This archive report was first published on 20 May 2020.
Breakthrough in Covid-19 Vaccine Research ¶
Scientists have made a significant breakthrough in the development of a Covid-19 vaccine, with a prototype vaccine successfully protecting monkeys from the coronavirus.
Researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, led by Dr. Dan Barouch, conducted a series of experiments on monkeys to test the effectiveness of the vaccine.
The team infected nine unvaccinated rhesus macaques with the new coronavirus, and the monkeys developed symptoms that resembled a moderate case of Covid-19. However, after recovering, the monkeys began making antibodies to the coronavirus, including neutralizing antibodies that stopped the virus from entering cells and reproducing.
Thirty-five days after inoculating the monkeys, the researchers carried out a 're-challenge,' spraying a second dose of the coronavirus into the noses of the animals. The monkeys produced a surge of protective neutralizing antibodies, and the coronavirus was soon wiped out.
The results of the study suggest that the vaccine is effective in protecting monkeys from the coronavirus, and the researchers are optimistic that a vaccine for Covid-19 will be possible.
Dr. Barouch said, 'I think that overall this will be seen as very good news for the vaccine effort. This increases our optimism that a vaccine for Covid-19 will be possible.'
Florian Krammer, a virologist at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, said that the levels of antibodies seen in the monkeys were promising. 'This is something that would protect you from disease,' he said. 'It's not perfect, but you certainly see protection.'
The study provides a deeper look at how vaccines protect monkeys, and perhaps one day humans. The researchers found a strong connection between neutralizing antibodies and how well a vaccine worked, and this correlation could help scientists running safety trials in humans.
Dr. Nelson Michael, the director of the Center for Infectious Diseases Research at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, said, 'To me, this is convincing that a vaccine is possible.'
Published on May 20, 2020.
