Its mechanism is to use a harmless virus to introduce nCoV proteins into human cells, helping to stimulate the immune system’s response.
A vector is a virus that lacks a gene segment that helps recombine and self-replicate, and is used by scientists to transport genetic material of another virus into human cells.
Vector does not harm the body.
Image of two vaccine vector viruses, containing genetic code taken from nCoV.
nCoV possesses a component called S protein, which forms characteristic spikes that look like a `crown`, covering the outside of the virus shell.
For the Russian vaccine, in the first injection, the vector is a harmless flu virus that delivers the S protein of nCoV into the cell.
A vaccine vector only creates a short-term immune response in the body, so a second injection is needed.
`To prolong immunity, a similar gene segment of nCoV is introduced into the body after three weeks, using another ‘trolley’. As a result, the body cannot resist the initially harmless virus, but forms
The vector virus carries genes containing the S protein of nCoV into the body, stimulating the immune system to produce temporary antibodies.
The second injection takes place 28 days later, the vaccine uses another harmless virus, stimulating the immune system long-term.
Basically, the product consists of two components: a harmless virus (transportation vehicle) and a segment of the nCoV genome.
Dr. Sergei Tsarenko, Deputy Head of the Department of Anesthesia and Resuscitation at Moscow City Hospital, uses the image of a `rocket booster` to explain this idea better.
In the second injection, the vaccine uses another vector, stimulating the body to produce long-term immunity.
Vector-based vaccines are not a new concept.
To date, globally there are more than 150 vaccines in different stages of research, of which 29 `candidates` have entered the final stage of testing, on tens of thousands of volunteers.