Abstract
Host immune response to coronaviruses and the role of cross-reactivity immunity among different coronaviruses are crucial for understanding and combating the continuing COVID-19 outbreak and potential subsequent pandemics. This review paper explores how previous exposure to common cold coronaviruses and more pathogenic coronaviruses may elicit a protective immune response against SARS-CoV-2 infection, and discusses the challenges posed by some variants of concern that may escape current vaccines. It also highlights the need for a mucosal universal vaccine that can induce long-term protection against current and emerging coronaviruses by leveraging cross-reactive immunity. We propose a novel mucosal universal vaccine that consists of cross-reactive antigenic peptides with highly conserved epitopes among coronaviruses, conjugated with an immunostimulant adjuvant cytokine, including B-cell activating factor (BAFF). This vaccine may enhance the local mucosal adaptive response, induce tissue-resident memory cells, and inhibit viral replication and clearance. However, further research is required to evaluate its safety and efficacy.
Article Type
Review
First Page
965
Last Page
972
Recommended Citation
Alturaiki, Wael
(2023)
"The role of cross-reactive immunity to emerging coronaviruses: Implications for novel universal mucosal vaccine design,"
Saudi Medical Journal: Vol. 44:
Iss.
10, Article 3.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15537/smj.2023.44.10.20230375