Italian researchers have claimed that they have successfully developed a vaccine to contain coronavirus (Covid19) which is likely to work on humans, a report said.
Luigi Aurisicchio, CEO of Takis, the firm developing themedication, said that a coronavirus candidate vaccine has neutralised the virusin human cells for the first time, the Arab News reported.
“This is the most advanced stage of testing of acandidate vaccine created in Italy. Human tests are expected after thissummer,” Aurisicchio was quoted as saying to Italian news agency ANSA.
“According to the Spallanzani Hospital, as far as weknow we are the first in the world so far to have demonstrated neutralisationof the coronavirus by a vaccine. We expect this to happen in humans too,”he added.
The researchers experimented with the vaccine on mice thathad successfully developed antibodies that blocked the virus from infecting thecells. They further observed that the five vaccine candidates generated a largenumber of antibodies, and selected two with the best results.
All of the vaccine candidates currently being developed arebased on the genetic material of DNA protein “spike”, the moleculartip used by the coronavirus to enter human cells.
They are injected with the so-called”electroporation” technique, which consists of an intramuscularinjection followed by a brief electrical impulse, helping the vaccine breakinto the cells and activating the immune system, the report said.
Researchers believe that this makes their vaccineparticularly effective for generating functional antibodies against the”spike” protein, in particular in the lung cells, which are the mostvulnerable to coronavirus.
“We are working hard for a vaccine coming from Italianresearch, with an all-Italian and innovative technology, tested in Italy andmade available to everyone,” Aurisicchio was quoted by the Arab Newsreport.
“In order to reach this goal, we need the support ofnational and international institutions and partners who may help us speed upthe process,” he noted.
Meanwhile, Canada has joined the European Union (EU) and othercountries in a global effort to develop a vaccine for COVID-19 when thecountry’s five provinces began easing restrictions on businesses and servicesimposed during the pandemic.
The goal of the EU-initiated “Coronavirus GlobalResponse” is to raise more than $8 billion for medical research, and theCanadian government has so far committed $604 million toward vaccinedevelopment and finding treatments for the disease, reports Xinhua news agency.
“It is really important that the world comes togetherto collaborate,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during his dailyCOVID-19 news conference.