Key features of the RaDVaC anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine
- Intranasally delivered. Very simple to self administer. No injection, no needles.
- Synthetic peptide epitopes / antigens. These peptides are small synthetically produced portions of viral sequences. A peptide-based vaccine is not infectious. We have selected these peptides as the basis for our vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. The antigen portion of the vaccine can be substituted by other antigens; for example, recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Spike RBD. By appropriate selection of antigens, the intranasal vaccine design described here can also be adapted for use against other viruses, especially respiratory viruses, such as influenza or non-SARS coronaviruses.
- Chitosan nanoparticle delivery. Chitosan is a form of chitin, which is found in mushrooms and the shells of crustaceans such as shrimp and crabs (seafood allergies are not allergies to chitin). Chitosan acts as both delivery vehicle and immunostimulatory adjuvant.
- Extremely simple and inexpensive preparation with easily obtained materials.
- Short-term safety. This type of vaccine has shown excellent safety in animal studies and human clinical trials. The RaDVaC vaccine has been used repeatedly over a few months, by over twenty self-experimenters, with the most extreme complication in some recipients of stuffy noses.
Protocols for the simple and robust production of chitosan nanoparticle vaccines for intranasal delivery have been published for over two decades. Intranasal delivery of chitosan-based vaccines have shown mild side effects and high levels of efficacy of both mucosal and systemic immunity, when delivered in a prime-boost regimen (in both animal models and human trials).
Click here to see a list of essential Materials and equipment
Click here to access Protocols for making and taking the vaccine
Click here for access to our White Paper, which contains all relevant scientific details, methods and protocols
Last updated 2020.08.01
Please visit https://radvac.org for up-to-date information