中国科学院院士高福：专注于蛋白亚单位疫苗的研究取得突破

Core Insights - The research on protein subunit vaccines has made significant progress, expanding the structure of the COVID-19 RBD subunit vaccine to octamers or hexamers, enhancing its broad-spectrum efficacy [1] - The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated foundational research and industrialization in the fields of immunology and vaccines, emphasizing the importance of understanding basic research to shorten product development timelines [1] Group 1: Research and Development - Understanding the interaction mechanisms between viruses and cells is crucial for developing antiviral drugs and vaccines [3] - Research on how influenza viruses enter cells via sialic acid receptors can aid in creating drugs that block this process, while studying how viruses activate host immune responses can lead to more effective vaccines [3] - High-level breakthroughs in pathogen microbiology and immune response are driving innovative vaccine design and drug development [4] Group 2: Vaccine Effectiveness and Challenges - Vaccine effectiveness remains a significant issue in the vaccine industry, particularly with influenza vaccines due to the rapid mutation of respiratory viruses [4] - Various vaccine development strategies have been implemented since the outbreak of COVID-19, including inactivated vaccines, live attenuated vaccines, protein subunit vaccines, viral vector vaccines, mRNA vaccines, multivalent vaccines, and virus-like particle vaccines [4] Group 3: Public Health and Misinformation - Understanding virus transmission and pathogenic mechanisms is essential for formulating effective public health interventions, such as mask-wearing and social distancing [3] - The emergence of "infodemics" during biological outbreaks poses a challenge, with misinformation being as harmful as the viruses themselves, highlighting the need for scientific literacy as a societal vaccine [4]