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Monte Carlo Simulation of SARS-CoV-2 Radiation-Induced Inactivation for Vaccine Development

Ziad Francis1, Sebastien Incerti2, Sara A Zein2

  • 1Saint Joseph University, U.R. Mathématiques et Modélisation, Beirut, Lebanon.

Radiation Research
|January 7, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Accelerated charged particles may be a superior method for inactivating SARS-CoV-2 for vaccine development. This approach minimizes damage to viral proteins, potentially enhancing vaccine efficacy against enveloped viruses.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Radiation Biology
  • Vaccine Development

Background:

  • Inactivated virus vaccines are a strategy for SARS-CoV-2 vaccine development.
  • Ionizing radiation, like gamma (γ) rays, inactivates viruses by damaging nucleic acids but can also damage viral envelope proteins, potentially affecting immunogenicity.
  • Damage to viral envelope proteins may compromise the ability to induce a protective immune response.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To model the effects of sparsely and densely ionizing radiation on SARS-CoV-2.
  • To compare the damage induced by different types of radiation on viral RNA and proteins.
  • To evaluate the potential of different radiation types for developing effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Monte Carlo toolkit Geant4-DNA for simulations.
  • Employed a realistic 3D model of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
  • Calculated the number of lesions induced in viral RNA, spike proteins, and membrane proteins by different radiation types.

Main Results:

  • Gamma (γ) rays caused significant damage to spike proteins.
  • Densely ionizing charged particles induced fewer membrane protein lesions compared to gamma rays for equivalent RNA damage.
  • A single traversal of a charged particle was sufficient to inactivate the virus.

Conclusions:

  • Accelerated charged particles offer a method for virus inactivation with reduced structural damage to envelope proteins.
  • This approach may preserve the antigenic properties of viral proteins, enhancing vaccine immunogenicity.
  • Charged particle irradiation represents a promising tool for developing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and other enveloped viruses.

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