German scientists have announced that a new single-dose vaccine of a new type, peptide-based vaccine, has shown promising results in the initial phase 1 clinical trial in humans, triggering cellular immunity against the coronavirus.

The vaccine, called CoVac-1, triggers immunity at the level of T-lymphocytes, an important immune response to control the coronavirus, and may help in the future, especially in people with immunodeficiency who do not develop adequate antibodies after vaccination.

T cells play an important role in fighting pathogenic microorganisms such as viruses, either by destroying infected human cells or by facilitating the production of protective antibodies by B cells. Cell immunity is especially important in those with B cell deficiency, either congenitally or after an illness, such as e.g. occurs in cancer patients, who are therefore at greater risk of severe Covid-19 despite being fully vaccinated.

The CoVac-1 vaccine aims to induce – with a single dose – a long-lasting cell immunity against the coronavirus, which will resemble – or even exceed – that acquired due to natural immunity after the disease. The researchers, led by Dr. Juliane Walz of Tuebingen University Hospital, who published the study in Nature, tested the vaccine on 36 volunteers aged 18 to 80, who took a single dose.

After 28 days of vaccination, an immune response against the coronavirus at the T-cell level was observed in all patients, which continued to be felt for at least three months. It was found that the cellular immunity developed after the new vaccine was superior to both that after coronavirus infection (natural immunity) and that induced by existing vaccines. Also, no serious side effects were observed.

T-cell activation against SARS-CoV-2 virus was the same for all its major variants (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Delta). The researchers stressed that “the favourable safety profile and the induced T-cell-level reactions in all participants in the trial support the continuation of the evaluation of the vaccine in phase 2”, in patients with insufficient antibodies.

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