scholarly journals Evolving potential vaccine candidates amid COVID-19 pandemic: Pipeline to Lifeline

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (SPL1) ◽  
pp. 1323-1333
Author(s):  
Anshu Kumar Yadav ◽  
Akila Prashant ◽  
Prashant Vishwanath ◽  
Surinder Singh ◽  
Nirmal Kumar Ganguly

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is globally explored to decode its genomic functionality along with elucidating immunogenic pathways to design and develop an efficient vaccine. Potential immunogenic targets have been screened and validated through preclinical evaluation using experimental models. Computational platform and molecular docking studies are also being conducted to study the immunodynamic mechanisms which involve suitable epitopes of host target cells that respond to the potential vaccine candidate eliciting an immune-mediated reaction. Although SARS-CoV-2 possesses genetic similarities with previously known human coronaviruses, the emergence of novel mutational changes in the immunodominant region of the receptor-binding domain of viral spike protein resulted in high transmissibility and fatality. On a periodical basis, the World Health Organization (WHO) publishes the update on evolving vaccine candidates and encouraging several vaccine developers including multinational companies to join the worldwide campaign against the COVID-19 pandemic. As per the latest WHO landscape draft of evolving vaccine candidates, around 180 teams with respective vaccine candidates across the world are working by utilizing multiple developmental platforms, out of which 35 candidates have entered clinical phase trial and 145 candidates are under the preclinical phase of evaluation. They are also being tested for undesired immunopotentiation without compromising their safety and efficacy. These vaccine candidates along with their advantages and various challenges have been reviewed in this article.

Coronaviruses ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 01 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bikash Debnath ◽  
Waikhom Somraj Singh ◽  
Kuntal Manna

: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first outbreak in Wuhan, China, and the infection is intense worldwide. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed total deaths had noted 4.20% globally (March 21, 2020). Between the intervals of four months (July 21, 2020), confirmed total deaths had recorded 4.17%, globally. In India, 909 confirmed cases and 19 deaths were reported by Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, March 28, 2020. Between the intervals of 123 days In India, 1638870 confirmed cases and 35684 deaths. COVID-19 can potentially spread from person to person through direct contact or respiratory droplets from coughing and sneezing. The most common symptoms are fever, dry cough, difficulty in breathing, and fatigue. A pregnant mother with COVID-19 has fewer chances to transfer this infection of her newborn babies. Children have less affected than an adult. A specific antiviral drug or vaccine has not been developed to cure the disease. Chloroquine, hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir, ritonavir, nafamostat, nitazoxanide, and remdesivir have effective drugs to treat COVID-19. Many vaccine candidates are under pre-clinical and clinical studies. In this review, we highlight the epidemiology, sign-symptoms, pathogenesis, mode of transmission, and effects of a pregnant mother with newborns, children, prevention, and drugs affective to COVID-19.


F1000Research ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 1203
Author(s):  
Sweta Singh ◽  
Hector Florez

Background: In 2020, the world has struggled to deal with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which started in 2019 in China and has spread throughout the globe, affecting at least 31,175,835 humans globally and claiming 962,634 lives reported till 22nd September, 2020 by the World Health Organization. The main causative agent for this disease is known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2). So far, there is no cure or proven therapeutics available till date. Therefore, we undertook this study to find the most probable drug candidate through a bioinformatics study. Methods: Thus, we virtually screened the Zinc natural database using HTVS tool through molecular docking studies to analyze molecules recommended for the treatment of COVID-19. Results: Ramipril benzyl ester, propafenone dimer and Lariciresinol are three important drugs found from the present study due to their medicinal application which could be helpful in treating the disease. Stylopine, quillaic acid, cinobufagin, vitisinol C, segetalin A, scopolamine, 3-oxo glycyrrhetinic acid, conchinone B, lactimidomycin and cardinalins 4 are the other lead molecules that could be used as therapeutics against COVID-19 disease. Conclusions: The studied molecules could act as an effective inhibitory drug against COVID-19.


2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. e20191211123
Author(s):  
Thyago José Arruda Pacheco ◽  
Victor Carlos Mello da Silva ◽  
Danielle Galdino de Souza

A new coronavirus, identified in Wuhan, China, has spread globally, infecting millions of people and causing significant morbidity and mortality. The pandemic state, declared by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, transformed the world and made people adapt to social distance to control the spread of the virus. The race against time in search of therapeutic solutions has become essential, and nanotechnology may be able to make vaccines available in record time to stimulate the immunization of individuals. Since the beginning of 2020, scientists and companies are rapidly advancing to make vaccine candidates available at a different rate compared to other pandemics that have existed. This review briefly presents the pros and cons of the third generation vaccines, Moderna / NIAID and Pfizer - BioNTech, which are in phase 3 tests, based on lipid RNA nanoparticles. Great collaborative efforts are being invested so that soon the world population will receive doses of vaccines with proven efficacy and enable increased survival, since the pandemic has already caused many irreversible losses.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 97
Author(s):  
Kenneth H. Eckels ◽  
Rafael A. De La Barrera ◽  
Joseph Robert Putnak

In February of 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared Zika virus (ZIKV) a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. This prompted a rapid response from both the private and public sector resulting in the generation of several promising vaccine candidates. In this review, we discuss published scientific efforts associated with these novel vaccines, emphasizing the immunological assays used to evaluate their immunogenicity and efficacy, and support future licensure.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (12) ◽  
pp. 1619
Author(s):  
Vignan Manne ◽  
John Ryan ◽  
Jonathan Wong ◽  
Gayatri Vengayil ◽  
Syed Abdul Basit ◽  
...  

