This single vaccine protects you against COVID-19, flu, common cold
What's the story
A team of scientists at Scripps Research has developed a groundbreaking universal vaccine.
The innovative solution is designed to protect against multiple coronaviruses, including some that cause COVID-19, common cold and flu.
Chi-Huey Wong, a chemistry professor at Scripps Research, will present his team's findings at the ACS Spring 2025 Digital Meeting.
The new vaccine works by targeting the sugars that coronaviruses use as a shield against our immune system.
Target area
Vaccine targets stable region of coronavirus spike protein
Wong explained the vaccine is aimed at more than one coronavirus at once. This way, people could get a single shot for protection against multiple pathogens.
The team targeted a stable region of the coronavirus spike protein that mutates infrequently.
They found an enzymatic way to strip sugar molecules from this region, producing effective antibodies that can neutralize the virus.
Innovative strategy
Approach to low-sugar vaccine
Wong acknowledged the high mutation rate of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, especially in its receptor binding domain on the spike protein. This has made frequent updates to COVID-19 vaccines necessary.
However, the Scripps team decided to focus on a "low-mutation region" within the stalk area of the virus' spike protein.
They created a "low-sugar" vaccine that uses enzymatic digestion to strip protective glycans from this region, allowing antibodies to recognize and neutralize the virus.
Experimental results
Vaccine shows promise in animal trials
In trials on mice and hamsters, the universal vaccine generated a broader range of antibodies than the individual vaccines for specific variants of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV.
MERS-CoV causes Middle East respiratory syndrome and is transmitted to humans via infected dromedary camels.
The research team's novel approach shows promise in improving vaccination strategies for these diseases.