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UPMC and University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine Scientists Announce Potential Vaccine |
When tested in mice, the vaccine produces antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 at quantities thought to be enough to neutralize the virus. This marks the first study on a potential COVID-19 vaccine to be published after a critique from fellow scientists at outside institutions.
The research team calls this vaccine PittCoVacc, short for Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine.
Scientists also use a new approach to deliver the drug, called a microneedle array, to increase potency. This array is a fingertip-sized patch of 400 tiny needles that deliver spike protein pieces into the skin, where the immune reaction is the strongest.
The patch goes on like a Band-Aid®, and the needles, which are made entirely of sugar and protein pieces, simply dissolve into the skin.