The university was recognized for research on the development of new vaccines designed to protect against the virus that causes COVID-19
The University of Georgia has been ranked among a list of top 10 schools working to solve the coronavirus pandemic by Successful Student. UGA was recognized specifically for research on the development of new vaccines designed to protect against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Other universities in the top 10 include Harvard University, the University of Oxford and Johns Hopkins University. Successful Student published their rankings online.
We have an opportunity now to use our technology to help people. And, at the University of Georgia, we have the people, and we have the facilities. We have been able to quickly mobilize resources to develop this vaccine. Biao He
Scientists in laboratories across the university began work on new vaccines and therapeutics from the moment COVID-19 emerged as a global threat.
Biao He, the Fred C. Davison Distinguished University Chair in Veterinary Medicine at UGA, has developed a COVID-19 vaccine candidate that has proven successful in promoting an immune response in early test models.
His vaccine is based on a viral delivery platform containing modified strains of a virus that cause kennel cough in dogs called parainfluenza virus 5, or PIV5. The modified viruses produce proteins found in coronaviruses, specifically the spike proteins that form the crown or corona for which they are named. After the vaccine has been administered, cells are infected with the PIV5 virus. The body then begins to mount a defense to the spike proteins produced by the modified virusultimately promoting an immunity to infection.
We have an opportunity now to use our technology to help people, he said. And, at the University of Georgia, we have the people, and we have the facilities. We have been able to quickly mobilize resources to develop this vaccine.
He hopes that the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine will be ready for FDA approval by the end of the year.
Ted Ross, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and director of UGAs Center for Vaccines and Immunology. (Photo by Peter Frey/UGA)
Scientists in the lab of Ted M. Ross, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar and director of UGAs Center for Vaccines and Immunology, are also developing and testing new vaccines and immunotherapies to fight the coronavirus. Ross is working with other researchers in the center to analyze the viral genome and find targets that will prompt the immune system to create protective antibodies.
Ross has spent most of his career studying viruses and developing new vaccines and treatments to combat them, but he is perhaps best known for his efforts to develop a universal influenza vaccine that could protect against all forms of the virus and eliminate the need for seasonal flu shots.
While the lessons learned from his work on influenza and other viruses will inform his work, the coronavirus presents a unique set of challenges.
Most people already have some immunity to influenza, but nobody has immunity to this coronavirus, which is one reason it has spread so quickly, Ross said. The scientific community is hard at work, but theres still so much we dont know about this virus, and it will take time to gather quality data.
The virus that causes COVID-19 is studded on its exterior with spike proteins, a key component in its ability to infect human cells. Rob Woods and Parastoo Azadi, both researchers in UGAs Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, are investigating the proteins and sugars on the surface of the virus with the goal of finding information that could lead to vaccines and therapeutics.
Rob Woods and Parastoo Azadi are investigating the proteins and sugars on the surface of the COVID-19 virus with the goal of finding information that could lead to vaccines and therapeutics. (Submitted photo.)
SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins latch onto cells and force the virus through the cell membrane. The human immune system detects foreign proteins, like the spike protein, by recognizing amino acid sequences that are present, Woods said.
But if a pathogen puts a sugar on the proteins surface, it can mask the amino acids, he said. One sugar can mask a whole cluster of amino acids so our antibodies cant see them. Many viruses do thisinfluenza and hepatitis C, for example.
The protein is a smooth surface shielded by sugars that move like trees in the wind. That makes it harder for the human immune system to find the targetthe proteins surface.
I always use the analogy of glycans as trees in the wind. Some of them are floppy, and some of them are more stiff, Woods said. Were looking for ones that we can get under or around.
