SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, represents the third coronavirus to emerge as a global health threat in the past two decades, along with SARS-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). With the expanding number of coronaviruses being discovered in reservoirs, emergence of novel coronaviruses into humans is imminent. Thus, coronaviruses that are closely related to MERS-CoV are still a pandemic threat. To that end, we are exploring the…
There were four human coronaviruses, HKU1, 229E, NL63, and OC43, that circulate endemically causing relatively mild respiratory disease. During any given “flu season”, endemic human coronaviruses are responsible for up to 30% of common colds. The juxtaposition with SARS-CoV-2 as the fifth endemic coronavirus raises questions about endemic coronaviruses that were previously understudied. Pandemic preparedness led to the rapid development of highly effective COVID vaccines, and while we continue our…
Universal coronavirus vaccines must be developed to protect against multiple coronavirus types. We are taking two simultaneous vaccine approaches to elicit broader immune responses. Firstly, as we determine which areas of coronaviruses spike proteins are most cross-reactive, we design spike-based vaccine antigens to target those areas. Secondly, we engineer nanoparticles to display multiple vaccine antigens. Nanoparticles enhance immune responses, facilitate optimal spatial organization for B-cell engagement, and allow for the…
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