New nanobody COVID vaccine design is easier to make, doesn’t need cold storage

Currently available COVID vaccines require cold storage and sophisticated manufacturing capacity, which makes it difficult to produce and distribute them widely, especially in less developed countries. A new type of vaccine would potentially be much easier to produce and would not need refrigeration, report researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital in the November 2, 2021, issue of PNAS. The researchers, led by Hidde Ploegh, PhD, and first authors Novalia Pishesha, PhD, and Thibault Harmand, PhD, believe their technology could help fill global vaccination gaps and that the same technology could be applied to vaccines against other diseases. In mice, the vaccine elicited strong immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. It was successfully freeze-dried and later reconstituted without loss of efficacy. In tests, it remained stable and potent for at least seven days at room temperature. Unlike current COVID-19 vaccines, the new design is completely protein-based, making it easy for many facilities to manufacture....