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Which science labs do we support?
Which science labs do we support and why?
Runningstars.org is a charity run non profit organization which supports various scientific reserches according to the actual campaign. Today we support finding a vaccine for COVID-19.
There are three general groups of research companies for each illness. The first group of companies or research centers focus on diagnostics of the virus or disease The second group looks for the treatment and the last but not least searches for the vaccine. All three are very crucial in the pandemics such as COVID-19 or others. The Runningstars.org decided to run for the third group - finding the right vaccine is the key to our future.
Diagnostics
Rapidly and effectively detecting the disease. Time is the factor number one. Without widespread testing, it has been difficult to precisely follow the spread of the infection, just as pin down significant measurements, for example, infectiousness and death rates. Scientists and governments are searching for inexpensive test kits that offer quick results. If you can test the wide population quickly, you can determine the red zones and act with an immediate response.
Treatment
While most of the individuals infected with COVID-19 experience minor side effects, the illness can cause serious issues in some cases – resulting in death. There are two types of treatment being sought in the science centers:
1. Treating respiratory indications – particularly the irritation that happens in extreme cases
2. Antiviral development – basically preventing infections from increasing inside the human body
The vaccine
Vaccines: Preventing transmission by making the population immune and safe to COVID-19. Looking for a vaccine is the most difficult part of the three. Some vaccines have not been found for more than 30 years (e.g. HIV) because the virus is difficult to understand. The progress of finding vaccines is most watched by the general audience. Making a safe vaccine for another virus is no simple accomplishment. Fortunately, quick advancement is being made for a variety of reasons, including China's efforts to sequence the genetic material of Sars-CoV-2 and to share that data with the research groups the world over.
WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19
Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is critical to tracking the virus, understanding the epidemiology, informing case management, and to suppressing transmission. Below is the official WHO scientific centers that work with the COVID-19 virus.
EUROPE
France, Paris - Paris Institut Pasteur
Germany, Berlin - Institute of Virology, Charité and Robert Koch Institute
Italy, Rome - National Institute of Infectious Diseases (INMI), L. Spallanzani
Switzerland, Geneva - University Hospital of Geneva
Netherlands, Rotterdam - Erasmus MC Department Viroscience
United Kingdom - Public Health England
AMERICAS
Brazil, Rio De Janeiro - Respiratory Virology Laboratory, Fio Cruz
Mexico, Mexico City - Instituto de Diagnóstico y Referencia Epidemiológicos (InDRE)
USA, Atlanta - Respiratory Viruses Diagnostic Laboratory, US-CDC
ASIA
Cambodia, Phnom Penh - Pasteur Institute of Cambodia
China, Bejing - China CDC
Hong Kong - School of Public Health University of Hong Kong
India, Pune - ICMR - National Institute of Virology
Japan, Nagasaki - Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University
Russian Federation, Koltsovo - The State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology VECTOR
Singapore, Singapore - National Public Health Laboratory
Thailand, Bangkok - Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Science
OCEANIA
Australia, Melbourne - Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory
MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICA
Oman, Muscat - Central Public Health Laboratory
Senegal, Dakar - Institut Pasteur Dakar
South Africa, Johannesburg - National Institute for Communicable Diseases
United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi - Reference Lab for Infectious Diseases Abu Dhabi
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Search for the vaccine
The availability of a safe and effective vaccine for COVID-19 is a must to control the pandemic. There are many challenges and efforts needed to rapidly develop, evaluate, and produce the vaccine as soon as possible. It is vital that scientists evaluate as many vaccines as possible as we cannot predict how many will turn out to be viable.
1. Harnessing a broad global coalition to develop and evaluate candidate vaccines as quickly and safely as possible
WHO’s core function is to direct and coordinate international efforts through:
- Global collaboration and cooperation;
- Development of robust methods;
- Working to accelerate progress and avoid duplication of research efforts;
- Coordinating an unparalleled effort to rapidly and simultaneously assess many vaccines.
WHO is facilitating interactions between scientists, developers, and funders to support coordination, and/or provide common platforms for working together. It is combining the relative strengths of different stakeholders. It has used its global mandate to rapidly convene 300 scientists, developers, and funders to increase the likelihood that one or more safe and effective vaccines will soon be available to all. Activities are being delivered at extremely high speed with many steps executed simultaneously.
2. Mapping candidate vaccines and their progress across the world
Over 120 vaccines have been proposed across the world and WHO is tracking details in a landscape exercise on their type and progress.
There are currently six vaccines in clinical evaluation (with another about to start) and about 70 in pre-clinical evaluation.
