In a groundbreaking development, researchers from the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, and Caltech have collaboratively developed a new vaccine technology that provides protection against a wide range of coronaviruses, including those that have not yet emerged. This novel approach, published in Nature Nanotechnology, marks a significant milestone in the field of proactive vaccinology, aiming to build a vaccine before the disease-causing pathogen emerges in preparation for future outbreaks.
The “Quartet Nanocage” vaccine works by training the body’s immune system to recognize specific regions of eight types of coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and several others circulating in bats that have the potential to cause a human pandemic. Unlike conventional vaccines that involve a single antigen to target a single specific virus, this all-in-one vaccine induces an immune response to a diverse range of existing coronaviruses and newly emerging pathogens.
Vaccine Design and Immune Response
The vaccine’s design is based on a nanoparticle structure, a ball of proteins bound together by strong interactions. This structure has demonstrated an increased broad immune response in mice pre-immunized with SARS-CoV-2. Notably, the vaccine still induces an immune response to the SARS-CoV-1 coronavirus, even though it is not explicitly included in the vaccine.