A phase 1 clinical study for a novel single-dose intranasal COVID vaccination is nearly finished by a team of researchers led by academics from the University of Georgia and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center.
This vaccine is provided using a nasal spray similar to those frequently used to vaccinate against influenza, unlike conventional immunizations that call for an injection. The vaccine targets the mucosal cells that line the nasal passages and airways by being breathed as a thin mist through the nostrils.
Four locations in Kentucky, New York, Ohio, and Texas hosted phase 1 clinical studies. The studies are based on promising preclinical findings published in Science Advances, a peer-reviewed publication.
“We have been developing this vaccine platform for more than 20 years, and we began working on new vaccine formulations to combat COVID-19 during the early days of the pandemic,” says Biao He, a professor in UGA’s Department of Infectious Diseases in the College of Veterinary Medicine. “Our preclinical data show that this vaccine not only protects against infection but also significantly reduces the chances of transmission.”
Previous research has shown that the vaccination totally shielded mice from lethal doses of SARS-CoV-2 by triggering a localized immune response that involved antibodies and cellular protection. Additionally, the vaccination protected against infection in ferrets and, more crucially, it appeared to inhibit animal-to-animal transmission of COVID-19.
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