Question: With which of the following Dr Steven L Fechner, of the University of Virginia Health System University is associated with?
a) DNA therapy
b) New Corona Vaccine
c) Ebola vaccine
d) Malaria treatment
Answer: (b)
Related Facts-
- Using a new platform, scientists have developed a Covid-19 vaccine that targets multiple coronaviruses.
- Scientists believe that it could offer protection against not only existing and future strains of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, but also other coronaviruses.
- The vaccine is cheap, at $1 a dose, and has shown promising results in early animal testing.
- It has been reported by the researchers in the journal PNAS.
- The new vaccine production platform was invented by Dr Steven L Zeichner of the University of Virginia Health System University.
- It involves the synthesis of DNA that directs the production of a virus.
- This can guide the immune system on how to initiate an immune response to the virus.
- The vaccine targets a portion of the spike protein of the virus, called a fusion peptide.
- This compound is basically universal in coronaviruses, and no differences are observed at all in many genetic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 obtained from all over the world.
- It should be known that most vaccines under development either target the entire spike protein or only the receptor-binding domain (RBD).
- Antibodies against RBD can provide good neutralizing activity; there may be mutations in RBD that reduce the effectiveness of the antibody.
Links:-
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/vaccine-that-targets-multiple-coronaviruses-7282248/