The University of Science and Technology of Macau (MUST) announced today that the project it is leading on the development of a vaccine for covid-19 has induced “a potent functional antibody response” in animals.
According to a statement, Professor Zhang Kang of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Science and Technology of Macau leads a joint research team with institutions in mainland China and Hong Kong.
The study, published today in the academic journal Nature, according to MUST, points out that it managed to “induce a potent functional antibody response in rats, rabbits and non-human primates immunized as early as the seventh or 14th days after a single dose injection”.
“Our initial thinking when designing our vaccine in January 2020 was to use the least part of protein S [Spike protein], in order to produce the best vaccine effect, but with the least potential for side effects, such as complication of body-dependent antibody improvement, so we carefully made several vaccine candidates and tested each one, and concluded that RBD is the best candidate, ”said the team leader.
“In retrospect, that seems obvious now, but in January 2020, when everyone else was moving forward with vaccine production, it was a difficult decision. We are now pleased that we have not rushed and made the right decision before moving forward, ”he added.
In the statement, the university detailed that there are more than one hundred covid-19 vaccines in development in the world, but that “are facing arduous challenges in terms of effectiveness, side effects and production”.
In the study, MUST noted, it was shown that “recombinant vaccines against the Spike RBD protein region can effectively induce a potent immune response in the body with a good safety profile”.
The University noted, however, that the “effectiveness of the vaccine needs to be evaluated and validated in clinical trials in humans, which will begin shortly”.
