COVID-19 vaccine from Heat Biologics induced the expansion of both “killer” CD8 + T cells that destroy virus-infected cells, as well as “helper” CD4 + T cells that help produce highly specific antibodies. Both T cell subsets were shown to release cytokines that enhance the antiviral immune response and, upon vaccination, migrate CD8 + T cells to the lungs and airways – the tissue-specific site of interest for SARS-CoV-2- infection. These lung and airway tissue memory CD8 + T cells are crucial for mounting an effective response to respiratory viruses.
Natasa Strbo, MD, DSc, Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and co-developer of Heat’s gp96 platform, commented, “We are very encouraged by the data generated by animals around COVID. 19 vaccines and we look forward to publishing the public details of this study in the coming weeks Specifically, we have noticed several major immune responses generated by the vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 after a single injection, including SARS-CoV -2 specific CD8 + and CD4 + T cells in the lungs and airways. “
Jeff Wolf, Chief Executive Officer of Heat Biologics commented, “We are encouraged by the progress made by other companies developing vaccines against COVID-19. However, unlike most of these approaches which primarily driven by an anti-inflammatory response, our COVID-19 vaccine is designed to drive predominantly T-cell immunity along with antibody responses and innate immunity. As a result, we believe that our vaccine has the potential to be used as a standalone vaccine, if combined with this other approach to improving effectiveness.I appreciate the tremendous support of Dr. Strbo and her team at the University of Miami, as well as the team at Heat, who have worked around the clock, given the urgency of the pandemic. We look forward to providing as many updates as possible. “
Heat Biologics is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing first-class therapies to modulate the immune system. The company’s gp96 platform is designed to activate immune responses against cancer or pathogenic antigens. The company has several product candidates in development using the gp96 platform, including HS-110, which has completed enrollment in its Phase 2 trial, HS-130 in Phase 1, and a COVID-19 vaccine program in preclinical development . In addition, Heat is also developing a pipeline of proprietary immunomodulatory antibodies, including PTX-35, enrolled in a Phase 1 trial.
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