The rest is here:
UGA ranked among top universities fighting COVID-19 - University of Georgia
- Remembering immunology educator, researcher Tom McDonald, PhD - University of Nebraska Medical Center - October 13th, 2024 [October 13th, 2024]
- Systems immunology approaches to study T cells in health and disease - Nature.com - October 13th, 2024 [October 13th, 2024]
- Leading the charge to discover answers in immunology - The University of Arizona - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- New mouse models offer valuable window into COVID-19 infection - La Jolla Institute for Immunology - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- Wide-Moat AbbVie Poised for Growth, Driven by Innovation in Immunology Beyond Humira - Morningstar - October 2nd, 2024 [October 2nd, 2024]
- Lilly's immunology unit scores another FDA nod with eczema treatment Ebglyss - FiercePharma - September 23rd, 2024 [September 23rd, 2024]
- Huang Named Head Of Pathology And Immunology - Mirage News - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Huang named head of pathology & immunology - Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Apogee Therapeutics to Participate at the Stifel 2024 Immunology and Inflammation Summit - Yahoo Finance - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- Eliem Therapeutics to Participate at the Stifel 2024 Virtual Immunology and Inflammation Summit - StockTitan - September 15th, 2024 [September 15th, 2024]
- UCLA receives $120 million from Alya and Gary Michelson for new California Institute for Immunology and Immunotherapy - UCLA Newsroom - September 2nd, 2024 [September 2nd, 2024]
- Boosting vaccines for the elderly with 'hyperactivators' - Boston Children's Answers - Boston Children's Discoveries - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Immunologists Want You to Know These Dust Mite Allergy Facts - Yahoo Lifestyle UK - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- How Ragon Institute's new building aids its mission Harvard Gazette - Harvard Gazette - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Insights into CRS and NPs: Visual and Bibliometric Analysis - Physician's Weekly - June 27th, 2024 [June 27th, 2024]
- Biogen joins immunology wave with $1.15 billion acquisition of HI-Bio - STAT - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Biogen Buys Desired Growth In Immunology With $1.15bn Hi-Bio Deal - Scrip - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Biogen Boosts Immunology Portfolio with $1.8 Billion Acquisition of HI-Bio - BioPharm International - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Owkin Unveils AI-Driven Oncology and Immunology Pipeline, In-Licenses Best-in-Class Asset OKN4395 - Yahoo Finance - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Biogen to expand immunology and rare disease portfolio with $1.8bn HI-Bio acquisition - PMLiVE - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Astria Therapeutics to Present at Upcoming European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Congress - Business Wire - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Biogen to buy Human Immunology Biosciences in deal worth up to $1.8B - MM+M Online - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- COVID-19 Re-Vaccinations Elicit Neutralizing Antibodies Against Future Variants - Technology Networks - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- HIV Vaccine Candidate Induces Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies in Humans - Technology Networks - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Pasteur Fiocruz Center on Immunology and Immunotherapy is inaugurated in Cear - Fiocruz - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Biogen to buy Human Immunology Biosciences in up to $1.8 billion deal - Marketscreener.com - May 24th, 2024 [May 24th, 2024]
- Fellow Focus in Four: Marat Kribis, MD, Rheumatology, Allergy and Immunology - Yale School of Medicine - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Long COVID Can Now Be Detected in the Blood - Technology Networks - April 15th, 2024 [April 15th, 2024]
- Rimjhim Agarwal selected as Major Symposium speaker at the American Association of Immunologists ... - La Jolla Institute for Immunology - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Seeking new horizons: Where innovators find opportunities in a fast-changing immunology landscape - IQVIA - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Researchers identify new way to inhibit immune cells that drive allergic asthma - EurekAlert - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Innovation in Oncology and Cancer Immunology Research - Boehringer Ingelheim - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Measles outbreaks show the risk of under-vaccination | News | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health - HSPH News - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Immunology-oncology ELISA Kits Market to Witness a Healthy Growth by 2030 - WhaTech - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Spring Allergy Season Is Getting Worse. Here's What to Know. - The New York Times - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Multiple sclerosis has distinct subtypes, study finds, pointing to different treatments - STAT - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Researchers identify viable vaccine targets for hepatitis C infections - News-Medical.Net - March 29th, 2024 [March 29th, 2024]
