Research Information System
Işıdan H.(Executive), Turan T., Atasoy M. O.
Project Supported by Higher Education Institutions, BAP Guided, 2020 - 2023
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a significant pathogen responsible for a global pandemic. The spike (S) protein of the virus is a crucial membrane glycoprotein to be considered in vaccine development. In this study, vaccinia virus (VV) and human herpesvirus 3 (HHV3) carrying a recombinant full-length S gene are planned to be developed as vaccine strains. For this purpose, using advanced Cre-Lox and CRISPR/Cas9 technologies, the S gene cassette will be inserted into appropriate genomic positions of VV and HHV3. Subsequently, in vitro characterization tests will be conducted for the two produced vaccine strains. The immune response induced by these candidate vaccine strains will be evaluated in suitable animal models using various methods. At this stage, pseudotyping of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will be performed, allowing the study of this high-risk pathogen under basic laboratory conditions. Ultimately, this research aims to introduce two highly effective vaccine platforms against SARS-CoV-2, suitable for human use, to our country.