B-cell engineering: A promising approach towards vaccine development for COVID-19.
Med Hypotheses
; 144: 109948, 2020 Nov.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-459528
ABSTRACT
With the number of cases crossing six million (and more than three hundred and seventy thousand deaths) worldwide, there is a dire need of a vaccine (and repurposing of drugs) for SARS-CoV-2 disease (COVID-19). It can be argued that a vaccine may be the most efficient way to contain the spread of this disease and prevent its future onset. While many attempts are being made to design and develop a vaccine for SARS-CoV-2, pertinent technological hitches do exist. That is perhaps one of the reasons that we don't have vaccine for coronaviruses (including SARS-CoV-1 and MERS). Recently developed CRISPR-mediated genome editing approach can be repurposed into a cell-modification endeavor in addition to (and rather than) correcting defective parts of genome. With this premise, B-cells can be engineered into universal donor, antigen specific, perpetually viable, long lasting, non-oncogenic, relatively benign, antibody producing cells which may serve as an effective vaccine for SARS-CoV-2 and, by the same rationale, other viruses and pathogens.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
B-Lymphocytes
/
Genetic Engineering
/
COVID-19 Vaccines
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Animals
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Med Hypotheses
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
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