Italian scientists claimed that their vaccine candidate is working on coronavirus and neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. According to a report,this vaccine candidate is first in the world to show effect on human cells.
This coronavirus vaccine is developed by the Italian company, Takis Biotech. They have generated antibodies in mice that work on human cells, according to tests carried out at Rome's infectious-disease Spallanzani Hospital, Takis CEO Luigi Aurisicchio told ANSA Monday.
Luigi Aurisicchio said that for the first time in the world a COVID-19 candidate vaccine has neutralized the virus in human cells. This is the most advanced stage of testing of a candidate vaccine created in Italy.
He further said that human tests are expected after this summer.
Prior, the first study on animal models are conducted and shown extremely positive results. After a single dose of five candidate DNA-based vaccines were able to induce a strong antibody response against the Covid-19 Spike protein in just 14 days. Vaccines were administered to animals through DNA-electroporation, which enhances vaccine uptake and recruit immune cells at the site of injection.
Italy's top infectious-disease hospital, the Spallanzani in Rome, said it has not been possible so far to reach any conclusions "of any nature about the efficacy" of Takis's candidate vaccine.
Israel has also recently announced that their researchers have developed an antibody vaccine against COVID-19 in the lab and are set to get a patent for it.
