Japanese scientists are working to create a vaccine that gives lifelong immunity to COVID-19
Photo: Stanislav Kogiku / Pool / Reuters
Experts from the Tokyo Institute of Medical Sciences, led by Professor Michinori Kohara, are working on the creation of a vaccine against coronavirus, which gives lifelong immunity. The Japan Times writes about it.
The smallpox vaccine was taken as a basis, which was developed in the 18th century by the British physician Edward Jenner. It was thanks to her that the fatal disease was overcome. The goal of Japanese scientists is to create a recombinant vaccinia virus containing the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
According to Kohara, the drugs using the vaccinia virus vector “are the most powerful of all.” According to him, this type of vaccine has few side effects, while it does not need special methods of transportation and storage. In addition, the creation of a vaccine with life-long effectiveness could give the world an edge in the fight against COVID-19.
Experiments in mice using the recombinant vaccinia virus encoding the avian influenza gene showed high antibody levels that persisted for over 20 months. Japanese drug maker Nobelpharma is slated to conduct Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the Kohara vaccine in the first half of 2023.
Earlier, scientists at the University of Washington discovered the high effectiveness of RNA vaccines against COVID-19.
