THSTI Files Patent For Peptide-Based Vaccine Candidates Against SARS-CoV-2 Virus

THSTI Files Patent for Peptide-based COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate

Synthetic peptides that target neutralizing B-cell or T-cell epitopes for developing antibodies against SARS-CoV2 has been identified and synthesized by a  research team supervised by Prof.Gagandeep Kang and led by Dr. Sweety Samal and Dr. Shubbir Ahmed at DBT’s Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), Faridabad.

A desirable immune response that could block viral invasion is evoked by this. Promising results in the preliminary non-clinical studies in mice have been seen. Further, by stitching the desired peptides to produce the protein, they have developed a multiepitope based vaccine candidate. This is a unique approach as it generates potential neutralizing antibodies, along with reducing a hallmark of SARS CoV2 infection, pulmonary immune pathology, or antibody-dependent enhancement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused panic and significant economic damage across the world as the infection causing virus SARS-CoV-2 has resulted in 130,70,097 cases and 5,72,411 deaths globally as of July 14, 2020. India became the third country with the highest number of COVID-19 cases after the United States and Brazil. With around 9,06,752 cases reported and 23,727 deaths

in the country, India’s recovery rate is continuously increasing as the number of recovered cases stands at 5,71,459.

In efforts to overcome the pandemic, around 6.15 billion euros ($6.9 billion) was raised to fight COVID-19 in a global fundraising meeting recently, from the European Commission, the United States, and numerous countries including Germany, Canada, and Qatar. World leaders emphasized that when a vaccine is ready, it should be made available to all those in need.

Researchers all around the world are racing to develop antiviral drugs and a vaccine to fight against the pandemic. Most of the COVID-19 vaccine candidates currently under development focus on SARS-CoV2’s full-length spike (S) protein or inactivated SARS-CoV2. However, there are concerns about the induction of inflammatory reactions or harmful immune responses against non-neutralizing epitopes, based on the learning and experience of SARS.

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THSTI Files Patent for Peptide-based COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate