The most effective way to end the COVID-19 pandemic is through the development of medical countermeasures to combat SARS-CoV-2 infection and disease. The rise of the variants has also illustrated the need for the rapid evolution of vaccines, a niche that is well-suited for nucleic-acid-based vaccines. In this paper, two DNA vaccine approaches are compared: a conventional plasmid DNA vaccine and a novel, synthetic, linear DNA vaccine, comprising doggybone DNA. Both vaccines were protective in a small animal model of severe disease. Moreover, serum from animals vaccinated with SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccines retained a level of neutralisation against multiple emerging variants.

Download the full article below.