Researchers Just Days Away from Testing Potential COVID-19 Vaccine on Humans
By HospiMedica International staff writers Posted on 02 Apr 2020 |

Image: Researchers just days away from testing potential COVID-19 vaccine on humans (Photo courtesy of MIGAL Galilee Research Institute)
Researchers from the MIGAL Galilee Research Institute (Qiryat Shemona, Israel) are just days away from finishing the production of the active component of a coronavirus vaccine that could be tested on humans by as soon as June 1. Funded by Israel’s Ministry of Science & Technology, MIGAL’s researchers have developed an effective vaccine against avian coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus (IBV) that is being adapted to create a human vaccine against COVID-19.
Research conducted at MIGAL revealed that the poultry coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human COVID-19, and that it uses the same infection mechanism, a fact that increases the likelihood of achieving an effective human vaccine in a very short period of time. MIGAL has now made the required genetic adjustments to adapt the vaccine to COVID-19, the human strain of coronavirus, and is working to achieve the safety approvals that will enable in-vivo testing, enable the initiation of production of a vaccine to counter the coronavirus epidemic. The researchers have proved the effectiveness of the vaccine in preclinical trials carried out at the Volcani Institute.
“Given the urgent global need for a human coronavirus vaccine, we are doing everything we can to accelerate development. Our goal is to produce the vaccine during the next 8-10 weeks, and to achieve safety approval in 90 days,” said David Zigdon, CEO of MIGAL Galilee Research Institute. “This will be an oral vaccine, making it particularly accessible to the general public. We are currently in intensive discussions with potential partners that can help accelerate the in-human trials phase and expedite the completion final product development and regulatory activities.”
“The scientific framework for the vaccine is based on a new protein expression vector, which forms and secretes a chimeric soluble protein that delivers the viral antigen into mucosal tissues by self-activated endocytosis (a cellular process in which substances are brought into a cell by surrounding the material with cell membrane, forming a vesicle containing the ingested material), causing the body to form antibodies against the virus. In pre-clinical (IN-VIVO) trials, MIGAL’s researchers have demonstrated that the oral vaccination induces high levels of specific anti-IBV antibodies,” said Dr. Chen Katz, MIGAL’s Biotechnology Group Leader.
Meanwhile, researchers at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR; Ness Ziona, Israel) have reportedly begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine prototype on rodents. After being ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the IIBR has formed three groups for developing a vaccine against the COVID-19 disease and other groups for researching potential treatments. The IIBR is also collecting plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection to aid their research and is sampling various COVID-19 testing kits available in the market before the government places large orders for them.
Related Links:
MIGAL Galilee Research Institute
Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR)
Research conducted at MIGAL revealed that the poultry coronavirus has high genetic similarity to the human COVID-19, and that it uses the same infection mechanism, a fact that increases the likelihood of achieving an effective human vaccine in a very short period of time. MIGAL has now made the required genetic adjustments to adapt the vaccine to COVID-19, the human strain of coronavirus, and is working to achieve the safety approvals that will enable in-vivo testing, enable the initiation of production of a vaccine to counter the coronavirus epidemic. The researchers have proved the effectiveness of the vaccine in preclinical trials carried out at the Volcani Institute.
“Given the urgent global need for a human coronavirus vaccine, we are doing everything we can to accelerate development. Our goal is to produce the vaccine during the next 8-10 weeks, and to achieve safety approval in 90 days,” said David Zigdon, CEO of MIGAL Galilee Research Institute. “This will be an oral vaccine, making it particularly accessible to the general public. We are currently in intensive discussions with potential partners that can help accelerate the in-human trials phase and expedite the completion final product development and regulatory activities.”
“The scientific framework for the vaccine is based on a new protein expression vector, which forms and secretes a chimeric soluble protein that delivers the viral antigen into mucosal tissues by self-activated endocytosis (a cellular process in which substances are brought into a cell by surrounding the material with cell membrane, forming a vesicle containing the ingested material), causing the body to form antibodies against the virus. In pre-clinical (IN-VIVO) trials, MIGAL’s researchers have demonstrated that the oral vaccination induces high levels of specific anti-IBV antibodies,” said Dr. Chen Katz, MIGAL’s Biotechnology Group Leader.
Meanwhile, researchers at the Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR; Ness Ziona, Israel) have reportedly begun testing a COVID-19 vaccine prototype on rodents. After being ordered by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to join the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the IIBR has formed three groups for developing a vaccine against the COVID-19 disease and other groups for researching potential treatments. The IIBR is also collecting plasma from people who have recovered from COVID-19 infection to aid their research and is sampling various COVID-19 testing kits available in the market before the government places large orders for them.
