Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Dec 2020
ReviewRole of antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) in the virulence of SARS-CoV-2 and its mitigation strategies for the development of vaccines and immunotherapies to counter COVID-19.
Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a global threat and death tolls are increasing worldwide. The SARS-CoV-2 though shares similarities with SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, immunopathology of the novel virus is not understood properly. ⋯ ADE mitigation strategies like the development of vaccine or immunotherapeutics targeting receptor binding motif can be designed to minimize ADE of SARS-CoV-2 since full-length protein-based approach can lead to ADE as reported in MERS-CoV. The present mini-review aims to address the phenomenon of ADE of SARS-CoV-2 through the lessons learned from SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV and ways to mitigate them so as to develop better vaccines and immunotherapeutics against SARS-CoV-2.
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Dec 2020
ReviewConvalescent plasma therapy for coronavirus infection: experience from MERS and application in COVID-19.
The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a very large number of infections and high number of mortality. There is no specific therapeutic options that are approved for clinical use. Administration of convalescent plasma as a possible therapy was used in the case of viral pneumonia including SARS and influenza. ⋯ Two of these studies used plasma with anti-SARS-CoV-2 titers of >1:640 to >1:1000. A recent randomized controlled clinical trial showed no benefit of convalescent plasma in patients with severe diseases. However, the study was terminated early and thus further clinical trials are needed to show efficacy in patients with COVID-19 infection.
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Dec 2020
ReviewRecent advances in therapeutic modalities and vaccines to counter COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.
The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has rapidly spread across the world. This resulted an alarming number of fatalities with millions of confirmed infected cases, pretending severe public health, economic, and social threats. There is no specific therapeutic drugs or licensed vaccines or treatments to fight against lethal COVID-19 infections. ⋯ Herein, we reviewed the therapeutic interventions and vaccines for COVID-19 based on the existing knowledge and understanding of similar coronaviruses, including MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV. The information constitutes a paramount intellectual basis to sustenance ongoing research for the discovery of vaccines and therapeutic agents. This review signifies the most available frontiers in the viral vaccine development approaches to counter the COVID-19/SARS-CoV-2.
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Dec 2020
ReviewCOVID-19 - Recent advancements in identifying novel vaccine candidates and current status of upcoming SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has spread rapidly. To date, countries have relied on the prevention of the disease through isolation, quarantine, and clinical care of affected individuals. ⋯ There also is a need to comprehensively compile the details of previous studies on SARS-related vaccines that can be extrapolated to identify potent vaccine targets for developing COVID-19 vaccines. This review aims to analyze previous studies, current status, and future possibilities for producing SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
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Hum Vaccin Immunother · Dec 2020
ReviewImpact of COVID-19 on women and children and the need for a gendered approach in vaccine development.
The COVID-19 pandemic has imposed unprecedented health and socioeconomic challenges on public health, disrupting it on a global scale. Given that women and children are widely considered the most vulnerable in the times of emergency, whether in war or during a pandemic, the current pandemic has also severely disrupted access to reproductive and child health services. ⋯ In this context, we suggest the implementation of a gendered approach to ensure the specific needs of women and their newborns are considered during the development of COVID-19 vaccines. Taking into account gender-based biological differences, the inclusion of pregnant and lactating mothers in clinical trials for the development of COVID-19 vaccines is of vital importance.