacy and breadth of adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain nanoparticle vaccine in macaques .
PNAS, 2021, doi:10.
1073/pnas.
2106433118.

Joshua M.
Carmen et al.
SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine induces robust innate immune activity driving polyfunctional spike-specific T cell responses .
npj Vaccines, 2021, doi:10.
1038/s41541-021-00414-4.

Kathryn McGuckin Wuertz et al.
A SARS-CoV-2 spike ferritin nanoparticle vaccine protects hamsters against Alpha and Beta virus variant challenge .
npj Vaccines, 2021, doi:10.
1038/s41541-021-00392-7. M.
Gordon Joyce et al.
SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccines elicit broad SARS coronavirus immunogenicity .
Cell Reports, 2021, doi:10.
1016/j.
celrep.
2021.
110143.

SARS-COV-2-Spike-Ferritin-Nanoparticle (SpFN) Vaccine With ALFQ Adjuvant for Prevention of COVID-19 in Healthy Adults
https://clinicaltrials.
gov/ct2/show/NCT04784767

(Source: Internet, reference only)

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