#TECHVAC And now for a robot voice presentation 😁 Starostina Ekaterina on Immunogenicity of DNA vaccines carrying artificial genes encoding fragments of influenza A virus hemagglutinin stem and M2 protein. Consensus / mosaic sequences, immunised mice 100 ug DNA. 1/2
#TECHVAC Kondrashova Alla on Protectivity of the experimental recombinant vaccine against hepatitis E - a 2-year follow-up on results in non-human primates. ORF2 protein made in E coli, makes VLPs. Tested in marmoset challenge model - complete protection homo/heterol challenge!
#TECHVAC Anastasia Pinaeva Phase III clinical trial looks good in children - so it is tolerable, immunogenic and safe! About to be registered.
#TECHVAC Anastasia Pinaeva on Inactivated polio vaccine based on Sabin strains. This is a big deal, that I have tweeted on earlier this year at Virology Africa: the strains obviously work as live virus, and now it's much safer to MAKE an inactivated vaccine!
#TECHVAC Grigory Efimov - T-cell responses to SARS2 selected for specifically by selecting MHC-binding peptides that have no homology to circulating CoVs.
#TECHVAC Grigory Efimov - T-cell responses to SARS2. Notes published results show some recovered cases have no nAbs to the virus, indicating T-cells involved. 2 patients in cohort of 34 showed no Abs, but good CD4/CD8 responses to S (accepted in Immunity).
#TECHVAC Lubov Kozlovskaya: high titres nAbs in ICU-treated patients, persisted well; lower titres in moderate and mild cases, latter no detectable nAbs 5 months later or so.
#TECHVAC Lubov Kozlovskaya. Note some weak ELISA N / S protein x-reactivity with sera collected 2019 or earlier - so pushed background level for ELISAs higher. No x-reactions with sera from seasonal CoV infections.
#TECHVAC Lubov Kozlovskaya (Chumakov Ctre) on Specific antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19. Checking for cross-reactivity with other respiratory viruses, etc.
#TECHVAC Komissarov: shout out to @pathogenomenick for primer pools, etc. It's a small world 😁
#TECHVAC Komissarov: about 3x cheaper than MiSeq especially if they reuse cells. Interesting: sequenced fewer genomes than South Africa has, by 2x or so!
#TECHVAC Komissarov: get whole-genome coverage by using primer pools on low Ct specimens and using a MinION. Can do a genome in 25 days from specimen collection to database submission.
#TECHVAC Komissarov: sequencing viruses to see what variation happens in PCR primer binding sites, which are most stable - and whether cases are local / imported. "Countries are not equal in terms of sequence sharing" 🤨 Thinks the UK was pretty good, though?
#TECHVAC Andrey Komissarov on Genetic diversity of SARS-CoV-2 viruses in Russia. Russia has highest number of cases in Europe; attack rate in second wave looks worse than first. Been covering disease since beginning March, done PCR on >30K specimens.
#TECHVAC rAd5 and rAd26: if prime with Ad26, then get SARS2 response that is boosted by rAd5 even if person has high titre of neut Ab to Ad5. Note Ad immunity wanes quite quickly?
#TECHVAC: liquid vs. lyophilised comparison needs larger clinical trial; preliminary opinion is that immunogenicity is equivalent.
Dolzhikova #TECHVAC: rAd5 & Ad6, 100% protection Syrian hamsters, robust humoral and cell responses, no ADE observed. Human study started 18 June, completed on 42nd day August 3 - two types formulation. No serious AE detected. Immunogenicity done on either or both components 1/2
#TECHVAC Inna Dolzhikova on Safety and immunogenicity of an rAd26 and rAd5 vector-based heterologous prime-boost COVID-19 vaccine in two formulations: two open, non-randomized phase 1/2 studies from Russia. Whole S gene, lyophilised and liquid formulations.
#TECHVAC Ivin: SARS2 inactivated using beta-propiolactone, adjuvanted with alum. Structural data coming.
Chumakov inactivated SARS2 safe in mice, marmosets and rabbits, non-pyrogenic - great and sustained Ab response response by 21 days. #TECHVAC. Presently in trial in Russia.
Shout out by Margaret Liu for Medicago's plant-made VLPs as a protein subunit vaccine for COVID 😄 #TECHVAC #GreenVaccines
