Researchers develop new approach against coronavirus

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) list of candidate vaccines currently comprises more than 160 projects. However, not a single one of these projects uses the route that Cornel Fraefel does, as the University of Zurich (UZH) reported in a press release. The unique project led by the Zurich virologist has been awarded a grant of half a million Swiss francs by the Swiss National Science Foundation. “We’re over the moon,” said Fraefel in the press release.

His project intends to deliver the vaccine via the spores of the bacterium Bacillus subtilis. “The immunization protection is based on a genetic modification of the bacterial genome to insert the gene sequences of the Sars-CoV-2 envelope protein,” the UZH press release explains. The spores of bacteria modified in this way germinate in the small intestine, which means they do not require injecting and can simply be ingested to pass through. In the small intestine, “this results in a bacterial film, which contains the coronavirus protein antigens”. This is the expectation, in any case.

“The process works in principle and has been successful in initial vaccines in the veterinary field,” said Cornel Fraefel from the Vetsuisse Faculty. The team have already developed a vaccine against dog tapeworm in this way.

The grant will now enable them to work on developing the coronavirus vaccine. The genetic construction of the bacterium is estimated to take two to three months. This will be followed by studies on the immune response and safety in animals, before human testing of the novel vaccine can begin.