Every day all of us are bombarded with reminders of COVID-19. But for all of this to end and for us to resume normal activities, certain scientific feats have to happen. If we delve further in, we realize that without a proper vaccine, normal seems pretty impossible. Read further if you want to learn about one of history’s most tensioned races and what it truly means to develop a vaccine.
As we all now COVID 19 has grown into one of the biggest game-changers of history. In fact, it is estimated that until 60-70% of population immunity is established, it will almost be impossible to resume normal activities. And because of the wonderful world of capitalism, this means a race to the vaccine.
On 18 May, US biotech firm Moderna revealed the first data from a human trial: its COVID-19 vaccine triggered an immune response in people and protected mice from lung infections with the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The press release in which the results were first announced, ensured a widely spread positive message and skyrocketing stock prices. But because of the unheard-of speed in which statements were made muddled with the lack of published data, many scientists were left perplexed.
On 14 July, Moderna did something never-before-heard of. They released their data in the crux of one of history’s most tensioned races. In previous reports from May, Moderna along with Oxford University and another Chinese group were heavily criticized for moving forward to clinical trials despite noticing enormous caveats in their work. One predominant example was noticed during the non-human primate studies. Despite preventing infection in the lungs of the macaques, the noses of the monkeys contained as much virus as the unvaccinated monkeys. Miraculously, that seems to be no problem anymore. Moderna’s vaccine, mRNA1237 has shown results to which everyone is blown.
The mRNA1237 targets the spike(S) protein of the viral cell. The S protein is what acts as a bridge to connect the viral cell to the host cell via the ACE2 receptor. After two doses of the vaccine (10 or 100 micrograms), the macaques produced high levels of antibodies to attach to the S protein and enter the cell. Notably, the animals injected with the vaccine have produced far more neutralizing antibodies in comparison to the naturally recovered ones.
Moderna's vaccine mRNA1237 has shown results to which everyone is blown.
But to any vaccine, there is a flip side. This is where the Th1 T-cells and the Th2 cells play a role. The Th1 cell produces mediated immune responses and is necessary for host defense. The Th2 cell has been associated with a phenomenon called vaccine-associated enhancement of respiratory disease (VAERD). Incredibly, only the Th1 cell has been induced and not the Th2.
Four weeks later, after all the Macaques were exposed to the SARS-CoV-2, 7 out of 8 didn’t have a trace of the virus in the lungs, and none of them had any in the nose.
It is the first time in which such rapid viral control has been shown in the upper airways (nose). The results that Moderna has shown are truly incredible and inspire the future of drug discovery.
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