Universal Coronavirus Vaccines — An Urgent Need
Perspective
Universal Coronavirus Vaccines — An Urgent Need
List of authors.
The past 20 years have witnessed four fatal coronavirus outbreaks: SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome, 2002 and 2003), MERS (Middle East respiratory syndrome, since 2012), and now Covid-19 (since 2019). Scientific evidence and ecologic reality suggest that coronaviruses will emerge again in the future, potentially posing an existential threat.1 The betacoronaviruses that caused these epidemics are globally distributed in numerous species of bats. The full virologic and geographic extent of this enzootic reservoir is unknown; however, it has been increasingly spilling over into humans and other mammals.2 Because of genetic and structural receptor conservation among mammalian species, many of these animal betacoronaviruses are “preadapted” for infecting humans by binding to angiotensin-converting–enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, which facilitates viral spillovers and ongoing transmission.3 Some animal coronaviruses that may have pandemic potential have already been identified, and many more remain to be detected. (continue)
Interview with Dr. David Morens on the need for developing broadly protective coronavirus vaccines.
