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COVID-19 vaccine in US shows promise, study says

A potential vaccine for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) developed in the US produced promising results, initial tests conducted on mice shows.
Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh said the vaccine delivered through a fingertip-sized patch was able to boost the immune system to produce antibodies against COVID-19, Reuters reported.
According to Andrea Gambotto, associate professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, they adapted techniques developed previously for coronaviruses such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).
“These two viruses, which are closely related to SARS-CoV-2 (the new coronavirus causing the Covid-19 pandemic), teach us that a particular protein, called a spike protein, is important for inducing immunity against the virus,” Gambotto said.
The animal trial result for the vaccine named PittCoVac showed that a sufficient level of antibodies was produced to neutralize the virus for at least a year.
However, the researchers cautioned that its too early to say if the immune response against the coronavirus will last.
The COVID-19 vaccine candidate employs needle patch design, which is an array of fingertip-sized patch of 400 microneedles made from sugar and spike protein.
The team is hoping they can begin the human trials for the vaccine in the next few months.
“We would like to think a month, give or take. Maybe two months. We just started the process,” said co-author Louis Falo, a professor and chairman of the Department of Dermatology at the University of Pittsburgh.
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