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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish

PubMed: 40333293 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines13040424

Beyond the Pandemic Era: Recent Advances and Efficacy of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines Against Emerging Variants of Concern.

Vaccines (Basel) 13(4)

Authors: Ankita Saha, Sounak Ghosh Roy, Richa Dwivedi, Prajna Tripathi, Kamal Kumar, Shashank Manohar Nambiar, Rajiv Pathak

Affiliations

  • Department of Cell Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA.
  • Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Naval Medical Research Command, Silver Spring, MD 20910, USA.
  • Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Physiology, Meharry Medical College, Nashville, TN 37208, USA.
  • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY 10021, USA.
  • Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA.
  • Division of Hepatology, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA.
  • Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA.
  • Department of Genetics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA.

Abstract

Vaccination has been instrumental in curbing the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and mitigating the severity of clinical manifestations associated with COVID-19. Numerous COVID-19 vaccines have been developed to this effect, including BioNTech-Pfizer and Moderna's mRNA vaccines, as well as adenovirus vector-based vaccines such as Oxford-AstraZeneca. However, the emergence of new variants and subvariants of SARS-CoV-2, characterized by enhanced transmissibility and immune evasion, poses significant challenges to the efficacy of current vaccination strategies. In this review, we aim to comprehensively outline the landscape of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) and sub-lineages that have recently surfaced in the post-pandemic years. We assess the effectiveness of existing vaccines, including their booster doses, against these emerging variants and subvariants, such as BA.2-derived sub-lineages, XBB sub-lineages, and BA.2.86 (Pirola). Furthermore, we discuss the latest advancements in vaccine technology, including multivalent and pan-coronavirus approaches, along with the development of several next-generation coronavirus vaccines, such as exosome-based, virus-like particle (VLP), mucosal, and nanomaterial-based vaccines. Finally, we highlight the key challenges and critical areas for future research to address the evolving threat of SARS-CoV-2 subvariants and to develop strategies for combating the emergence of new viral threats, thereby improving preparedness for future pandemics.

MeSH

Coronavirus, Sars-Cov-2, Vaccines, Covid-19 Vaccines, Viruses, Pandemics, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Related Coronavirus