Related Links:
MIGAL Galilee Research Institute
Israel Institute for Biological Research (IIBR)
Latest COVID-19 News
- Low-Cost System Detects SARS-CoV-2 Virus in Hospital Air Using High-Tech Bubbles
- World's First Inhalable COVID-19 Vaccine Approved in China
- COVID-19 Vaccine Patch Fights SARS-CoV-2 Variants Better than Needles
- Blood Viscosity Testing Can Predict Risk of Death in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients
- ‘Covid Computer’ Uses AI to Detect COVID-19 from Chest CT Scans
- MRI Lung-Imaging Technique Shows Cause of Long-COVID Symptoms
- Chest CT Scans of COVID-19 Patients Could Help Distinguish Between SARS-CoV-2 Variants
- Specialized MRI Detects Lung Abnormalities in Non-Hospitalized Long COVID Patients
- AI Algorithm Identifies Hospitalized Patients at Highest Risk of Dying From COVID-19
- Sweat Sensor Detects Key Biomarkers That Provide Early Warning of COVID-19 and Flu
- Study Assesses Impact of COVID-19 on Ventilation/Perfusion Scintigraphy
- CT Imaging Study Finds Vaccination Reduces Risk of COVID-19 Associated Pulmonary Embolism
- Third Day in Hospital a ‘Tipping Point’ in Severity of COVID-19 Pneumonia
- Longer Interval Between COVID-19 Vaccines Generates Up to Nine Times as Many Antibodies
- AI Model for Monitoring COVID-19 Predicts Mortality Within First 30 Days of Admission
- AI Predicts COVID Prognosis at Near-Expert Level Based Off CT Scans
Channels
Artificial Intelligence
view channel
Innovative Risk Score Predicts Heart Attack or Stroke in Kidney Transplant Candidates
Heart researchers have utilized an innovative risk assessment score to accurately predict whether patients being evaluated for kidney transplants are at risk for future major cardiac events, such as a... Read more
AI Algorithm Detects Early-Stage Metabolic-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease Using EHRs
Liver disease, which is treatable when detected early, often goes unnoticed until it reaches advanced stages. Metabolic-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), the most prevalent form of liver disease,... Read moreCritical Care
view channel
Novel Coating Significantly Extends Longevity of Implantable Biosensors
Wearable and implantable biosensors capable of accurately detecting biological molecules in a non-invasive or minimally invasive way offer enormous potential for monitoring patients’ health and their responses... Read more
Nanogel-Based Drug Delivery Technology to Improve UTI Treatment
Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are not only widespread and costly but also highly debilitating, significantly impacting the quality of life for those affected. The antibiotics commonly used to treat UTIs... Read more
New IV Pole Improves Safety and Ease of Administering IV Medications at Hospital Bedside
Preventable medication errors affect around 500,000 hospitalized patients in the U.S. every year. A significant portion of these errors occur with intravenous (IV) smart pumps, which require a precise... Read moreSurgical Techniques
view channel
Easy-To-Apply Gel Could Prevent Formation of Post-Surgical Abdominal Adhesions
Surgical adhesions are a frequent and often life-threatening complication following open or laparoscopic abdominal surgery. These adhesions develop in the weeks following surgery as the body heals.... Read more
Groundbreaking Leadless Pacemaker to Prevent Invasive Surgeries for Children
Leadless pacemakers marked a significant advancement in cardiac care, primarily because traditional pacemakers are dependent on leads, which are prone to breakage over time. Currently, two FDA-approved... Read morePatient Care
view channel
Portable Biosensor Platform to Reduce Hospital-Acquired Infections
Approximately 4 million patients in the European Union acquire healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) or nosocomial infections each year, with around 37,000 deaths directly resulting from these infections,... Read more
First-Of-Its-Kind Portable Germicidal Light Technology Disinfects High-Touch Clinical Surfaces in Seconds
Reducing healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) remains a pressing issue within global healthcare systems. In the United States alone, 1.7 million patients contract HAIs annually, leading to approximately... Read more
Surgical Capacity Optimization Solution Helps Hospitals Boost OR Utilization
An innovative solution has the capability to transform surgical capacity utilization by targeting the root cause of surgical block time inefficiencies. Fujitsu Limited’s (Tokyo, Japan) Surgical Capacity... Read more
Game-Changing Innovation in Surgical Instrument Sterilization Significantly Improves OR Throughput
A groundbreaking innovation enables hospitals to significantly improve instrument processing time and throughput in operating rooms (ORs) and sterile processing departments. Turbett Surgical, Inc.... Read moreHealth IT
view channel
Printable Molecule-Selective Nanoparticles Enable Mass Production of Wearable Biosensors
The future of medicine is likely to focus on the personalization of healthcare—understanding exactly what an individual requires and delivering the appropriate combination of nutrients, metabolites, and... Read more
Smartwatches Could Detect Congestive Heart Failure
Diagnosing congestive heart failure (CHF) typically requires expensive and time-consuming imaging techniques like echocardiography, also known as cardiac ultrasound. Previously, detecting CHF by analyzing... Read morePoint of Care
view channel
Handheld, Sound-Based Diagnostic System Delivers Bedside Blood Test Results in An Hour
Patients who go to a doctor for a blood test often have to contend with a needle and syringe, followed by a long wait—sometimes hours or even days—for lab results. Scientists have been working hard to... Read more
Smartphone-Enabled, Paper-Based Quantitative Diagnostic Platform Transforms POC Testing
Point-of-care diagnostics are crucial for public health, offering rapid, on-site testing that enables prompt diagnosis and treatment. This is especially valuable in remote or underserved regions where... Read moreBusiness
view channel
Becton Dickinson to Spin Out Biosciences and Diagnostic Solutions Business
Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA), has announced that its board of directors has unanimously authorized BD management to pursue a plan to separate BD's Biosciences and Diagnostic... Read more