The Covid-19 pandemic changed a massive influence on human life around the world and led to many negative consequences in terms of global health, tourism, economics, and many other things. Today, the pandemic continues across the world, although two mRNA-based vaccines and an adenovirus vector-based vaccine have been approved for emergency use in the United States and reduce mortality rates for COVID-19. (1-2)
However, there are currently significant and growing concerns about more contagious new COVID-19 variant, Omicron that will spread more easily than the original SARS-CoV-2 virus, more likely to reinfect individuals who have survived COVID, and even more resistant to vaccines according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (3) This is likely to contribute to a new wave with as many as a predicted 60% of people infected by March and 140 million new infections beyond that in the United States. (1, 4) Therefore, it is strongly suggested that only the effective and safer vaccine can control this vicious pandemic.
The universal SpFN vaccine
Currently, many platforms have been designed for developing the most efficacious and safe vaccines designed by different technologies including protein subunit, RNA, DNA, viral vector, inactivated, and live attenuated approaches.(5)
The good news is that recently U.S. Army, scientists at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have developed a universal vaccine， called Spike-Ferritin-Nanoparticle (SpFN) that effective against all variants of COVID and SARS including Omicron known to man and potential variants of the viruses.(6) Upon vaccination, the host will generate a strong immune response and broad protection against multiple COVID and SARS variants.
The mechanism of the SpFN vaccine
Unlike most currently available vaccines, which use mRNA to trigger the immune system. This novel vaccine is designed on a new platform called "self-assembling protein nanoparticle,”(7) which operates based on a spike-ferritin nanoparticle or SpFN immunogen paired with two distinct adjuvants, Alhydrogel® or Army Liposome Formulation containing QS-21 (ALFQ, a vaccine adjuvant) for unique vaccine evoked immune signatures,(8) and offer the advantage of multivalent antigen presentation, which is a pivotal innovation as a vaccine adjuvant that provides excellent safety and potency and could lead to dual-use military and civilian benefits.
According to US Pentagon, Defense One, ferritin is a naturally occurring, ubiquitous, iron-carrying protein that self-oligomerizes into a 24-unit spherical particle. (9) Each of the molecule's 24 different faces could carry a different spike protein drawn from unique COVID variants, creating a strong and broad immune response through SARS-CoV-2 spike-specific T cells that might be effective across different strains. (8,10)
Furthermore, SpFN protected against a potent viral challenge, as replicating virus concentrations detected in the upper and lower airways of unvaccinated controls reached a mean of 106-107 copies/ml. SpFN also protected lower airway viral burden and disease as early as within one day of virus inoculation. (11)
Today’s status of the vaccine
The vaccine is not yet fully developed. Early results in primates suggest the vaccine could work against COVID-19 variants and other coronaviruses as well. (6)
Currently, the vaccine is in its phase I clinical studies (NCT04784767)(12), which started in April 2021 is a first-in-human study of the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of different doses of SpFN vaccine against COVID-19 in healthy adults. This study enrolled a total of 72 healthy adult participants (age range 18-55) to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity, and immune response of the SpFN COVID-19 vaccine on human subjects who had neither been vaccinated nor previously infected with COVID. Next, the vaccine will need to be tested on human subjects who have been vaccinated or previously tested positive for the virus.
The official report of the results is yet to come and the preliminary results provide good reasons to be hopeful, it is sure t...
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