A new nanovaccine developed by Tel Aviv University and the University of Lisbon provides a needle-free, room-temperature-storable solution that is effective against all key variants of COVID-19.
The laboratory of Professor Ronit Sachi-Fanaro at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at Tel Aviv University collaborated with the laboratory of Professor Helena Frolindo at the University of Lisbon to develop a new nanovaccine to combat COVID-19. The nanovaccine is a 200-nanometer particle that effectively trains the immune system to fight off all common COVID-19 variants as effectively as existing vaccines.
Unlike other vaccines, it is administered as a nasal spray and does not require a cold supply chain or ultra-low temperature storage, making it very convenient. These distinguishing features pave the way for vaccinating populations in developing countries and developing simpler, more effective, and cheaper vaccines in the future. This groundbreaking research appeared on the cover of the prestigious journal Advanced Science.
Professor Sachi-Fanaro explains: "The development of the new nanovaccine was inspired by a decade of research into cancer vaccines. When the COVID-19 pandemic began, we set a new goal: to train our cancer platform to recognize and target coronaviruses. Unlike Moderna and Pfizer, we do not rely on expression of intact proteins via mRNA "Instead, we used our computational bioinformatics tools to identify two short amino acid sequences in the virus's proteins, which were then synthesized and encapsulated in nanoparticles. Ultimately, this nanovaccine was shown to be effective against all major variants of COVID-19, including Beta, Delta, Omicron, and others."
Professor Satchi-Fainaro noted: "Our nanovaccine has significant advantages over existing vaccines because it does not require needles and is administered as a nasal spray. This eliminates the need for skilled personnel such as nurses and technicians to administer the injection, while also reducing the risk of contamination and sharp waste. Anyone can use the nasal spray without prior training."
Another major advantage of the revolutionary nanovaccine is that it requires minimal storage. Moderna's sensitive mRNA-based vaccine must be stored at minus 20 degrees Celsius, while Pfizer's vaccine must be stored at minus 70 degrees Celsius, which poses huge logistical and technical challenges, such as dedicated plane transportation and ultra-low temperature storage from factories to vaccination stations.
"Professor Satchi-Fainaro's new synthetic nanoparticles are more durable and can be stored as a powder at room temperature. No freezing or special handling is required," she said. "Simply mix the powder with saline to create a spray. For testing (as part of the EU's ISIDORe (Integrated Services for Infectious Disease Outbreak Research) feasibility program), we shipped the powder at room temperature to the INSERM infectious disease laboratory in France. Their tests showed that our nanovaccine is at least as effective as Pfizer's vaccine."
The important advantages of easy intranasal administration and the ability to be stored and transported regularly paves the way for vaccinating high-risk populations in low-income countries and remote areas that cannot be reached by existing vaccines. Additionally, this novel platform opens the door to the rapid synthesis of more effective and cost-effective vaccines to combat future epidemics. It can train the immune system to fight cancer or infectious diseases like COVID-19. We are currently expanding its use to target a range of other diseases to rapidly develop relevant new vaccines where needed.
Compiled from /ScitechDaily