Publicador de contenidos

Back to 20211021_CIE_vacuna_covid_cima_cun

Researchers at Cima and Clínica Universidad de Navarra develop a prototype vaccine against COVID-19

The project was made possible thanks to funding from the Government of Navarra, among other institutions and solidarity initiatives.


FotoManuelCastells/Professionals from Cima and Clínica Universidad de Navarra participating in project.

21 | 10 | 2021

A group multidisciplinary of researchers from the Cima and Clínica Universidad de Navarra have developed a prototype vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 whose efficacy has been confirmed in an animal model of the disease. The results of this study have led to the registration of a patent, facilitating its development preclinical and clinical use.

Most of the anti-COVID vaccines on the market use the entire S protein of the virus (manager of the interaction of the virus with cells). "In this work we have identified in the serum of patients treated at Clínica Universidad de Navarra the minimal fragments of the S protein that are capable of activating a response that protects against infection. After selecting the most relevant area, we have designed a vaccine that induces antibodies in a targeted manner exclusively in this area," explain Dr Juan José Lasarte and Dr Pablo Sarobe, director and researcher head of the Immunology and Immunotherapy Programme at Cima University of Navarra.

Synthetic peptide-based vaccine

The vaccine developed at Cima is based on the use of synthetic peptides. "By using a very small fragment of the virus, the vaccine can be prepared by synthesis Chemistry. This model offers the advantage that it is a homogeneous and stable process, and uses a very simple technology that allows easy adaptation to the sequence of possible new variants. Its stability also facilitates its distribution to areas where there is no infrastructure to store vaccines in special freezers," say the scientists.

Scientists have shown in animal models that this vaccine protects against lethal infection with the virus. It also recognises both the original Wuhan variant and the most important variants that have emerged during the pandemic. The work has been published in the latest issue of the journal Emerging Microbes and Infections.

"The goal of this vaccine is not to compete with vaccines already available in our environment, but given its ease of development it can be an alternative in countries that do not yet have access to a vaccine against COVID-19," suggest the researchers at Cima.

Experience on development of vaccines

These results have been obtained thanks to the experience of the group of development of Vaccines of Cima and after a year and a half of research specifically on SARS-CoV-2. "At the beginning of the pandemic, we realised that we had to contribute our knowledge in the field of vaccines against infection by this virus.

The research was started with its own funds and with disinterested help such as that of the Navarrese aizkolari Iker Vicente, who organised a sporting event to raise funds to fight this disease. "Likewise, in May 2020 we obtained funding of 81,021 euros from the Government of Navarre, in a call for applications that had the previous positive evaluation of the Carlos III Health high school ", Drs Lasarte and Sarobe recall.

reference letter bibliographic

  • Emerg Microbes Infect. 2021 Dec;10(1):1931-1946. doi: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1978823.

BUSCADOR NOTICIAS

SEARCH ENGINE NEWS

From

To