The highly contagious delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has spread to more than 140 countries and accounts for 98% of US COVID-19 cases. While US-authorized vaccines provide strong protection against severe disease, they are not 100% effective and success infections, although rare and generally mild.
With this in mind, scientists are working to develop shots that will specifically target the Delta variant. The mRNA platform behind some vaccines could make this process relatively simple, according to Matthew Johnson, senior director of product development at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.
Vaccines work by exposing the body to a harmless version or part of the virus. It teaches our immune system to recognize and fight the real virus if our body gets infected by it. mRNA-based vaccines developed for COVID-19—including two made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE—rely on the new coronavirus’ external spike protein to boost our immune defenses. The spike proteins bind to the outer surface of the virus and help it take hold of and infect healthy cells.
Current vaccines are based on versions of the virus that were circulating at the start of the pandemic. But the virus has undergone genetic changes, resulting in new variants, including delta. Some of these mutations alter the structure of Delta’s spike protein, making it better able to infect cells—one reason Delta is more infectious than other types.
Gary, a virologist at Tulane University, shows the parts of the protein that are affected by the mutation of delta.
The mutations in delta potentially make it difficult for antibodies generated by the original vaccines to detect it, as these antibodies were designed to recognize characteristics of earlier versions of the virus.
However, scientists say that existing mRNA vaccines can be modified keeping such changes in mind.
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COVID-19 vaccines may be updated for the delta version. This way
The highly contagious delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 has spread to more than 140 countries and accounts for 98% of US COVID-19 cases. While US-authorized vaccines provide strong protection against severe disease, they are not 100% effective and success infections, although rare and generally mild.
With this in mind, scientists are working to develop shots that will specifically target the Delta variant. The mRNA platform behind some vaccines could make this process relatively simple, according to Matthew Johnson, senior director of product development at the Duke Human Vaccine Institute.
Vaccines work by exposing the body to a harmless version or part of the virus. It teaches our immune system to recognize and fight the real virus if our body gets infected by it. mRNA-based vaccines developed for COVID-19—including two made by Moderna Inc. and Pfizer Inc. and partner BioNTech SE—rely on the new coronavirus’ external spike protein to boost our immune defenses. The spike proteins bind to the outer surface of the virus and help it take hold of and infect healthy cells.
Current vaccines are based on versions of the virus that were circulating at the start of the pandemic. But the virus has undergone genetic changes, resulting in new variants, including delta. Some of these mutations alter the structure of Delta’s spike protein, making it better able to infect cells—one reason Delta is more infectious than other types.
Gary, a virologist at Tulane University, shows the parts of the protein that are affected by the mutation of delta.
The mutations in delta potentially make it difficult for antibodies generated by the original vaccines to detect it, as these antibodies were designed to recognize characteristics of earlier versions of the virus.
However, scientists say that existing mRNA vaccines can be modified keeping such changes in mind.
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