Boğaziçi University scientists developing unique COVID-19 vaccine with patented technology

Boğaziçi University scientist Prof. Nesrin Özören is developing a unique COVID-19 vaccine using ASC particles, a method she patented back in 2015. The vaccine Özören and her team have been working on has been effective in animal trials, and they plan on starting the first phase of human trials in May.

Monday February 15 2021 03:14 pm

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Turkish scientist Prof. Nesrin Özören is working on developing a unique COVID-19 vaccine using ASC particles, a technology that the Boğaziçi University professor patented in 2015, the daily Milliyet reported on Feb. 5.

"[The ASC particle] technology works by having our protein structures alert the immune system," Özören said. "The vaccine we develop will plant ASC proteins in your white blood cells, which will alert your defense system when it detects the virus."

The vaccine Özören and her team have been working on for about a year has been effective in animal trials, she said, adding that they plan on starting the first phase of human trials in May.

"If everything goes well, we will be starting phase three in November or December. We plan on putting our vaccine on the market in 2022," Özören said.

The vaccine developed by Özören and her team will not require maintenance at negative 70 degrees celsius like other treatments on the market, she said, adding that it will be safer than the RNA and DNA vaccines.

Ankara has been administering the Chinese SinoVac's inactive virus vaccine, and recently started inoculations among senior citizens.