ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely impacted health systems and economies worldwide. Significant global efforts are therefore ongoing to improve vaccine efficacies, optimize vaccine deployment, and develop new antiviral therapies to combat the pandemic. Mechanistic viral dynamics and quantitative systems pharmacology models of SARS-CoV-2 infection, vaccines, immunomodulatory agents, and antiviral therapeutics have played a key role in advancing our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and transmission, the interplay between innate and adaptive immunity to influence the outcomes of infection, effectiveness of treatments, mechanisms and performance of COVID-19 vaccines, and the impact of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we review some of the critical insights provided by these models and discuss the challenges ahead.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Models, Biological , Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19/pathology , COVID-19/prevention & control , COVID-19/virology , COVID-19 Vaccines , Disease Progression , Humans , Pandemics/prevention & controlABSTRACT
Optimal use and distribution of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines involves adjustments of dosing. Due to the rapidly evolving pandemic, such adjustments often need to be introduced before full efficacy data are available. As demonstrated in other areas of drug development, quantitative systems pharmacology (QSP) is well placed to guide such extrapolation in a rational and timely manner. Here, we propose for the first time how QSP can be applied in the context of COVID-19 vaccine development.