BioCentury
ARTICLE | Product Development

AAV COVID-19 vaccine aims for the sweet spot between antibody and T cell immunity

The rationale behind the only AAV-based vaccine in development for COVID-19

June 6, 2020 1:21 AM UTC

The academic team behind the only AAV vaccine candidate for COVID-19 thinks its vector can get the best of both worlds and induce stronger antibody responses than adenoviral vaccines, while still activating T cells. Moreover, the researchers contend it can avoid viral vectors' Achilles heel: pre-existing immunity.

The dominant focus for COVID-19 vaccine development has been on their ability to generate antibodies against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the disease. Whereas generating antibodies is the domain of B cells, their counterpart role of T cells has received less attention. ...