New COVID-19 vaccine protects against severe COVID-19

The SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, based on the Ad26 adenovirus, induces a sustained immune response and reliably protects against severe manifestations of COVID-19, such as pneumonia and respiratory failure.

Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center have proven this in preclinical trials, according to a press release on Phys.org

In the study, specialists injected 52 rhesus monkeys with a single dose of a modified adenovirus (Ad26), which expresses an S-protein (spike protein), which plays a key role in the infection of the host cell with coronavirus. After that, the animals were infected with the SARS-CoV-2 through the nose and trachea.

Research has shown that Ad26 induced a sustained neutralizing antibody response and provided complete or nearly complete respiratory protection following coronavirus infection.

The vaccine is currently undergoing clinical trials.