ArticlePLoS pathogens2023
Toward a pan-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine targeting conserved epitopes on spike and non-spike proteins for potent, broad and durable immune responses.
Article in PLoS pathogens, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 3 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 32 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Phase II, Placebo-controlled, Randomized, Observer-blind Study to Evaluate the Immunogenicity, Safety, and Tolerability of UB-612 Vaccine Against COVID-19 in Adolescent, Younger and Elderly Adult Volunteers
A Phase 3 Multi-Center International, Randomized, Active-Controlled Platform Trial to Compare Homologous Boost of Authorized COVID-19 Vaccines and Heterologous Boost With UB-612 Vaccine
An Exploratory Phase I, Randomized, Observer-blind, Active-controlled, Dose-escalation Trial Evaluating the Safety, Tolerability, and Immunogenicity of an Investigational RNA-based SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in COVID-19 Vaccine Experienced Healthy Adults
Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 42 citations in OpenAlex.
- Broad cross-T cell immunity between emerging SARS-CoV-2 serotypes waved by spike-signature mutations.Emerging microbes & infections · 2026Article
- Identification of Conserved B-Cell Epitope Candidates Associated with Neutralizing Activity of Bovine Coronavirus Spike Protein.Animals : an open access journal from MDPI · 2026Article
- Renaissance of antiviral CD8Nature reviews. Immunology · 2026Review
- Review
- Review
- Review
- Expanding SARS-CoV-2 antigen targets beyond spike using a baculovirus expression system.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Nanoparticle Adjuvant Design Enhances Germinal Center Responses Targeting Conserved Subdominant Epitopes for Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Development.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2026Article
- Proteome-wide curation of experimentally validated HPV T-cell epitopes identifies key gaps in our understanding of cellular immunity to HPV and informs vaccine design.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- A multi-epitope approach for development of a universal vaccine against leptospirosis.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- AI-guided epitope engineering of a SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen for broad sarbecovirus neutralization.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Article
- Identification of potential antigenic proteins and epitopes for the development of a monkeypox virus vaccine: an in silico approach.Molecular diversity · 2025Article
- Molecular mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 entry: implications for biomedical strategies.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2025Review
- Molecular basis of potent antiviral HLA-C-restricted CD8Nature communications · 2025Article
- Safety and immunogenicity of UB-612 heterologous booster in adults primed with mRNA, adenovirus, or inactivated COVID-19 vaccines: a randomized, active-controlled, Phase 3 trial.EClinicalMedicine · 2025Article
- Review
- Beyond the Pandemic Era: Recent Advances and Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Against Emerging Variants of Concern.Vaccines · 2025Review
- A Universal Multi-Epitope Vaccine Design Against Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus via Bioinformatics and Immunoinformatics Approaches.Veterinary sciences · 2024Article
- Enhanced Assessment of Cross-Reactive Antigenic Determinants within the Spike Protein.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Article
- Boosting PRRSV-Specific Cellular Immunity: The Immunological Profiling of an Fc-Fused Multi-CTL Epitope Vaccine in Mice.Veterinary sciences · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 non-Spike (S) structural protein targets on nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M) and envelope (E), critical in the host cell interferon response and memory T-cell immunity, are grossly overlooked in COVID vaccine development. The current Spike-only vaccines bear an intrinsic shortfall for promotion of a fuller T cell immunity. Vaccines designed to target conserved epitopes could elicit strong cellular immune responses that would synergize with B cell responses and lead to long-term vaccine success. We pursue a universal (pan-SARS-CoV-2) vaccine against Delta, Omicrons and ever-emergent new mutants. METHODS AND
findingsWe explored booster immunogenicity of UB-612, a multitope-vaccine that contains S1-RBD-sFc protein and sequence-conserved promiscuous Th and CTL epitope peptides on the Sarbecovirus N, M and S2 proteins. To a subpopulation (N = 1,478) of infection-free participants (aged 18-85 years) involved in a two-dose Phase-2 trial, a UB-612 booster (third dose) was administered 6-8 months after the second dose. The immunogenicity was evaluated at 14 days post-booster with overall safety monitored until the end of study. The booster induced high viral-neutralizing antibodies against live Wuhan WT (VNT50, 1,711) and Delta (VNT50, 1,282); and against pseudovirus WT (pVNT50, 11,167) vs. Omicron BA.1/BA.2/BA.5 variants (pVNT50, 2,314/1,890/854), respectively. The lower primary neutralizing antibodies in the elderly were uplifted upon boosting to approximately the same high level in young adults. UB-612 also induced potent, durable Th1-oriented (IFN-γ+-) responses (peak/pre-boost/post-boost SFU/106 PBMCs, 374/261/444) along with robust presence of cytotoxic CD8+ T cells (peak/pre-boost/post-boost CD107a+-Granzyme B+, 3.6%/1.8%/1.8%). This UB-612 booster vaccination is safe and well tolerated without SAEs.
conclusionsBy targeting conserved epitopes on viral S2, M and N proteins, UB-612 could provide potent, broad and long-lasting B-cell and T-cell memory immunity and offers the potential as a universal vaccine to fend off Omicrons and new VoCs without resorting to Omicron-specific immunogens.
trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT04773067; ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05293665; ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT05541861.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.