In the bid to fight the deadly pathogen and put an end to the gravest of health crises in the world, around 160 coronavirus vaccines are under development around the globe. Leading the bandwagon, the latest and the most promising player that has stepped in the battle against the virus is the University of Oxford who is developing the vaccine with AstraZeneca Plc.
In stage two of human testing, the vaccine developed by the scientists of the University of Oxford has shown quite uplifting and propitious results. According to the vaccine results published in the Lancet medical journal on Monday,the vaccine increased the immune response to the virus cells by escalating the levels of the pathogen targeting T-cells as well as stimulating the production of the protective neutralizing antibodies when administered to patients.
Stimulating the production of protective neutralizing antibodies is a crucial step in early testing. The vaccine shot produced neutralizing antibodies post a single dose which, as per experts, may be significantly advantageous in increasing immunity swiftly after the first dose. Researchers still maintained a cautionary air as they reminded people that the results were still for preliminary stages.
Adrian Hill, head of Oxford’s Jenner Institute said, “We are seeing very good immune responses, not just on neutralizing antibodies but of T-cells as well.” Last week another important stakeholder in the vaccine development undertaking, namely Moderna Inc., had released nascent stage test results of a vaccine that also proved to increase antibody count post administration, but the vaccine was reported to have caused many side-effects in the trial patients.
As a means to strengthen the immune system, the Oxford shot uses genetic material from the surface spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2. It has already begun final-stage tests and AstraZeneca informed that it may potentially start supplying doses to the U.K. by September.
