Wenping Gong, Seppo Parkkila, Xueqiong Wu, Ashok Aspatwar
{"title":"SARS-CoV-2 variants and COVID-19 vaccines: Current challenges and future strategies.","authors":"Wenping Gong, Seppo Parkkila, Xueqiong Wu, Ashok Aspatwar","doi":"10.1080/08830185.2022.2079642","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global threat. Despite strict control measures implemented worldwide and immunization using novel vaccines, the pandemic continues to rage due to emergence of several variants of SARS-CoV-2 with increased transmission and immune escape. The rapid spread of variants of concern (VOC) in the recent past has created a massive challenge for the control of COVID-19 pandemic via the currently used vaccines. Vaccines that are safe and effective against the current and future variants of SARS-CoV-2 are essential in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid production and massive rollout of next-generation vaccines against the variants are key steps to control the COVID-19 pandemic and to help us return to normality. Coordinated surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, rapid redesign of new vaccines and extensive vaccination are needed to counter the current SARS-CoV-2 variants and prevent the emergence of new variants. In this article, we review the latest information on the VOCs and variants of interest (VOIs) and present the information on the clinical trials that are underway on evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines on VOCs. We also discuss the current challenges posed by the VOCs in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and future strategies to overcome the threat posed by the highly virulent and rapidly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV2.</p>","PeriodicalId":14333,"journal":{"name":"International Reviews of Immunology","volume":"1 1","pages":"393-414"},"PeriodicalIF":4.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"23","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"International Reviews of Immunology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1080/08830185.2022.2079642","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2022/5/28 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"IMMUNOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 23
Abstract
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a global threat. Despite strict control measures implemented worldwide and immunization using novel vaccines, the pandemic continues to rage due to emergence of several variants of SARS-CoV-2 with increased transmission and immune escape. The rapid spread of variants of concern (VOC) in the recent past has created a massive challenge for the control of COVID-19 pandemic via the currently used vaccines. Vaccines that are safe and effective against the current and future variants of SARS-CoV-2 are essential in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic. Rapid production and massive rollout of next-generation vaccines against the variants are key steps to control the COVID-19 pandemic and to help us return to normality. Coordinated surveillance of SARS-CoV-2, rapid redesign of new vaccines and extensive vaccination are needed to counter the current SARS-CoV-2 variants and prevent the emergence of new variants. In this article, we review the latest information on the VOCs and variants of interest (VOIs) and present the information on the clinical trials that are underway on evaluating the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines on VOCs. We also discuss the current challenges posed by the VOCs in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic and future strategies to overcome the threat posed by the highly virulent and rapidly transmissible variants of SARS-CoV2.
期刊介绍:
This review journal provides the most current information on basic and translational research in immunology and related fields. In addition to invited reviews, the journal accepts for publication articles and editorials on relevant topics proposed by contributors. Each issue of International Reviews of Immunology contains both solicited and unsolicited review articles, editorials, and ''In-this-Issue'' highlights. The journal also hosts reviews that position the authors'' original work relative to advances in a given field, bridging the gap between annual reviews and the original research articles.
This review series is relevant to all immunologists, molecular biologists, microbiologists, translational scientists, industry researchers, and physicians who work in basic and clinical immunology, inflammatory and allergic diseases, vaccines, and additional topics relevant to medical research and drug development that connect immunology to disciplines such as oncology, cardiovascular disease, and metabolic disorders.
Covered in International Reviews of Immunology: Basic and developmental immunology (innate and adaptive immunity; inflammation; and tumor and microbial immunology); Clinical research (mechanisms of disease in man pertaining to infectious diseases, autoimmunity, allergy, oncology / immunology); and Translational research (relevant to biomarkers, diagnostics, vaccines, and drug development).