https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01221-y
Around 25 groups say they are working on viral vector vaccines. A virus such as measles or adenovirus is genetically engineered so that it can produce coronavirus proteins in the body. These viruses are weakened so they cannot cause disease.
At least 20 teams are aiming to use genetic instructions (in the form of DNA or RNA) for a coronavirus protein that prompts an immune response. The nucleic acid is inserted into human cells, which then churn out copies of the virus protein. RNA and DNA-based vaccines are safe and easy to develop but they are unproven as no licensed vaccines use this technology.
Many researchers want to inject coronavirus proteins directly into the body. Fragments of proteins or protein shells that mimic the coronavirus’ outer coat can also be used.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32347054
An epidemic of acute respiratory syndrome in humans, which appeared in Wuhan, China in December 2019, was caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). This disease was named as “Coronavirus Disease 2019” (COVID-19). SARS-CoV-2 was first identified as an etiological pathogen of COVID-19, belonging to the species of severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoV). The speed of both the geographical transmission and the sudden increase in numbers of cases is much faster than SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS). COVID-19 is the first global pandemic caused by a coronavirus, which outbreaks in 211 countries/territories/areas. The vaccine against COVID-19, regarded as an effective prophylactic strategy for control and prevention, is being developed in about 90 institutions worldwide. The experiences and lessons encountered in the previous SARS and MERS vaccine research can be used for reference in the development of COVID-19 vaccine. The present paper hopes to provide some insights for COVID-19 vaccines researchers.
https://science.sciencemag.org/content/368/6486/14.long
https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m1790.long
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41573-020-00073-5
https://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/186/13/419.1.long
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-020-0383-2