Almost every COVID-19 vaccine being administered uses the coronavirus' spike protein as its main ingredient, but this design may not hold up in the coming years, The Atlantic reported May 21.
As new virus variants continue to emerge, it's become evident that the coronavirus can easily change the shape of its spike proteins. Vaccines trained to recognize the original coronavirus' spike proteins may not be able to neutralize variants, which have differently-shaped spike proteins.
Some drugmakers are in the process of redesigning their vaccines to recognize differently shaped coronavirus spike proteins, but this Whack-a-mole approach may not be ideal for the long-term, as variants emerge faster than humans can develop vaccines.
Some trials are underway for vaccines that contain additional parts of the coronavirus. Including more parts of the coronavirus in vaccines could help the body identify more targets to neutralize, therefore generating stronger protection against COVID-19.
Some drugmakers are developing vaccines that contain whole coronavirus particles. China's Sinopharm vaccine uses this approach and is already being administered in several countries. However, vaccines that contain whole viruses can be difficult to manufacture efficiently, and they have produced mixed efficacy results in the past.
Other drugmakers are including a subset of coronavirus traits in their vaccine, such as Emeryville, Calif.-based biotech firm Gritstone Bio. The company is conducting human trials for a vaccine that contains coronavirus spike protein and chunks of two proteins found in the virus' interior.