University of Washington coronavirus vaccine shows strong immune response in animals

SEATTLE — University of Washington researchers, in partnership with a Seattle biotech company, say they have developed a promising candidate for vaccination against the virus that causes COVID-19.

The researchers on Monday published a peer-reviewed paper in Science Translational Medicine that shows their vaccine induced a strong immune response in mice and macaque monkeys, a key step toward human trials.

“We’re very excited about the results and seeing our vaccine entered into the pipeline,” said Deborah Fuller, a microbiologist whose UW Medicine lab developed the potential vaccine. “It’s not going to be one vaccine that’s going to knock down this pandemic.”

The RNA vaccine produced an antibody and T-cell response after a single dose in both young and old mice, as well as in the macaques, said Fuller, an author on the Science Translational Medicine paper.

The strong response to the vaccine by nonhuman primates suggests it could work with people, too.

“Doses and vaccines and vaccine immune responses that work well in monkeys, translates well in humans,” Fuller said.

The vaccine could offer several advantages over others that research groups around the world are pursuing, as scientists race to produce a formulation that will be protective against the virus that causes COVID-19.

The researchers believe their approach, which relies on replicating RNA, could immunize with lower doses and fewer doses in comparison to other vaccines in development.

Because older mice showed strong immune response, the researchers also think older people could benefit from this formulation where other vaccines fail to produce a sufficient immune response.