The limited external financing has slowed down the process, so the involvement of the private company is expected.
At least 33 vaccines against COVID-19 have been approved by at least one country throughout the world. Of these, 10 have emergency use authorization from the World Health Organization (WHO).
Ecuador also promoted the creation of a vaccine of which the project became known in March 2020 when it was presented to the Ecuadorian Corporation for the Development of Research and the Academy (Cedia) by the Laboratory for Biomedical Research of Espol (Biomed).
One year later and with resources provided by the Corporation It was possible to create a vaccine prototype that is now being tested on animals with interesting results.
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Washington Cárdenas, head of Biomed and professor at the Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Espol), announced that two prototypes that are being tested on mice yes they are generating antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD) which has the protein spike del virus SARS-CoV-2.
These are the first phases of study to determine the model that can be replicated and advance to clinical trials.
“We are cloning more prototypes to see which one is more effective, we have already verified that these two are generating antibodies against the receptor binding domain (RBD),” he explained.
How does the platform work?
Cárdenas clarifies that they call the design they are making with the COVID-19 vaccine models a platform so that also serve for other antigens or viruses to be discovered in the future.
The specialist explains that the recombinant protein vaccine they are developing consists of the combination of part of the IgG1 antibody protein, which circulates in the human body, and part of the protein spike of SARS-CoV-2.
“What we have done is that we have genetically dissected this antibody… the trunk is maintained and what we do is that we fuse it with a part of the protein spike of the current coronavirus, it is not all the spike, is a part called receptor binding domain (RBD), that is, the region that interacts with the human receptor to be able to infect”, he added.
In a maximum of three months, the vaccine against COVID-19 that is being developed in Ecuador is expected to be tested on animals
This is not the first time that this type of model has been used to develop vaccines, before it has been applied in biologicals against other diseases such as influenza and hepatitis B.
“What we put in the cell is the genetic code of this recombinant protein and the cells are already in charge of creating messenger RNA, because the cell does not know that this is a foreign and recombinant protein, it simply meets the necessary conditions genetically to be messenger RNA. ”, he referred.
The protein is harvested in a laboratory of the institution and sent to the University of the Armed Forces (ESPE), where specific mice (BALB-C) are available to test the vaccines. The National Institute for Public Health Research (Inspi) and the University of the Americas (UDLA) are also part of the project.
“If it generates antibodies, it means that our protein it has been sufficiently immunogenic for the immune system of the mouse, which would therefore be a model of us humans, to react against this protein and generate antibodies. The ideal thing would be that in the end the antibodies that are generated stick to the virus, to the general, and when it is the real infection, and block its interaction with the ACE2 receptor, which is the main one known for these coronaviruses to be able to enter, ”said Cárdenas.
Due to virus mutations, new versions of vaccines are already being considered to deal with these changes. In the case of recombinant protein, the specialist points out that at a technological level it is simple, but the problem would be massification. Given this situation, other protein sections are being included that are suspected of being important in coping with the changes.
Immune response in prototypes
Currently two prototypes have been tested on animals, further tests with other models are planned. It is about 4CH2 and FC.
In the case of the first, it has been observed that after fourteen days the immune response is maintained. “We draw blood every seven days, in the first seven days we already see an important immune response, after fourteen days the immune response is maintained, it has not been reduced.”
With the second model “yes there is a response, but it is only seen after fourteen days and it is more important if adjuvant is given”.
Both models contemplate the application of two doses, the second at 28 days.
What still needs to be done?
Cárdenas explained that they need to measure in the second response what percentage of the antibodies neutralizes the virus, for which a cell culture is required. That is, grow the virus in the laboratory, mix it with mouse blood with antibodies. “We see if it infects or not, if it does not infect it means that our model or our vaccination protocol has created antibodies that neutralize the virus that does not allow it to infect cells.”
They have as an alternative method to use a mutant virus that cannot infect to be able to do this check.
Once they have a model that meets the conditions of being well immunogenic, protective and economically viable, they will think about the final tests that should be carried out in specialized laboratories outside the country.
“The pandemic has clearly shown us that If we don’t focus on having local health sovereignty in the country, we will always stand idly by depending on diagnoses or medications that come from abroad. and we cannot continue like this”, adds the specialist, who has a doctorate in Evolutionary Biology and a Post-doctorate in Molecular Virology.
Limited financing
The recursiveness of the Ecuadorian researchers has made the project go ahead and despite the limited economic resources, the prototypes are already available.
Until now, Cedia is the only organization that has provided external financing that in three years would reach $60,000. However, other resources that have been fundamental are the laboratories and human personnel of both Espol and ESPE to carry it out.
Regarding the time it has taken to reach this point in the project compared to other laboratories and even countries, Cárdenas points out that if there were financing, the process could be accelerated, since the supplies are obtained abroad. In total, the investment would reach 500,000 dollars, including the resources already existing at the level of the institutions.
“The intention is that at the end of the day this is used and reaches the Ecuadorian, it is also doubly to show society that if there is capacity in the country to do it, we are demonstrating it: the technology exists, the capacity exists, we have the team to do it; then we need the support of the Government, it has to be the catalyst there, but I am sure that if the private company does not enter and therefore there is an economic income that encourages the entrepreneur to invest, this will be left to the swing of the interest of each Government,” he pointed out. (I)
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