201. Low toxicity and high immunogenicity of an inactivated vaccine candidate against COVID-19 in different animal models
- Author
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Lei Zhang, Yan Ping Zhou, Ze Jun Wang, Shuo Shen, Xing-Lou Yang, Xin Wan, Xiaoming Yang, De Qing Pang, Zhengli Shi, Wei Ping Jin, Jie Wu, Jia Lu, Su Cai Zhang, Wenhui Wang, Ao Xiao, Zhiming Yuan, Kai Duan, Xin Guo Li, Miao Xu, Kang Wei Xu, Ulrich Desselberger, Yan Zhu, Chao Shan, Yun Xia Sun, Hua Jun Zhang, Jing Guo, Cheng Peng, Lie Fu, Hao Rui Si, Chang Gui Li, Lei You, Xiao Yu Zhang, Xiao Xiao Gao, Jing Liu, Sheng Li Meng, Jun Zhi Wang, An Na Yang, and Qian Cai
- Subjects
0301 basic medicine ,Male ,COVID-19 Vaccines ,Epidemiology ,030106 microbiology ,Immunology ,Population ,immunogenicity ,Antibodies, Viral ,Microbiology ,Virus ,03 medical and health sciences ,Immune system ,Virology ,Drug Discovery ,Medicine ,Animals ,Seroconversion ,education ,education.field_of_study ,biology ,business.industry ,SARS-CoV-2 ,Immunogenicity ,toxicity ,General Medicine ,inactivated vaccine ,animal models ,Immunity, Humoral ,030104 developmental biology ,Infectious Diseases ,Vaccines, Inactivated ,Toxicity ,Inactivated vaccine ,biology.protein ,Parasitology ,Female ,Antibody ,business ,Research Article - Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is causing huge impact on health, life, and global economy, which is characterized by rapid spreading of SARS-CoV-2, high number of confirmed cases and a fatality/case rate worldwide reported by WHO. The most effective intervention measure will be to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect the population from the disease and limit the spread of the virus. An inactivated, whole virus vaccine candidate of SARS-CoV-2 has been developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Wuhan Institute of Virology. The low toxicity, immunogenicity, and immune persistence were investigated in preclinical studies using seven different species of animals. The results showed that the vaccine candidate was well tolerated and stimulated high levels of specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies. Low or no toxicity in three species of animals was also demonstrated in preclinical study of the vaccine candidate. Biochemical analysis of structural proteins and purity analysis were performed. The inactivated, whole virion vaccine was characterized with safe double-inactivation, no use of DNases and high purity. Dosages, boosting times, adjuvants, and immunization schedules were shown to be important for stimulating a strong humoral immune response in animals tested. Preliminary observation in ongoing phase I and II clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in Wuzhi County, Henan Province, showed that the vaccine is well tolerant. The results were characterized by very low proportion and low degree of side effects, high levels of neutralizing antibodies, and seroconversion. These results consistent with the results obtained from preclinical data on the safety.
- Published
- 2020