recombinant protein subunit vaccine (CHO cells)

This recombinant protein subunit vaccine candidate for COVID-19 was developed by the West China Hospital of Sichuan University in collaboration with the Sichuan Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The vaccine utilizes the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as its primary antigen, which is expressed using Chinese Hamster Ovary (CHO) cells. It is typically formulated with an aluminum-based adjuvant to enhance the immune response. While the development team later achieved significant clinical success and emergency use authorization for an insect cell (Sf9)-based version of the vaccine (known as WeiKeXin), the CHO-cell version was one of the initial candidates that entered clinical trials in 2020. The vaccine aims to induce high titers of neutralizing antibodies and a robust T-cell response to prevent infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Other names

West China Hospital COVID-19 vaccineSichuan University COVID-19 vaccine