Internal medicine

Inoculation

Virus

Macaque

Disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Attenuated vaccine

Biology

Gene

Surgery

Paleontology

Virology

Pharynx

Immunology

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Biochemistry

Virulence

Medicine

Science

Vaccine candidate tested in monkeys Global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to an urgent race to develop a vaccine. Gao et al. report preclinical results of an early vaccine candidate called PiCoVacc, which protected rhesus macaque monkeys against SARS-CoV-2 infection when analyzed in short-term studies. The researchers obtained multiple SARS-CoV-2 strains from 11 hospitalized patients across the world and then chemically inactivated the harmful properties of the virus. Animals were immunized with one of two vaccine doses and then inoculated with SARS-CoV-2. Those that received the lowest dose showed signs of controlling the infection, and those receiving the highest dose appeared more protected and did not have detectable viral loads in the pharynx or lungs at 7 days after infection. The next steps will be testing for safety and efficacy in humans. Science , this issue p. 77

Development of an inactivated vaccine candidate for SARS-CoV-2