University of Florida researchers trying to develop universal coronavirus vaccine using gene therapy

Researchers at the University of Florida announced Wednesday plans to develop a potential COVID-19 vaccine using a gene therapy approach that has been used to treat rare neuromuscular diseases.

The therapy technique would use a harmless virus, used to package and deliver a gene from SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease), to help combat a harmful virus. While the gene therapy vaccine is unable to replicate on its own, it is strong enough to trigger virus-neutralizing antibodies against the live virus, according to a UF press release.

Dr. Barry Byrne, a rare-disease researcher and pediatrics professor at UF, has begun testing two vaccine candidates in animal models. Virology experts at UF’s Emerging Pathogens Institute anticipate having initial results this month that will determine if the vaccines can induce an effective antivirus response.

The gene therapy technique, which uses a harmless adeno-associated virus (AAV) has been used to develop treatments for other diseases, and researchers are now trying to use AAV to block SARS-CoV-2 virus from entering cells.

Using AAV has some potential advantages over traditional vaccine development, said Dr. Byrne, director of the UF Powell Gene Therapy Center, such as the fact that the therapy has been widely studied so researchers likely won’t have to spend as much time testing its safety. It also may take effect rapidly and prove more durable than other types of vaccines.

The research team has tested two closely related vaccine candidates in rodents. By August, Dr. Byrne hopes to start a yearlong trial phase to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines in 100 adult volunteers.

Dr. Byrne and his team are striving to develop a universal vaccine to take into account future SARS-CoV-2 genetic drifts and to address the issue of viral mutations that have already been documented. Developing a universal vaccine could take 18 months, according to the university’s press release.

“This is a virus that can change very rapidly. That is concerning because it means any vaccine made today may be ineffective tomorrow,” Dr. Byrne said.

There are no licensed vaccines that use AAV, but 25 viral vector vaccines are under development. Globally, there are more than 130 vaccine candidates in various stages of development. Both Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have announced that human trials of their vaccine candidates will start in July.