Immunity against SARS-CoV-2: walking to the vaccination

• Published in: Revista española de quimioterapia 2020-12, Vol.33 (6), p.392-398
• Main Authors: Rodríguez Hernández, C, Sanz Moreno, L
• Format: Article
• Language: eng ; spa
• Subjects: Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Clinical Trials as Topic - classification; COVID-19 - epidemiology; COVID-19 - immunology; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines - immunology; Cross Reactions - immunology; Humans; Immunity, Herd - immunology; Immunization; Neutralization Tests - methods; Pandemics; SARS-CoV-2 - classification; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Spain - epidemiology; Vaccination; Viral Structural Proteins
• ISSN: 0214-3429; 1988-9518
• DOI: 10.37201/req/086.2020

The coronavirus are a wide group of viruses among that the SARS-CoV-2 is included (family Coronaviridae, subfamily Coronavirinae, genus Betacoronavirus and subgenus Sarbecovirus). Its main structural proteins are the membrane (M), the envelope (E), the nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S). The immune response to SARS-CoV-2 involves the cellular and the humoral sides, with neutralizing antibodies fundamentally directed against the S antigen. Although the seroprevalence data are frequently assumed as protection markers, no necessarily they are. In Spain, it is estimated that, to assure the herd immunity, at least four-fifths of the population should be immunoprotected. Due the high fatality rate of COVID-19, the acquisition of the protection only by the natural infection it not assumable and other measures as the mass immunization are required. Currently, there are several vaccine prototypes (including life virus, viral vectors, peptides and proteins and nucleic acid) in different phase of clinical evaluation. Foreseeably, some of these news vaccines would be soon commercially available. In this text, aspects related to these issues are reviewed.