Andrade 2023 tested the differences in immune responses across various animal models used to evaluate DNA and mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, finding that:
- Hamsters and guinea pigs demonstrated a robust neutralizing antibody response elicited by mRNA vaccines, and a strong T-cell immunity elicited by DNA vaccines, with hamsters better replicating human-like lung pathology.
- Rabbits provided insights into clinical dosing and sustained T-cell responses.
- Mice offered detailed mechanistic understanding, including Tfh cell and germinal center B cell activation.
Komori 2023 describes tests of an ssRNA SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate in mice, hamsters, and non-human primates, with authors concluding that the vaccine was highly immunogenic in all three, and protected against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in hamsters and non-human primates; the candidate ultimately received approval for use in humans in Japan following clinical trials.