"Mindful" development of rapid, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines.

Moise, Leonard; Ross, Ted M; Hoft, Daniel F; Martin, William D; De Groot, Anne S

The world needs a vaccine urgently to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. In the race to a vaccine, several companies and funders are pursuing the most obvious approach, which is to develop antibody-focused vaccines based on the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein antigen. Emphasis on one approach, while setting aside others, is no small gamble. We believe the urgency of the situation calls for pursuit of multiple paths to a safe and effective vaccine. T cell immunity is essential to resolve SARS-CoV-2 infection and is a critical component of immunity against related coronaviruses. A T cell-directed vaccine may stimulate viral clearance mechanisms that reduce morbidity and obviate the risk of antibody-dependent enhanced disease. Moreover, T cell-directed vaccines can be designed to recall memory against similar viruses and/or to stimulate immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and other highly pathogenic coronaviruses. Mindful development of T cell-epitope driven vaccines may help to protect against the current coronavirus outbreak and pathogenic coronaviruses that are likely to emerge and threaten humanity again.