WHO is fostering regular open dialogue between researchers and vaccine developers to expedite the exchange of scientific results, debate concerns, and propose rapid and robust methods for vaccine evaluation.
3. Defining the desired characteristics of safe and effective vaccines to combat the pandemic
To guide the efforts of vaccine developers, WHO has drawn up a Global Target Product Profile target product profiles(TPPs) for COVID-19.
WHO outlines the minimum and desired attributes of safe and effective vaccines. The TPPs cover two types of vaccines: vaccines for the long-term protection of people at higher risk of COVID-19 such as healthcare workers; and vaccines for use in response to outbreaks with rapid onset of immunity.
WHO has also coordinated expert consultations to identify the potential role of different animal models and laboratory assays to evaluate and screen candidate vaccines before their evaluation in humans. We are devising an unprecedented effort for the rapid assessment of many candidates simultaneously before they are tested in humans.
4. Coordinating clinical trials across the world – giving humanity the best chance of safe and effective vaccines for all
WHO is proposing to massively accelerate the evaluation of vaccines. Its expert group has designed a large international randomized controlled clinical trial to enable the simultaneous evaluation of the benefits and risks of different vaccines at sites with sufficiently high rates of the disease. This will ensure a faster turnaround of results.
The power of the vaccine Solidarity trial is its global ambition, and the potential to rapidly deploy and assess vaccines in areas with high transmission. The results for the efficacy of each vaccine are expected within three to six months and this evidence, combined with data on safety, will inform decisions about whether it can be used on a wider scale in those countries or regions where the vaccines are being tested.
WHO expert groups are also considering:
- Key criteria to help prioritize which vaccines should go into Phase II and III clinical trials;
- A Phase 2b/3 protocol that can be used by all vaccine developers to shape their trial, which will enable real-time evaluation of the benefits and risks of each promising candidate vaccine.
Source: World Health Organization
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Vaccines in clinical trials
Once a safe and effective vaccine becomes available, it will be vital that it is accessible to everyone who needs it. WHO will continue to work to align R&D, fast-track regulatory approvals, and manufacturing so that all populations in all countries can access a vaccine as early as possible.
The centerpiece of the world’s research response is a globally agreed scientific R&D Roadmap for COVID-19, which details steps for current and future work. Over 120 vaccines have been proposed across the World Health Organization there are in various stages. The below list is the most advanced research which brings hope to the world. The Runningstars.org is collecting funds for the researchers in need. After the campaign, we will allocate the necessary funds to those who need it most.
| Platform |
Type of candidate vaccine |
Developer | The current stage of clinical evaluation/regulatory status- Coronavirus candidate | Start Date | ||
| Non-Replicating Viral Vector | Adenovirus Type 5 Vector | CanSino Biological Inc./Beijing Institute of Biotechnology  |
|
|
||
| Non-Replicating Viral Vector | ChAdOx1 | University of Oxford |
|
23 April | ||
| DNA | DNA plasmid vaccine Electroporation device |
Inovio Pharmaceuticals |
|
3 April | ||
| Inactivated | Inactivated |
Wuhan Institute of Biological Products
|
|
10 April | ||
| Inactivated | Inactivated + alum |
Sinovac
|
|
13 April | ||
| RNA | mRNA |
BioNTech/Fosun Pharma/Pfizer
|
Phase 1/2 2020-001038-36 |
Approved, not yet started | ||
| RNA | LNP-encapsulated mRNA |
Moderna/NIAID
|
|
3 March | ||
| BCG | Live Attenuated Virus (LAV) | Erassmus Medical Center Netherlands |
Phase 2/3 | 14 March | ||
| BCG | Live Attenuated Virus (LAV) | Mudroch Children Research Institute Australia |
Phase 2/3 | 27 March |
Since you are here
For all new runners, we created runningstars.org because we believe we can transform the world by running. By charitable running. You can share your first impressions and memories of the run, your personal winnings (even lost) links, photos, and motivational slogans for all of us. You can use the #runningcovid or #IamCovid2 and share it on your social media.
Your support and generosity of donation just 1 Euro or Dollar will help us fighting the world diseases. We do it our own way: by single running. Support the Runningstars.org from as little as €1 – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The author is a Runningstars volunteer.
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We are a global non-profit organization that supports good causes and positive change all over the world. With running. With solo running.
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Watch our short video about the current campaign #RunningCovid and #IamCovid2 and help us to fight it together.
Our Vision
When we are running for something it makes us feel good. The achievement is visible right after. Our mission is to run until necessary collection is made.