Development of a subunit vaccine for MERS-CoV and other emerging coronaviruses

NIH Pandemic-Era Grants

Pandemic Era Grants

2019

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Principal Investigator: Gary R Whittaker
Organization: CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Fiscal Year: 2019
Award: $235,500
Funding agency: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Project Summary/Abstract
We propose to develop a subunit vaccine for MERS-CoV, using a structure-based approach targeting conserved
and functionally essential domains in the stalk region of the viral spike protein. MERS-CoV itself is a currently
emerging virus in humans with strong links to camels, but an as-yet unproven animal reservoir. The most closely
related viruses to MERS-CoV are found in bats. We expect our vaccine platform to be applicable and effective
across a wide range of existing and emerging coronaviruses. As our system is based on expression in E. coli is
it expected to be cost–effective, and our stalk-based approach is specifically designed to cover a range of distinct
coronaviruses. However, it is important to note that our vaccine platform is highly flexible, with the antigen able
to be re-engineered rapidly in the face of a novel coronavirus that may emerge, and for which the vaccine
developed in this application is not effective.

Terms: <ATGN><Animals><Antigenic Determinants><Antigens><Bats><Binding Determinants><Camels><Chiroptera><Coronaviridae><Coronavirus><Cryo-electron Microscopy><Cryoelectron Microscopy><Development><E coli><E. coli><Electron Cryomicroscopy><Engineering><Epitopes><Escherichia coli><General Viruses><Goals><Human><Immune response><Immunize><Immunological response><Link><MERS-CoV><Mice><Mice Mammals><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome><Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus><Modern Man><Murine><Mus><Nature><Proteins><Receptor Protein><SARS Virus><SARS coronavirus><SARS-Associated Coronavirus><SARS-CoV><SARS-Related Coronavirus><Serologic><Serological><Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Virus><Structural Models><Structure><Subunit Vaccines><System><Testing><Transgenic Mice><Urbani SARS-Associated Coronavirus><Vaccination><Vaccine Antigen><Vaccine Design><Vaccines><Viral><Virus><Wild Type Mouse><base><cost effective><cryo-EM><cryoEM><design><designing><develop a vaccine><development of a vaccine><developmental><flexibility><flexible><host response><immunogen><immunoresponse><innovate><innovation><innovative><model building><monoclonal antibody production><mouse model><murine model><new vaccines><next generation vaccines><novel><novel vaccines><receptor><response><vaccine development><vaccine formulation>