Computational Biology Lab, Centro Ciencia & Vida, Fundación Ciencia & Vida, Santiago, Chile.
Facultad de Ingeniería y Tecnología, Universidad San Sebastián, Santiago, Chile.
Ann Med. 2022 Dec;54(1):1749-1756. doi: 10.1080/07853890.2022.2087898.
Since the beginning of 2020, worldwide attention has been being focussed on SARS-CoV-2, the second strain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome virus. Although advances in vaccine technology have been made, particularly considering the advent of mRNA vaccines, up to date, no single antigen design can ensure optimal immune response. Therefore, new technologies must be tested as to their ability to further improve vaccines. Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF) is one such method showing great promise in different biomedical and industrial fields, including the fight against COVID-19. Of note, available research shows that nsPEF directly damages the cell's DNA, so it is critical to determine if this technology could be able to fragment either viral DNA or RNA so as to be used as a novel technology to produce inactivated pathogenic agents that may, in turn, be used for the production of vaccines. Considering the available evidence, we propose that nsPEF may be used to produce inactivated SARS-CoV-2 viruses that may in turn be used to produce novel vaccines, as another tool to address 20 the current COVID-19 pandemic.Key MessagesViral inactivation by using pulsed electric fields in the nanosecond frequency.DNA fragmentation by a Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF).Opportunity to apply new technologies in vaccine development.
自 2020 年初以来，全球的注意力一直集中在严重急性呼吸系统综合征冠状病毒 2 型（SARS-CoV-2）上，这是严重急性呼吸系统综合征病毒的第二种毒株。尽管疫苗技术取得了进展，特别是考虑到 mRNA 疫苗的出现，但迄今为止，没有任何单一的抗原设计都能确保最佳的免疫反应。因此，必须测试新技术是否能够进一步改进疫苗。纳秒级脉冲电场（nsPEF）就是这样一种方法，它在不同的生物医学和工业领域都显示出巨大的潜力，包括抗击 COVID-19。值得注意的是，现有研究表明，nsPEF 直接损伤细胞的 DNA，因此，必须确定该技术是否能够使病毒的 DNA 或 RNA 片段化，从而作为一种新型技术来生产可能用于疫苗生产的失活病原体。鉴于现有证据，我们提出 nsPEF 可用于生产失活的 SARS-CoV-2 病毒，继而可用于生产新型疫苗，作为应对当前 COVID-19 大流行的另一种工具。关键信息使用纳秒级频率的脉冲电场进行病毒失活。纳秒级脉冲电场（nsPEF）导致 DNA 断裂。在疫苗开发中应用新技术的机会。
