Recombinant Protein Vaccines against Human Betacoronaviruses: Strategies, Approaches and Progress

Betacoronaviruses have already troubled humanity more than once. In 2002-2003 and 2012, the SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV, respectively, caused outbreaks of respiratory syndromes with a fatal outcome. The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has become a pandemic. These three coronaviruses belong to the genus Betacoronavirus and have a zoonotic origin. The emergence of new coronavirus infections in the future cannot be ruled out, and vaccination is the main way to prevent the spread of the infection. Previous experience in the development of vaccines against SARS and MERS has helped to develop a number of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in a fairly short time. Among them, there are quite a few recombinant protein vaccines, which seem to be very promising in terms of safety, minimization of side effects, storage and transportation conditions. The problem of developing a universal betacoronavirus vaccine is also still relevant. Here, we summarize the information on the designing of vaccines based on recombinant proteins against highly pathogenic human betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2.

Automated summary

SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2, all belonging to the genus Betacoronavirus, have a zoonotic origin and have caused outbreaks with fatal outcomes. Vaccination is crucial for preventing the spread of future coronavirus infections. The development of vaccines against SARS and MERS has facilitated the rapid development of several vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, including recombinant protein vaccines that show promising results in terms of safety, side effect minimization, and storage and transportation conditions. The development of a universal betacoronavirus vaccine remains an important issue. This article summarizes the information on designing vaccines based on recombinant proteins against highly pathogenic human betacoronaviruses SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2.