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Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
@vipintukur
Apr 8 • 7 tweets • 3 min read • Read on X
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A potent Covid-19 vaccine in the making!

The RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein often mutates to help it evade immunity.

➡️ A modified COVID vaccine (SΔRBD) lacking the spike’s RBD showed strong lung protection, even better than mRNA vaccine in macaques. 1/ Image
In order to steer the immune response away from RBD epitopes to more conserved domains, researchers generated S glycoprotein trimers without RBD and stabilized them by formaldehyde cross-linking. 2/ Image
The cryoEM structure demonstrated, SΔRBD folds into native prefusion conformation, stabilized by one specific cross-link between S2 protomers.

SΔRBD was coated onto lipid vesicles, to produce synthetic virus-like particles & utilized in a heterologous prime-boost strategy 3/ Image
Immunization of cynomolgus macaques either 3 times with the Pfizer mRNA vaccine or 2 times followed by SΔRBD-LV showed that the SΔRBD-LV boost induced similar antibody titers and neutralization of different variants, including omicron. 4/ Image
The SΔRBD-LV boost indicated better protection against lung infection than the Pfizer-BioNTech mRNA vaccine strategy alone. 5/ Image
This, SΔRBD is highly immunogenic and provides improved protection compared to a third mRNA boost indicative of superior antibody-based protection. 6/ Image
The study suggesting that vaccines targeting more stable regions of the virus may offer broader, longer-lasting protection.  7/7

nature.com/articles/s4154…Image

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More from @vipintukur

Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 9
Tackling the 'silent pandemic': Study puts first #LongCOVID treatment on horizon!

Researchers have shown a new drug compound can prevent long COVID symptoms in mice—a landmark finding that could lead to a future treatment for the debilitating condition 1/ Image
The world-first study found mice treated with the antiviral compound, developed by a multidisciplinary research team at WEHI, institute were protected from long-term brain and lung dysfunction—key symptoms of long COVID. 2/ Image
The pre-clinical studies have achieved something no currently approved therapy has done to date—preventing the most debilitating symptoms of long COVID in mice. 3/
Read 10 tweets
Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 7
A man who had recovered from COVID and tested negative on nasopharyngeal swab was found to have SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in his small intestine, especially in ulcerated areas. 1/ Image
This was associated with increased Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Fibronectin expression, as well as structural changes in intercellular junctions between intestinal cells. 2/ Image
SARS-CoV-2 can persist in the gut and cause long-term effects, inducing vascular and epithelial changes, even after it is no longer detected in the nose or throat. 3/ Image
Read 5 tweets
Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 7
A NEW nasal spray H5N1 vaccine!

Researchers have pioneered an influenza virus vector-based nasal spray vaccine platform and developed a nasal spray H5N1 avian influenza vaccine. 1/ Image
Genetic surveillance has identified mutations that enhance H5N1's affinity for human upper respiratory cells, raising concerns that further adaptation or recombination with seasonal flu could significantly increase the risk of a pandemic. 2/ Image
Preparation for a potential H5N1 pandemic is urgent, with the U.S. allocating 500 million USD to pharmaceutical companiesfor mRNA-based vaccine development. 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 3
Researchers have developed an oral antiviral drug candidate for COVID-19 that could overcome major limitations of Paxlovid, currently the most prescribed oral treatment. 1/ Image
As with its predecessor, the new drug candidate, Jun13296, targets a different viral protein than Paxlovid does and works alone rather than in combination with another drug called ritonavir. 2/ Image
This new compound, #Jun3296 is more potent than the 1st generation candidate. In animal studies, this 2nd-generation inhibitor still provides 90% protection at just one-third dose of the initial compound and significantly outperforms it in reducing viral loads in the lungs. 3/ Image
Read 9 tweets
Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 2
Even after 5 yrs since its arrival, SARS-CoV-2 mutations keep emerging. A new variant LP.8.1 is rising. Almost 1 in 5 COVID cases in New South Wales are it. In the UK, it accounts for at least 3 in 5 cases. Just what is LP.8.1? Is it worrying? 1/ Image
LP.8.1 was first detected in July 2024. It’s a descendant of Omicron, specifically of KP.1.1.3, which is descended from JN.1, a subvariant that caused large waves of COVID infections around the world in late 2023 and early 2024. 2/ Image
The WHO designated LP.8.1 as a variant under monitoring in January. This was in response to its significant growth globally, and reflects that it has genetic changes which may allow the virus to spread more easily and pose a greater risk to human health. 3/ Image
Read 8 tweets
Vipin M. Vashishtha Profile picture
Apr 1
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds fibrinogen, causing thrombo-inflammation, according to a recent study. The virus must bind to fibrinogen, but why? Could this relationship help the virus evolve? Could this cause post-COVID heart attacks? 1/ Image
Scientists often think they grasp a virus's anatomy, tricks, and body movement. But occasionally, we discover something unexpected that radically transforms how we view an infection. 2/ Image
Some strategies are well documented: antigenic drift, glycan shielding, immune suppression. But every so often, we stumble upon a novel mechanism that redefines our understanding of viral pathogenesis. 3/ Image
Read 17 tweets

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