1st and 2nd-generation COVID-19 Vaccines with Dr. Deborah Fuller
by Deborah Fuller
In this video interview, we discuss the strengths and limitations of COVID-19 vaccine candidates with Dr. Deborah Fuller, Professor of Microbiology at University of Washington. Her lab, which studies influenza, HIV, and Zika virus, is currently focused on immunity against COVID-19 and the development of novel vaccination strategies against SARS-CoV-2. Her lab’s work has resulted in over a dozen patents and two startup biotech companies.
Key Points
RNA vaccines are safe and immunogenic but are highly dependent on the “cold chain” compared to other types of vaccines
DNA vaccines are generally less immunogenic than RNA vaccines in terms of antibody responses, but could be stored at room temperature and may be more effective in the induction of T-cell responses
Adenovirus vaccines are immunogenic and easy to manufacture; however, they are less suitable for repeat immunization (e.g. booster shots) due to the development of anti-adenovirus vector immunity
Considerations for vaccine design include:
Minimization of antibody-dependent enhancement of type 2 helper T cell response
Maximization of neutralizing antibody and type 1 helper T cell response to avoid vaccine-enhanced respiratory disease
Next-generation vaccines are being designed to fix potential shortcomings of 1st-generation vaccines in regards to cost of scale-up, needle-free delivery, single-shot efficacy, long-term immunity & immunity in special populations (e.g. elderly adults), as well as minimization of dependence on the “cold chain”
Time Stamps
DNA and RNA vaccines for COVID-19 (00:41)
Storage requirements of DNA vaccines (02:21)
Storage requirements of RNA vaccines (02:49)
Strengths of RNA vaccines (03:14)
Moderna vs. Pfizer’s RNA vaccine (06:46)
Strengths and weaknesses of adenovirus vaccines (09:59)
CanSino vaccine (11:27)
Immunogenicity vs. reactogenicity of vaccines (14:20)
Antibody-dependent enhancement (16:16)
Type 2 helper T cell response (17:15)
Role of T cell response in immunity (21:36)
Immunological memory and long-term protection against infection (23:54)
Vaccines and long-term protection against infection (27:44)
Next-generation vaccines (28:43)
Next-generation vaccines and the “Cold Chain” (31:03)
Clinical development of UW’s self-replicating RNA vaccine (32:34)