DNA Oligonucleotides as Antivirals and Vaccine Constituents against SARS Coronaviruses: A Prospective Tool for Immune System Tuning

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has demonstrated the need to create highly effective antivirals and vaccines against various RNA viruses, including SARS coronaviruses. This paper provides a short review of innovative strategies in the development of antivirals and vaccines against SARS coronaviruses, with a focus on antisense antivirals, oligonucleotide adjuvants in vaccines, and oligonucleotide vaccines. Well-developed viral genomic databases create new opportunities for the development of innovative vaccines and antivirals using a post-genomic platform. The most effective vaccines against SARS coronaviruses are those able to form highly effective memory cells for both humoral and cellular immunity. The most effective antivirals need to efficiently stop viral replication without side effects. Oligonucleotide antivirals and vaccines can resist the rapidly changing genomic sequences of SARS coronaviruses using conserved regions of their genomes to generate a long-term immune response. Oligonucleotides have been used as excellent adjuvants for decades, and increasing data show that oligonucleotides could serve as antisense antivirals and antigens in vaccine formulations, becoming a prospective tool for immune system tuning.