The overall case fatality rate is around 35%, making East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) one of the most deadly human coronaviruses known to date. Our company has state-of-the-art facilities and an experienced team of scientists dedicated to providing professional MERS vaccine and therapeutic development solutions.
Introduction to MERS
Middle east respiratory syndrome (MERS) emerged in 2012, presenting as a severe respiratory illness caused by the Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). The disease predominantly affects the elderly and individuals with pre-existing health conditions, leading to severe respiratory distress and, in many cases, death. The MERS-CoV is zoonotic, primarily transmitted from dromedary camels to humans, with occasional human-to-human transmission, particularly in healthcare settings.
Fig.1 Overview of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). (Okba N. M., et al., 2017)
Vaccine Development for MERS
The quest for an effective MERS vaccine has been ongoing, with various strategies being explored to combat this viral threat. Vaccine development efforts have focused on inducing a robust immune response that can neutralize the virus, prevent infection, and reduce the severity of the disease.
- Live Attenuated Vaccines: These vaccines use a weakened form of the virus that cannot cause disease but can still stimulate an immune response.
- Inactivated Vaccines: Comprised of killed virus particles, these vaccines are safe for administration as they pose no risk of causing the disease.
- Recombinant Viral Vector Vaccines: Utilizing harmless viruses to carry MERS-CoV genes, these vaccines prompt the body to produce an immune response against MERS-CoV.
- DNA Vaccines: These involve the introduction of plasmids encoding MERS-CoV antigens directly into the host, inducing an immune response.
- Protein-Based Vaccines: Focusing on specific viral proteins, such as the spike protein, these vaccines aim to elicit neutralizing antibodies.
Table 1 MERS vaccine candidates. (Okba N. M., et al., 2017)
| Vaccine Platform |
Vaccine Candidate |
Target Antigen |
Animal Model |
| Live attenuated vaccine |
rMERS-CoV-ΔE |
MERS-CoV |
ND |
| Inactivated whole virus |
Whole inactivated virus (WIV) |
MERS-CoV |
hDPP4 Tg-mice |
| Recombinant Viral vectors |
MVA-S |
S |
Ad/hDPP4-mice |
| DNA Vaccines |
VRC8400-S |
S |
NHP |
| DNA + rProtein |
S DNA (VRC8400-S)/S1 protein |
S/S1 |
NHPs |
| Virus-like particles |
MERS-CoV VLPs |
S,M,E |
NHP |
| Nanoparticle vaccine |
S |
S |
mice |
| Recombinant proteins |
S1 |
S1 |
mice |
Therapeutics Development for MERS
Potent neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting the MERS-CoV S protein have been isolated from convalescent patients and tested in animal models. These monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have shown the ability to reduce viral loads and improve disease outcomes.
Several existing antiviral compounds, such as ribavirin, interferon, and remdesivir, have been evaluated for their activity against MERS-CoV in cell culture and animal studies. While some have shown promise, the identification of more specific and effective antivirals remains an area of active research.
Our Services
At our company, we have a dedicated team of experts in infectious disease research and development who are focused on advancing countermeasures against emerging threats like MERS-CoV. Our comprehensive services span the entire spectrum of vaccine and therapeutic development.
Disease Models
- MERS-CoV Infection Models
- Transgenic hDPP4 Mouse Models
Infection route: intratracheal, intranasal, oral, and ocular
Preclinical Research
- Pharmacodynamics Study Services
- Pharmacokinetics Study Services
- Drug Safety Evaluation Services
- Customized Research Services
Our cutting-edge facilities and seasoned team of scientists are committed to progressing the development of impactful countermeasures against this formidable coronavirus threat. If you are interested in our services, please feel free to contact us.
References
- Okba, Nisreen MA, V. Stalin Raj, and Bart L. Haagmans. "Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus vaccines: current status and novel approaches." Current opinion in virology 23 (2017): 49-58.
- Memish, Ziad A., et al. "Middle East respiratory syndrome." The Lancet 395.10229 (2020): 1063-1077.
All of our services and products are intended for preclinical research use
only and cannot be used to diagnose, treat or manage patients.
