COVID-19 Research

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Objective: Large-scale production of pure and inactivated SARS-CoV2 using cell culture models. Assessment of immunogenicity of inactivated SARS-CoV2 in laboratory animals. Evaluation of neutralization ability of antibodies and comparison with protective antibodies from patients recovered from COVID-19

Summary: The ongoing pandemic of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) requires urgent measures to block transmission and treatments for the disease. It is caused by a newly emerged virus called the severe acute respiratory syndrome corona virus 2 (SARS-CoV2). As there is no effective drug or vaccine for COVID-19 at present, efforts are underway to develop vaccines. Immunization of humans with inactivated/attenuated pathogens, particularly for viral diseases, has been an effective approach to develop vaccines. A number of vaccines in use are based on inactivated whole viruses like Hepatitis A, Flu, Polio, and Rabies. CSIR-CCMB have succeeded in isolating and setting up a large-scale culture of SARS-CoV2 at laboratory. Optimization of procedures to purify inactivated virus are underway. CSIR-CCMB and Bharat Biotech together propose to develop an inactivated SARS-CoV2 vaccine for COVID-19. We will use the classical approach for developing an inactivated whole virus vaccine. The selection of isolate(s) will be based on conserved/common sequences among the Indian isolates being sequenced at CCMB.

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