Vaccines to prevent VIRAL diseases are perhaps the best hope for ending any onslaught from viral attack or a pandemic such as the corona pandemic. Currently, many such biological irregularities are a reason for the development of viruses and there is a major scope for development of vaccines to help humanity as well as the animal kingdom to fight against these viruses.
While researchers are racing to create vaccines for the treatment against various Viruses and microbes, there is still a lot of scope for the development of proven vaccines for many viruses such as the COVID-19, which will not only prevent their attack, but are also safe to use from a holistic point of view.
MGold through the Team-work of it’s Scientists endeavours to research, develop and create Vaccines which are not only effective but can be safely administered to humans without any side-effects.
Coronavirus vaccine research:
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that cause illnesses such as the common cold, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is caused by a virus that's closely related to the one that causes SARS. For this reason, scientists named the new virus SARS-CoV-2.
Coronaviruses have a spike-like structure on their surface called an S protein. (The spikes create the corona-like, or crown-like, appearance that gives the viruses their name.) The S protein attaches to the surface of human cells. A vaccine that targets this protein would prevent it from binding to human cells and stop the virus from reproducing.
Coronavirus vaccine challenges:
Past research on vaccines for coronaviruses has also identified some challenges to developing a COVID-19 vaccine, including:
Ensuring vaccine safety : Several vaccines for SARS have been tested in animals. Most of the vaccines improved the animals' survival but didn't prevent infection. Some vaccines also caused complications, such as lung damage. A COVID-19 vaccine will need to be thoroughly tested to make sure it's safe for humans.
Providing long-term protection: After infection with coronaviruses, re-infection with the same virus — though usually mild and only happening in a fraction of people — is possible after a period of months or years. An effective COVID-19 vaccine will need to provide people with long-term infection protection.
Protecting older people: People older than age 60 are at higher risk of severe COVID-19. But older people usually don't respond to vaccines as well as younger people. An ideal COVID-19 vaccine would work well for this age group.
Pathways to develop and produce a COVID-19 vaccine:
Global health authorities and vaccine developers are currently partnering to support the technology needed to produce vaccines. Some approaches have been used before to create vaccines, but some are still quite new.
Live vaccines
Live vaccines use a weakened (attenuated) form of the germ that causes a disease. This kind of vaccine prompts an immune response without causing disease. The term attenuated means that the vaccine's ability to cause disease has been reduced.
Live vaccines are used to protect against measles, mumps, rubella, smallpox and chickenpox. As a result, the infrastructure is in place to develop these kinds of vaccines.
However, live virus vaccines often need extensive safety testing. Some live viruses can be transmitted to a person who isn't immunized. This is a concern for people who have weakened immune systems.
Inactivated vaccines
Inactivated vaccines use a killed (inactive) version of the germ that causes a disease. This kind of vaccine causes an immune response but not infection. Inactivated vaccines are used to prevent the flu, hepatitis A and rabies.
However, inactivated vaccines may not provide protection that's as strong as that produced by live vaccines. This type of vaccine often requires multiple doses, followed by booster doses, to provide long-term immunity. Producing these types of vaccines might require the handling of large amounts of the infectious virus.
Genetically engineered vaccines
This type of vaccine uses genetically engineered RNA or DNA that has instructions for making copies of the S protein. These copies prompt an immune response to the virus. With this approach, no infectious virus needs to be handled. While genetically engineered vaccines are in the works, none has been licensed for human use.
The vaccine development Plan:
The development of vaccines can take a specific amount of time depending upon a systematic plan towards it’s development. New Technologies have been planned which will be tested for safety and then be adapted to plan for mass production.
Why does Vaccine development take so long? First, a vaccine is tested in animals to see if it works and if it's safe. This testing must follow strict lab guidelines and generally takes three to six months. The manufacturing of vaccines also must follow quality and safety practices.
Next comes testing in humans. Small phase I clinical trials evaluate the safety of the vaccine in humans. During phase II, the formulation and doses of the vaccine are established to prove the vaccine's effectiveness. Finally, during phase III, the safety and efficacy of a vaccine needs to be demonstrated in a larger group of people.
For an effective vaccine, it is projected that a vaccine will take 12 to 18 months to develop and test in human clinical trials. If this vaccine is approved, further steps can be taken to produce, distribute and administer to the global population.
While developing an effective vaccine will be the target, a process is being studied to develop a plasma based vaccine that will immunize the human body to develop antibodies against the virus and provide resistance against the corona virus.
An integrated research approach to develop a broad spectrum vaccine is also being planned anticipating further out-break of allied strains of the virus.
Scientists who are working at in-depth levels of studying the virus and it’s mechanism have formulated a plan for the vaccine development and its trials in a well guided team. The entire research will be spear headed by our Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Nilkanth Maladkar (PhD) who has over 55 years of fundamental and applied research experience and has earlier worked with various research organisations including the well known Haffine Institute (Mumbai) and Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (Pune). Dr. Maladkar has to his credit several scientific papers on his original Bio-technological research in important scientific journals, made international scientific presentations and is also a Patent holder along-with
Mr. Sam Maladkar who is a qualified Chemical Engineer with over 25 years of all round experience from Research to Projects development on an International platform.
