Highly Effective T Cell-Exclusive COVID Vaccine

Description

This technology is a COVID-19 vaccine that exclusively elicits T-cell responses without antibody responses. This design ensures sustained protection against various strains of SARS-CoV-2. Animal models challenged with both original and Omicron variants are protected against death and weight loss and show a significant reduction in viral titers in the lungs.

As of April 2024, more than 884 million cases of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, have been reported globally, including more than 7 million deaths. New variants of the virus continue to emerge while the COVID-19 vaccine declines over time. It is estimated that the Delta variant has been 80% to 90% more transmissible than the Alpha variant. Around 25% of the COVID-19 cases in the U.S. were caused by a new variant called KP.3 in the past 3 months. Therefore, it is critical to develop vaccines that remain highly effective against evolving strains, especially when the new strain is more aggressive, highly transmissible, and able to cause more severe diseases.

Neutralizing antibodies are the initial immune effectors that protect the body from viruses. However, cellular immunity, including T cell activation, plays an essential role in controlling viruses.

Benefits

Long-Lasting Protection: T-cell responses are more stable, long-lasting, and not affected by variant mutations.
Enhanced T-Cell Immunity: Unlike conventional vaccines, our construct prioritizes the activation of T-cell responses.
More Effective: Recognizes a broader range of viral antigens, especially in the face of evolving viruses with mutations in antibody-targeted regions.
Safer: My reduce side effects such as antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE).