Professor Robin Shattock, from the Department of Infectious Diseases at Imperial College London, is leading the development of a potential coronavirus vaccine, alongside staff from the Trust.
The vaccine is being tested in human trials to establish whether it can be well tolerated and produce an effective immune response against COVID-19.
Professor Shattock has said that the technology behind it could also be used for future pandemics, in a recent talk.
The technology essentially uses genetic code as a vaccine. Typically most vaccines are made through growing a virus or through making a protein, the Imperial vaccine is produced through a synthetic process-self-amplifying RNA technology.
It uses synthetic strands of genetic code (called RNA), based on the virus’s genetic material. Once injected into muscle, the RNA self amplifies – generating copies of itself – and instructs the body’s own cells to make copies of a spiky protein found on the outside of the virus. This should train the immune system to respond to the coronavirus so the body can easily recognise it and defend itself against COVID-19 in future.
Professor Shattock explained that this new technology has many advantages, such as the ability to produce millions of doses of the vaccine in weeks and its low cost. He also believes the technology can be adapted to enable scientists to respond to future pandemics more quickly.
By August, 300 healthy participants will receive two doses of the vaccine. If the vaccine is safe and shows a promising immune response in humans, then larger Phase III trials would be planned to begin later in the year with around 6000 healthy volunteers to test its effectiveness. The ultimate aim is for the vaccine to be rolled out in the UK and around the world to provide protection against COVID-19.
Professor Shattock presented at a recent Imperial College Academic Health Science Centre COVID-19 online seminar series here:
