TASS, 2 June. Russian scientists are developing a vaccine against a new type of coronavirus, which can be in the form of a fermented milk product. It affects spiky protein, by which SARS-CoV-2 infects healthy cells. This was told Vice President RAS Vladimir Chekhonin on online meeting of the Presidium of the Academy.
This drug created by the scientists of the Institute of experimental medicine (IEM, St. Petersburg), he said. It refers to the type of mucosal vaccines that are injected into the body through the mouth, in the form of aerosols or larger droplets. Typically, the antigens in these preparations enclosed in microcapsules that protect them from digestive enzymes.
“the target for the cloning is the gene encoding the S-protein coronavirus (thorn protein, or spike protein by which SARS-CoV-2 infects healthy cells — approx. TASS). As a result, the gene is inserted into the region encoding the surface of the villi bacteria-probiotic and is formed by bacteria with an immunogenic protein of the virus on the surface. This vaccine may be administered in a fermented milk product. Today there are preclinical trials of the vaccine,” said Chekhonin.
Six of them developing the state center of Virology and biotechnology “Vector”, two more — company “Biocad” (one of them — along with IEM). Ninth vaccine creates a St. Petersburg research Institute of vaccines and sera. Testing for certain drugs, the researchers plan to start in June.
