Scientists across the world are hastening the process of developing a vaccine to protect and cure people of the raging disease, Coronavirus.
The disease, simply known as “2019-nCoV”, originated from the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Chinese province.
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A total of 170 people have died from the virus, according to the Chinese health ministry. Chinese health authorities have said there were 7,711 confirmed cases in the country as of 29 January.
The virus is also spread to at least 16 other countries.
It was learnt that research for a vaccine to help stem this outbreak got underway within hours of the virus being identified as Chinese officials released its genetic code very quickly.
The code is believed scientists determine where the virus probably came from, how it might mutate as the outbreak develops, and how to protect people against it.
At a laboratory operated by Inovio in San Diego in the United States, scientists are using a relatively new type of DNA technology to develop a potential vaccine. “INO-4800 ” – as it’s currently called – with plans for it to enter human trials by July.
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Kate Broderick, senior vice-president of research and development at Inovio, said: “Once China had provided the DNA sequence of this virus, we were able to put it through our lab’s computer technology and design a vaccine within three hours.
“Our DNA medicine vaccines are novel in that they use DNA sequences from the virus to target specific parts of the pathogen which we believe the body will mount the strongest response to.
“We then use the patient’s own cells to become a factory for the vaccine, strengthening the body’s own natural response mechanisms.”
Inovio says if the initial human trials are a success, larger trials would follow, ideally in an outbreak setting in China “by the end of the year”.
The work in these labs is being funded by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (Cepi), which is made up of and funded by governments and philanthropic organisations from around the world.
It was created in the aftermath of the Ebola outbreak in West Africa to provide funding to accelerate the development of vaccines for new diseases.
Cepi is also funding two other programmes that are developing a vaccine for this new coronavirus.
The University of Queensland is working on a “molecular clamp” vaccine, which it says “enables targeted and rapid vaccine production against multiple viral pathogens.”
Moderna Inc in Massachusetts has also joined forces with the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to accelerate its research.
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Dr Melanie Saville, director of vaccine research and development at Cepi, said: “The mission is to make sure that outbreaks are no longer a threat to humanity and to develop vaccines for emerging infectious diseases.”
The WHO is coordinating this global quest for a new vaccine. It says it is following the progress of a number of research facilities, including the three supported by Cepi.
Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo from the WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme said: “We have developed a framework to inform decisions on which candidate vaccine(s) should be tested first.
“The experts will consider a number of criteria, including acceptable safety profile, induction of appropriate immune responses, and the timely availability of sufficient supplies of vaccine doses.
“Understanding the disease, its reservoirs, its transmission, its clinical severity and developing effective countermeasures is critical for the control of the outbreak.”
The WHO is due to decide which vaccine will be tested on humans first in the coming days.
BBC
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