IISc Professor and Team Develop Synthetic Antigen for Potential Heat-Tolerant Covid-19 Vaccine; Check Details Here

New Delhi: A Professor from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and his team have created a synthetic antigen, which holds promise as a potential Covid-19 vaccine candidate. Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Raghavan Varadarajan serves as a Professor at the Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU) at IISc.

As per a publication in “npj Vaccines”, researchers demonstrate that their vaccine is efficacious against all existing and future strains of SARS-CoV-2. The institution's press release on January 10, highlights that although current vaccines exhibit effectiveness against a majority of SARS-CoV-2 strains, their efficacy has diminished due to the virus's rapid mutation.

Following an analysis of diverse proteins within the virus, the researchers opted for two segments of SARS-CoV-2's spike protein—the S2 subunit and the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD)—as the foundation for their vaccine candidate.

The S2 subunit, identified for its high conservation, undergoes considerably fewer mutations than the S1 subunit, which is the primary focus of most existing vaccines. 

Researchers have been aware that the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) can elicit a robust immune response in the host. Consequently, the team devised a hybrid protein named RS2 by merging these two elements, as detailed in the release.

Using mammalian cell lines, the scientists examined the expression of the hybrid protein. Nidhi Mittal, a PhD student at MBU and the study's first author, remarked that the protein showed very high levels of expression, and initially it was thought that the experiment was not working properly, suggesting its potential for large-scale production.

Subsequently, the researchers assessed the impact of the protein in mice and hamster models. They observed that the hybrid protein not only induced a potent immune response but also delivered superior protection compared to vaccines incorporating the entire spike protein.

Additionally, the RS2 antigen exhibits the advantage of room temperature stability for up to a month, eliminating the necessity for mandatory cold storage. This characteristic, unlike many existing vaccines, could enhance the economic feasibility of distributing and storing these vaccine candidates.

As per the team, the vaccine candidate can be customized to include the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) of any potential new variant of SARS-CoV-2. The substantial expression levels and stability at room temperature are expected to significantly reduce production and distribution expenses, positioning it as a well-suited option for combating Covid-19. 

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