Scientists from Yale have developed a novel omicron-specific mRNA vaccine that offers superior immune protection against two viral subvariants than standard mRNA vaccines.
The new vaccine, called Omnivax, increased neutralizing antibody response against the BA.1 and BA.2.12.1 omicron subvariants in pre-immunized mice 19-fold and eight-fold, respectively, compared with standard mRNA vaccines.
The research is published in the journal Nature Communications and journal Cell Discovery and was conducted by Sidi Chen et al.
The experimental vaccines use engineered lipid nanoparticles to deliver mRNA to cells with “instructions” to create spike proteins from mutating variants, which the virus uses to attach to and infect cells.
The presence of these foreign viral fragments prompts the immune system to create antibodies against the virus.
The rapid mutation of spike proteins on the surface of the virus over time has created a parade of subvariants and enabled them to blunt the protection of earlier generations of mRNA vaccines developed by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech.
The engineered lipid nanoparticle mRNA vaccines can be created quickly. For instance, the BA.1 subvariant emerged in mid-November; by mid-December, Yale researchers had developed a vaccine against the new strain.
However, testing the efficacy of the vaccine in mice and a peer review of the study were not completed until February. By March, the BA.2 subvariant had taken hold as the predominately circulating strain throughout most of the world.
The researchers then investigated whether the omicron variant vaccine maintains its superiority over standard vaccines against BA.2.
The new vaccine has also boosted an immune response superior to standard vaccines in mice against this subvariant.
In light of the rise of new BA.4 and BA.5 variants, which have become most common among COVID cases, the researchers are currently testing a new vaccine candidate against these variants in mice.
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