COVID-19: New vaccine under development has “insurance” against viral mutations | Scientific and technical news

British scientists are developing COVID vaccine with built-in insurance against virus mutations.

The jab, currently in development at the University of Nottingham, is expected to still be effective even if a new variant evolves that eliminates other vaccines.

The prototype has already passed preclinical testing and will begin testing in volunteers in a few weeks.

Professor Lindy Durrant, an immunologist at the university and head of spin-off company ScanCell, said the next generation of vaccines must be better prepared to fight the virus because it “learns” how to evade the immune system.

“What happened was predictable,” she exclusively told Sky News.

“We have the advantage of learning from the shortcomings of the first generation of vaccines to improve the second generation.”

The three vaccines currently in use are all based on the genetic sequence of the spike protein, which the virus uses to attach itself to human cells.

But mutations in the spike protein emerged that allowed new variants to spread rapidly in the UK, South Africa and Brazil. They can make existing vaccines less effective.

The Nottingham vaccine includes the spike protein, but also part of the “core” protein, a sheath that envelops and protects the genetic material of the virus. It mutates at a much slower rate.

“It doubles the chances of winning against the virus,” Professor Durrant said.

“The chances that the two will mutate at the same time are unlikely.”

Animal studies show that the core protein elicits a strong response from T cells, a separate arm of the immune system to antibodies.

Professor Durrant said: “We are getting antibody levels as good, if not better, than others. [vaccines], and more, and better T cell responses.

“But it’s in animals and we have to move to humans to see if that works too.”

The vaccine is expected to start early-stage clinical trials later this spring, funded by Innovate UK.

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Vaccine developers are grappling with the rapidly evolving virus.

Moderna, which will start delivering 17 million doses of its vaccine to the UK in April, is already testing an updated version against the South African variant. Other companies are expected to do the same.

Because they are only tweaking existing jabs, it’s likely that only small-scale testing will be needed. But it would still take about three months before the reformulated vaccines could be scaled up and distributed.

In the meantime, there is a risk that if a new variant spreads quickly, populations will be vulnerable.

Danny Altmann, professor of immunology at Imperial College London, said it might be wise to “hedge your bets”.

“What we’re talking about here is an arms race between the immune system and the virus. Who better and faster to advance to win the battle? he said.

“I can see the logic [to the Nottingham vaccine]. Our lab has found that the immune system sees many different parts of the virus and responds to the protein it examines.

“What we don’t know is how much this brings to the party.”

Staffordshire-based Cobra Biologics are already producing batches of the Nottingham vaccine to test production and prepare for trials.

Alexandra Brownfield, director of business development for the company, said the vaccine was “grown” inside cells in a bioreactor. Just 50 liters of a soup of cells and nutrients can produce “a few thousand doses” in four to six weeks.

She said it was a pleasure to produce the first batch of vaccine: “It’s a great feeling, but we’re still thinking about the next batch.

“It’s a high pressure environment, so while it’s a relief then we think we still have some work to do with the next batch.”