The study’s findings, which were published in the journal iScience, pave the way for addressing global health and vaccine disparities.

Lancaster University scientists’ research into developing a COVID-19 vaccine that can be administered via nose has advanced significantly.

The intranasal vaccine’s preclinical animal trials demonstrated a reduction in both disease severity and virus transmission.

The researchers immunized hamsters with the vaccine jabs and discovered that they were completely protected against lung infection, inflammation, and pathological lesions following SARS-CoV-2 virus exposure.

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Notably, two doses of the intranasal vaccine significantly reduced virus “shedding” from the hamsters’ noses and lungs, implying that the vaccine may have the potential to control infection at the site of inoculation. This should halt the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic by preventing both clinical disease and virus transmission.

Dr Muhammad Munir, a virologist, led the study and collaborated with a team of scientists from Lancaster University and researchers from the Texas Biomedical Research Institute in the United States.

Dr Munir said:

“Our studies demonstrate that induction of a local immune response at the point of entry of SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to not only limit clinical disease, but also – and perhaps even more importantly – virus transmission from infected to uninfected individuals.”

While injectable vaccines have been shown to significantly reduce hospitalization and death, no intranasal vaccine against COVID-19 is currently registered.

The doctor added: “After we administered the vaccine into the noses of hamsters and then infected them with SARS-CoV-2, we found almost no virus replication in the lungs and nasal wash of these animals. In contrast, animals given normal NDV showed easily detectable SARS-CoV-2 virus replication in their lungs and nasal washes.”

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The vaccine is based on a common poultry virus known as the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), which can replicate in humans but is generally considered harmless. The scientists engineered NDV to produce the SARS-CoV-2 virus’s spike proteins, which cause COVID-19, thereby tricking the body into mounting an immune response against SARS-CoV-2.

The vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies against several novel SARS-CoV-2 variants in animals, suggesting that vaccinated individuals may have broad protection.

Professor Luis Martinez-Sobrido of the Texas Biomedical Research Institute added:

“The hamster animal model developed at Texas Biomed for SARS-CoV-2 studies provided a robust avenue for testing this intranasal vaccine, which is showing promising results. Our study showed that this intranasal vaccine was safe and effective, providing the hamsters protection against SARS-CoV-2.”

Dr Lucy Jackson-Jones, a Lecturer at Lancaster University:

“We are excited by the scalability of this nasal vaccine which we hope will contribute to reducing vaccine inequity, allowing equal access to vaccination globally. Nasal delivery is also a more appealing delivery route for use in children.”

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A vaccine nasal spray has several advantages over conventional methods, including non-invasive administration, induction of local immunity, and suitability for people who are afraid of needles or have other medical conditions.

There is currently a registered intranasal influenza vaccine for human use, indicating that administering a vaccine in this manner has been demonstrated to be effective.

Additionally, this vaccine could provide a low-cost option for the developing world, as it can be scaled up using the existing global infrastructure for influenza virus vaccines, ensuring the most cost-effective vaccine supply globally.

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Image Credit: Lancaster University