- Three research projects awarded funding from the Immunology Institute Pilot Project program - University of Alabama at Birmingham - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Deal Watch: AbbVie Adds To Immunology Pipeline Through Deal With OSE - Scrip - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- AbbVie and Tentarix Announce Collaboration to Develop Conditionally-Active, Multi-Specific Biologics for Oncology ... - PR Newswire - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Integrating single-cell multi-omics and prior biological knowledge for a functional characterization of the immune system - Nature.com - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Renowned immunologist and four-decade UAB researcher Max Cooper, M.D., will deliver this year's Marx Lecture - University of Alabama at Birmingham - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Inactivation of TGF- signaling in CAR-T cells | Cellular & Molecular Immunology - Nature.com - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Babies use their immune system differently but efficiently | Cornell Chronicle - Cornell Chronicle - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Antibody reduces allergic reactions to multiple foods in NIH clinical trial - National Institutes of Health (NIH) (.gov) - February 29th, 2024 [February 29th, 2024]
- Mestag Therapeutics Enlists Leading Cancer Biology and Immunology Advisors to Support Clinical Development of its ... - GlobeNewswire - February 21st, 2024 [February 21st, 2024]
- Theratechnologies announces publication in Frontiers in Immunology on TH1902 - TipRanks.com - TipRanks - February 21st, 2024 [February 21st, 2024]
- Smoking has long-term effects on the immune system - Institut Pasteur - February 21st, 2024 [February 21st, 2024]
- Spring Allergies Attack More Than Just Your Nose - ACAAI Public Website - American College of Allergy Asthma and Immunology - February 21st, 2024 [February 21st, 2024]
- Theratechnologies Announces Publication in Frontiers in Immunology that Deepens Understanding of Sudocetaxel ... - GlobeNewswire - February 21st, 2024 [February 21st, 2024]
- Shikhar Mehrotra named co-leader of Cancer Biology and Immunology research program at MUSC Hollings - The Cancer Letter - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Gut Microbiome Benefits of Breast Milk Revealed in Mouse Study - Technology Networks - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- Research on Immunological Diseases Launches with Hungarian Participation - Hungary Today - January 27th, 2024 [January 27th, 2024]
- UCLA to turn former shopping mall into centers for research on immunology and quantum science - The Associated Press - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- TRexBio Announces a First Option Was Exercised by Partner under Immunology Discovery Collaboration - Business Wire - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- UCLA to turn former Westside Pavilion into centers for research on immunology and quantum science - KABC-TV - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- HI-Bio Announces $95 Million Series B Financing to Advance Targeted Therapies for Immune-Mediated Diseases - PR Newswire - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Beyond Cytotoxicity: The Importance of T Cell Memory - The Scientist - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- IKAROS: Unlocking the secrets of the immune system's key player - News-Medical.Net - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- UCLA to turn former shopping mall into centers for research on immunology and quantum science - The Caledonian-Record - January 8th, 2024 [January 8th, 2024]
- Revolutionizing Vaccine Research: The Power of a New Algorithm - SciTechDaily - December 31st, 2023 [December 31st, 2023]
- Impact of the gut microbiome on immunological responses to COVID-19 vaccination in healthy controls and people ... - Nature.com - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Two new practice parameters offer recommendations for treating anaphylaxis and atopic dermatitis - News-Medical.Net - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Physician and Patient (Un)Wellness in Allergy and Immunology During COVID-19 and Beyond: Lessons for the Future - Physician's Weekly - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Researchers Identify Why Some Cancers Do Not Respond to Immunotherapy - NYU Langone Health - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- MU's Haval Shirwan recognized for achievements in immunology - Columbia Daily Tribune - December 22nd, 2023 [December 22nd, 2023]
- Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (PICI) Welcomes Weill Cornell Medicine to Cancer Research Consortium - Weill Cornell Medicine Newsroom - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Examines Effects of Climate Change on Allergic Conditions - Newswise - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- British Society for Immunology response to the NHS vaccination strategy - British Society for Immunology | - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- NYU Langone Health in the NewsFriday, December 8, 2023 - NYU Langone Health - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Arturo Casadevall Named Distinguished Fellow by the American Association of Immunologists - Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- ImmunoScape Appoints Systems Immunology and Computational Biology Expert Dr. John Tsang to its Scien - PharmiWeb.com - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Ishares Genomics Immunology And Healthcare Etf ($IDNA) Proactive Strategies - Stock Traders Daily - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Medical Breakthroughs Fueling Infection Prevention Market: Immunology and Modern Medicine Advancements to ... - PR Newswire - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Cancer therapy bexmarilimab awakens immune cells to attack tumors that have avoided the detection of the immune ... - EurekAlert - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Testing Cancer Immunotherapies on Mice with Human Immune Systems - Mirage News - December 14th, 2023 [December 14th, 2023]
- Georgetown School of Medicine's Department of Immunology Hosts Talk About Therapeutic Vaccine for Autoimmune ... - Georgetown University The Hoya - December 6th, 2023 [December 6th, 2023]
- Long COVID Research Is a Bit of a Mess - Technology Networks - December 6th, 2023 [December 6th, 2023]
- Research Assistant/Research Associate in Immunology job with ... - Times Higher Education - May 13th, 2023 [May 13th, 2023]
- Pioneering learning resource helps academic win top teaching award - Swansea University - May 13th, 2023 [May 13th, 2023]