Development of vaccine anti-SARS-CoV-2 based on VLPs

• Grant number: 20/09404-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2020
• End date: April 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Immunology - Applied Immunology
• Principal Investigator: Gustavo Cabral de Miranda
• Grantee: Larissa Vuitika
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/05146-7 - Development of vaccine anti-SARS-CoV-2 based on VLPs, AP.R

Abstract

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 virus appeared in China and easily spread around the world with a tremendous lethality. In less than three months of its identification, it has already caused more than 30,000 deaths worldwide with an increasing number of fatalities. As it is a new virus introduced into the human population, therefore there is no prior immunity; it has easy spread and lethality varies from 1 to 16% according to country, age group and comorbidities. In the absence of a specific vaccine or treatment, the pandemic is paralyzing entire continents. In this project, we aim to use the vaccine platform based on VLPs (Virus-Like Particles) conjugating peptide sequences from SARS-CoV-2 to Q²VLPs andVP1VLPs. The choosen antigen is the Spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2, and make this VLPs as an antigen delivering to the components of the immune system cells. It is worth to mention that this project was quickly adapted for the development of an effective and safe vaccine against SARS-CoV2 to the JP project, process number: 2019/14526-0. Because of this, we are already working on selecting the best antigens to be combined with VLPs due to the enormous urgency that this historic moment demands of us. (AU)