Universal coronavirus vaccine using nucleic-acid nanoparticles
Official title: Structural vaccinology guided development of a universal CoV vaccine utilizing nucleic acid delivered nanoparticles
Funded at Wistar Institute · NIH-11389941 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new vaccine approach uses tiny particles carrying genetic instructions to protect people against many different coronaviruses, including future variants.
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) | $890,878 |
| NIH project number | 4P01AI165066-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389941 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal future participants would include adults at higher risk from coronavirus infections—such as older adults or people with chronic health conditions—who could join clinical trials once human testing begins.
✕Less likely to help
People who need immediate protection today or those with severe immune-suppressing conditions may not receive direct benefit from this preclinical vaccine development.
What this research studies
This project is designing vaccines that teach your immune system to recognize shared parts of many coronaviruses using detailed structural biology to pick stable targets. The team packages nucleic acid (genetic instructions) into nanoparticle carriers to present those targets at the right size, shape, and density. Much of the work will be done in laboratories and animal models to measure how broad and long-lasting the immune responses are. If those results are promising, the approach could move toward human testing at the Wistar Institute and partner sites.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could yield a single vaccine that protects against multiple current and future coronaviruses and reduce the need for frequent vaccine updates.
How similar studies have gone: Current COVID-19 vaccines protect well against severe disease, but a truly 'universal' coronavirus vaccine remains unproven, so this nanoparticle plus nucleic-acid strategy is relatively novel.
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.