Next-generation universal coronavirus vaccine using synthetic genetic material and nanoparticles
Official title: Administrative Core
Funded at Wistar Institute · NIH-11389942 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This program aims to create a new vaccine that could protect people against many different coronaviruses by using synthetic genetic material delivered in nanoparticles.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Wistar Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2022 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $107,473 |
| NIH project number | 4P01AI165066-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389942 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be people eligible for future clinical trials at the participating centers, such as adults at risk of coronavirus exposure seeking broader protection than current vaccines offer.
✕Less likely to help
People who need immediate protection now or those with severe immune suppression may not benefit directly from this early vaccine development program.
What this research studies
You would be hearing about a team building a universal coronavirus vaccine that targets the seven coronaviruses known to infect people, including seasonal types and the zoonotic viruses like SARS and MERS. The team combines expertise from Wistar, the University of Pennsylvania, and Indiana University to design synthetic nucleic acid vaccines and improve how they are carried into cells using nanoparticles. Work now focuses on laboratory and preclinical development—including protein engineering, immunology, and delivery chemistry—with the Administrative Core coordinating the program. If those steps succeed, the program could move toward human testing at the participating institutions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could give broader and longer-lasting protection against current and future coronaviruses, reducing illness from seasonal and emerging strains.
How similar studies have gone: mRNA and nucleic acid vaccines have worked well against SARS-CoV-2, but a truly universal coronavirus vaccine that protects across multiple CoV strains remains largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Wistar Institute
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Weiner, David B. — Wistar Institute
- Study coordinator: Weiner, David B.
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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.