Development of an animal model and accelerated development of a DNA vaccine candidate

SCARD SARS-CoV-2 project
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Aims:

  1. To develop a mouse model of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
    This will not only enable us to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccine; it will also facilitate in vivo research on SARS-CoV-2.
     
  2. To evaluate the immunogenicity (ability to induce a specific immune reaction) and efficacy (protection capability) of DNA-based vaccine candidates.

DNA vaccination is a technique for protecting against disease by injecting DNA encoding a specific antigen. The injected DNA triggers a protective immunological response, for example the production of antibodies against the antigen. DNA vaccines offer potential advantages compared with conventional vaccines, including the ability to induce a wider range of immune response types. Two antigen candidates have already been designed, based on the S (spike) protein of the virus, responsible for the "crown" ("corona" in Latin) observed at the surface of coronaviruses, after which they were named. 

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