On June 2020, 6, Niigata University announced the implementation of "COVID-15 Vaccine Development" as a subsidized project of the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development.With Professor Sokichi Matsumoto of the Department of Bacteriology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University as the research representative, we will carry out research toward the development of COVID-19 vaccine using recombinant BCG technology.
The BCG vaccine, which has been inoculated to more than 40 billion people so far, is a live vaccine that attenuates Mycobacterium bovis, has low manufacturing costs, and is highly safe.It is effective not only for tuberculosis but also for other intractable diseases, and has the function of activating immunity for a long period of time.
It has been pointed out that the incidence and mortality rates of new coronavirus infections in BCG-vaccinated countries tend to be low, and although no scientific causal relationship has been proven, BCG is also associated with new coronavirus infections. May be valid.
In this study, we applied the recombinant BCG (rBCG) technology possessed by Niigata University to continuously express the antigenic protein of the new coronavirus infection-causing virus "SARS-CoV-2" in the body after inoculation. Aiming to develop "SARS-CoV-2 vaccine".In addition to Niigata University, the University of Tokyo, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, and Nippon BCG Manufacturing Co., Ltd. will collaborate.