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a common cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer worldwide. Despite advances in curative therapies for HCV, the incidence of new infections is not decreasing at the expected rate to hit the World Health Organization (WHO) target for the elimination of HCV by 2030. In fact, there are still more new cases of infection in the United States and worldwide than are being cured. The reasons for the rise in new cases include poor access to care and the opioid epidemic. The clinical burden of HCV requires a multimodal approach to eradicating the infection. Vaccination would be an excellent tool to prevent incidence of new infections; however, the genetic diversity of HCV and its ability to generate quasispecies within an infected host make creating a broadly reactive vaccine difficult. Multiple vaccine candidates have been identified, but to date, there has not been a target that has led to a broadly reactive vaccine, though several of the candidates are promising. Additionally, the virus is very difficult to culture and testing candidates in humans or chimpanzees is ethically challenging. Despite the multiple barriers to creating a vaccine, vaccination still represents an important tool in the fight against HCV.


Author(s):  
Jessica C Noll ◽  
Gabriela M do Nascimento ◽  
Diego G Diel

Since the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020, millions of people have contracted SARS-CoV-2 and died from the infection. Several domestic and wild species have contracted the disease as well. From the beginning, scientists have been working to develop vaccines and establish therapies that can prevent disease development and improve the clinical outcome in infected people. To understand various aspects of viral pathogenesis and infection dynamics and to support preclinical evaluation of vaccines and therapeutics, a diverse number of animal species have been evaluated for use as models of the disease and infection in humans. Here, we discuss natural SARS-CoV-2 infection of domestic and captive wild animals, as well as the susceptibility of several species to experimental infection with this virus.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-111
Author(s):  
Sergey Brankovich Bolevich ◽  
Peter Frantzevich Litvitsky ◽  
Sergei Vitalievich Grachev ◽  
Sergey Ivanovich Vorobyev ◽  
Alexandra Sergeevna Orlova ◽  
...  

AbstractAt the end of 2019, a new coronavirus infection occurred in the People’s Republic of China with an epicentre in the city of Wuhan. On February 11th, 2020, the World Health Organization assigned the official name of the infection caused by the new coronavirus – COVID-19. COVID-19 has affected people from all over the world given that the infection was noted in 200 countries resulting in annunciation of the pandemic situation. Human corona viruses cause mild to moderate respiratory infections. At the end of 2002, a new coronavirus appeared (SARS-CoV), the causal agent of atypical pneumonia, which caused acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). The initial stage of COVID-19 infection is the penetration of SARS-CoV-2 into target cells that have angiotensin converting enzyme type II receptors. The virus enters the body through the respiratory tract and interacts primarily with toll-like receptors (TLRs). The events in SARS-Cov-2 induced infection follow the next scenario: epithelial cells via TLRs recognize and identify SARS-Cov-2, and after that the information is transmitted to the transcriptional NF-κB, which causes expression of the corresponding genes. Activated in this way, the epithelial cells begin to synthesize various biologically active molecules. The results obtained on preclinical material indicate that ROS generation increases and the antioxidant protection decreases, which plays a major role in the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV, as well as in the progression and severity of this respiratory disease.


COVID ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 608-621
Author(s):  
Arthur W. Currier ◽  
Madeline C. Jeshurin ◽  
Valerie B. Sampson

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) vaccines are being used across the globe to reduce the risk of developing COVID-19, stop the transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), and end the pandemic. To address this, a massive global effort is underway for development of COVID-19 vaccines. As of September 2021, the World Health Organization (WHO) has documented 331 COVID-19 vaccine candidates, and 107 are in clinical evaluation, with 8 in Phase IV and 30 in Phase III clinical trials (WHO; COVID-19 vaccine tracker). At least 13 different vaccines are being issued for emergency use authorization. Specifically, the goal is to produce protective immunity to SARS-CoV-2 infection by stimulating an immune response to either the whole virus, viral protein, or nucleic acid products. The spike (S) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 that give the characteristic “corona” appearance of this family of viruses has emerged as an effective target for vaccines. Other viral candidates that are being developed also aim to produce immunity for COVID-19. In this review, we describe the different vaccine platforms, target candidates for vaccines, and their progress in COVID-19 vaccine development. This is critical since newly discovered SARS-CoV-2 variants of interest require understanding of how vaccines may provide the most effective long-term protection against infection.


2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (S1) ◽  
pp. 117-123
Author(s):  
Fatima R ◽  
Bilolikar AK ◽  
Reddy SG ◽  
Banerjee J

The world is in dire need of safe, effective coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine strategies. Since its emergence in November 2019, it has spread to 188 countries and 25 territories around the globe, despite elaborate efforts by World Health Organization (WHO) and governments to contain the infection, primarily owing to the highly infectious nature of this virus. Present article reviews various aspects in process of vaccine designing, vaccine platforms and current efforts and progress of COVID-19 vaccine candidates. The founding of the COVID-19 vaccines global access (COVAX) facility by Gavi, the coalition for epidemic preparedness innovations (CEPI) and the WHO is an attempt to garner resources and unite higher- and lower-income countries for the coordinated, rapid, transparent and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide. Keywords: vaccine strategies; COVAX; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2


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