The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has received a $13 million grant from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop next-generation universal coronavirus vaccines. The five-year grant will bring together experts from multiple disciplines across five research institutions to create better vaccines against current and emerging coronaviruses.
The project, known as Programming Long-lasting Immunity to Coronaviruses (PLUTO), will be led by Dr. Viviana Simon at Mount Sinai and Dr. Ali Ellebedy at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. The aim of PLUTO is to identify what makes our immune response strong and long-lasting against coronaviruses and develop vaccines that offer broad protection against existing and future SARS-CoV-2 variants, as well as other coronaviruses responsible for different illnesses.
The emergence of viral variants with increased transmissibility and resistance to antibody neutralization has highlighted the urgent need for continued research into immune protection against coronaviruses. The PLUTO project aims to develop variant-proof, universal vaccines that can protect against many different coronaviruses in a long-lasting manner, reducing the risk of future pandemics.
To achieve its research goals, the PLUTO program has assembled a team of experts with extensive knowledge in virology, immunology, pathogenesis, universal vaccine development, and structural biology. This multidisciplinary team will leverage an exceptional set of biological specimens, including blood samples from vaccinated individuals infected with recent SARS-CoV-2 variants and longitudinal samples from those who received first-generation mRNA vaccines. The goal is to understand the interplay between viral pathogens and host antibody responses at the cellular, molecular, and structural levels.
The PLUTO program consists of two complementary research projects. The first project will establish correlates of robust and durable coronavirus humoral immunity, while the second project will design and test the efficacy of viral variant-proof vaccines. The program also includes core groups that will synergize with the research projects, such as an Antibody Core that will develop monoclonal antibodies against coronavirus spike proteins to define immune responses in humans and animal models, and an Animal Model Core that will assess the efficacy of broadly cross-reactive coronavirus antibodies and vaccines.
The researchers involved in the PLUTO program have a track record of success in designing broadly protective universal vaccines. They have previously brought universal influenza vaccine candidates into clinical development and are confident in their abilities to achieve similar successes with coronavirus vaccines.
The ultimate goal of the PLUTO project is to develop vaccines that can provide broad protection against multiple coronaviruses, including existing and future variants. These vaccines will play a significant role in curbing the current COVID-19 pandemic and preventing future coronavirus-related public health crises.
Overall, the $13 million grant awarded to Mount Sinai will support a collaborative effort among leading researchers to develop next-generation universal coronavirus vaccines. The multidisciplinary team will leverage their expertise and resources to tackle the challenges posed by coronaviruses and contribute to curbing the current pandemic while averting potential future pandemics.
