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Could rotavirus genome be key to COVID-19 vaccine for kids? IU researchers say yes
Since the pandemic struck the United States more than a year ago, Indiana University Bloomington virologist John Patton, graduate student Asha Philip and others have been working on a COVID-19 vaccine for young children, based on a well-established childhood vaccine for the common illness rotavirus.
Currently, no available COVID-19 vaccines have been authorized for use in children younger than 16.
John Patton. Photo by Eric Rudd, Indiana University
By reverse-engineering the rotavirus genome to serve as a vector for the now-familiar SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the research team succeeded in generating genetically stable recombinant rotaviruses that contain portions of the spike protein, which could lead to a combined rotavirus-COVID-19 vaccine to replace current widely used rotavirus vaccines.
Could rotavirus vaccine platforms aid in the immunization campaign against SARS-CoV-2?
Rotavirus is a common diarrheal disease that affects young children. Live oral rotavirus vaccines have been used to reduce its incidence in many countries. However, with the onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, and amid focus on vaccines as the only definitive method of durable control, a new study describes the possibility of producing a combined vaccine against both infections.
The study began with the generation of recombinant (r)SA11 rotaviruses, into which segment 7 modified RNAs were introduced. These encoded sequences for the non-structural protein NSP3 and some parts of the viral spike.