Vaccines for the prevention against the threat of MERS-CoV

ABSTRACT

First identified in 2012, Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is listed as a new Category C Priority Pathogen. While the high mortality of MERS-CoV infection is further intensified by potential human-to-human transmissibility, no MERS vaccines are available for human use. This review explains immune responses resulting from MERS-CoV infection, describes MERS vaccine criteria, and presents available small animal models to evaluate the efficacy of MERS vaccines. Current advances in vaccine development are summarized, focusing on specific applications and limitations of each vaccine category. Taken together, this review provides valuable guidelines toward the development of an effective and safe MERS vaccine. This article is written for a Special Focus Issue of Expert Review of Vaccines on ‘Vaccines for Biodefence’.

KEYWORDS:

• Animal models
• immune responses
• MERS
• MERS-CoV
• neutralizing antibody
• protection
• spike protein
• vaccines

Financial & competing interests disclosure

This study was supported by the grant from the NIAID of the NIH (AI109094) and intramural funds from the New York Blood Center (NYB000348). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.