Immunity to Glycan α-Gal and Possibilities for the Control of COVID-19
José de la Fuente, Christian Gortázar, Alejandro Cabezas‐Cruz
Abstract
Ongoing research focuses on vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 for the prevention and control of COVID-19. \nHowever, boosting the immune response to glycan α-Gal with a broader and not restricted to pathogen-specific \nimmunity may contribute not only to the control of COVID-19 but also to other pathogens that negatively affect \nthe individual response to SARS-CoV-2. The COVID-19 pandemic has expanded rapidly worldwide with millions of infected individuals and hundreds of thousands dead patients. Recently, new vaccines are under investigation at different levels for the control of COVID-19. These vaccines are focused on the SARS-CoV-2 by using inactivated or attenuated whole viruses, replicating and nonreplicating vectors, virus-like particles, recombinant proteins and RNA/DNA technologies. However, despite the advances and potential impact that these vaccines represent for the prevention and control of COVID-19, interventions boosting the immune response with a broader and not pathogen-specific immunity may contribute not only to the control of COVID-19 but also to potential reinfections by SARS-CoV-2-related genetic variants or other pathogens that negatively affect the individual response to SARS-CoV-2.