2026/03/15 by Charlie Fricke, Stanley Perlman · 1 voice
Medicine · Immunology and Microbiology · #Zoonotic diseases and public health #Immune responses and vaccinations #SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
paper · doi:10.1172/jci203781
openalex publication_date 2026/03/15 · openalex created_date 2026/03/16 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Coronaviruses, both known and yet to emerge, pose persistent zoonotic and pandemic threats. While current parenteral COVID-19 mRNA vaccines effectively mitigate severe disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, they primarily elicit systemic immunity restricted to specific variants within clade 1b of the sarbecovirus subgenus and provide limited mucosal protection. Addressing these shortcomings, Cheang et al. developed a DC-targeting intranasal booster vaccine that induces robust and durable mucosal and systemic immunity across sarbecovirus clades 1a and 1b. This study highlights a promising strategy for pan-sarbecovirus vaccines by leveraging mucosal immune induction to prevent viral transmission and enhance pandemic preparedness.