A vaccine to protect adults from future pandemic coronaviruses
Official title: Rational design of a unique vaccine for emerging pandemic coronaviruses
Funded at Loyola University Chicago · NIH-11242078 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project develops a vaccine to train adults' immune systems to better protect against future pandemic coronaviruses.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Loyola University Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Maywood, United States) |
| Project start | December 6, 2024 |
| Project end | November 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $765,283 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI188950-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11242078 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Initial candidates would be adults aged 21 and older, likely healthy volunteers eligible for vaccine trials.
✕Less likely to help
Children under 21 and people with severe immune suppression may not be eligible or may not receive benefit from this vaccine approach.
What this research studies
You would be offered a vaccine designed to protect against many different coronaviruses that might cause future pandemics. The researchers modify the virus spike protein so it breaks down faster inside cells, which helps your T cells (CTLs) learn to recognize and kill infected cells. The vaccine targets shared parts of two coronavirus groups (Sarbecovirus and Merbecovirus) so it could still work even if the virus's spike protein changes. Work builds on prior lab data and would move through further tests to confirm safety and protection.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could give broader protection against diverse or future coronavirus variants by boosting T‑cell immunity.
How similar studies have gone: Existing COVID-19 vaccines that elicit neutralizing antibodies have protected against earlier strains, but this proteasome-targeted, T‑cell–focused vaccine approach is relatively novel and not yet proven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Loyola University Chicago
Maywood, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Qiao, Liang — Loyola University Chicago
- Study coordinator: Qiao, Liang
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.