The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is causing huge impact on health, life and global economy which is characterized by rapid spreading of SARS-CoV-2, high number of confirmed cases and a fatality/case rate worldwide reported by WHO. The most effective intervention measure will be to develop safe and effective vaccines to protect the population from the disease and limit the spread of the virus. An inactivated, whole virus vaccine candidate of SARS-CoV-2 has been developed by Wuhan Institute of Biological Products and Wuhan Institute of Virology. The low toxicity, immunogenicity and immune persistence were investigated in preclinical studies using 7 different species of animals. The results showed that the vaccine candidate was well tolerated and stimulated high levels of specific IgG and neutralizing antibodies. Low or no toxicity in three species of animals was also demonstrated in preclinical study of the vaccine candidate. Biochemical analysis of structural proteins and purity analysis were performed. The inactivated, whole virion vaccine was characterized with safe double-inactivation, no use of DNases and high purity. Dosages, boosting times, adjuvants, and immunization schedules were shown to be important for stimulating a strong humoral immune response in animals tested. Preliminary observation in ongoing phase I and II clinical trials of the vaccine candidate in Wuzhi County, Henan Province, showed that the vaccine is well tolerant. The results were characterized by very low proportion and low degree of side effects, high levels of neutralizing antibodies and seroconversion. These results consistent with the results obtained from preclinical data on the safety.

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In 2009, a novel swine-origin H1N1 influenza virus emerged in Mexico and quickly spread to other countries, including China. This 2009 pandemic H1N1 can cause human respiratory disease, but its pathogenesis remains poorly understood. Here, we studied the infection and pathogenesis of a new 2009 pandemic strain, A/Wenshan/01/2009 H1N1, in China in human airway epithelial cell lines compared with contemporary seasonal H1N1 influenza virus. Our results showed that viral infection by the A/Wenshan H1N1 induced significant apoptotic cell death in both the human nasopharyngeal carcinoma cell line CNE-2Z and the human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. The A/Wenshan H1N1 virus enters both of these cell types more efficiently than the seasonal influenza virus. Viral entry in both cell lines was shown to be mediated by clathrin- and dynamin-dependent endocytosis. Therefore, we discovered that the 2009 pandemic H1N1 strain, A/Wenshan/01/2009, can induce apoptotic cell death in epithelial cells of the human respiratory tract, suggesting a molecular pathogenesis for the 2009 pandemic H1N1.

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