PITTSBURGH, Pa - University of Pittsburgh Medical Center researchers said they are just a few steps away from delivering one of the first coronavirus vaccines in the world.  

The group published a paper that is the first study to be published after critique from fellow scientists at outside institutions that describes a candidate vaccine for COVID-19.

The researchers were able to act quickly because they had already laid the groundwork during the earlier coronavirus epidemics.   

When tested in mice, the vaccine, delivered through a fingertip-sized patch like a Band-Aid, produces antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 at quantities thought to be sufficient for neutralizing the virus. 

The potential vaccine is called PittCoVacc, short for Pittsburgh Coronavirus Vaccine, and follows a more established approach, using lab-made pieces of viral protein to build immunity.

 It's the same way current flu shots work. 

The microneedle array used to deliver the vaccine into the skin is expected to increase potency. 

This array is a fingertip-sized patch of 400 tiny needles that deliver the spike protein pieces into the skin, where the immune reaction is strongest.

It then dissolves into the skin. 

Louis Falo, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of dermatology at Pitt's School of Medicine and UPMC, said the vaccine should work with all age groups. 

"[We] need to bring scientists together to be successful in this effort," said Dr. Falo. 

"We had previous experience on SARS-CoV in 2003 and MERS-CoV in 2014. These two viruses, which are closely related to SARS-CoV-2, teach us that a particular protein, called a spike protein, is important for inducing immunity against the virus. We knew exactly where to fight this new virus," said co-senior author Andrea Gambotto, M.D., associate professor of surgery at the Pitt School of Medicine. "That's why it's important to fund vaccine research. You never know where the next pandemic will come from."

Once manufactured, the vaccine can sit at room temperature until it's needed, eliminating the need for refrigeration during transport or storage.

The animals tested with the potential vaccine haven't been tracked long term yet. Still, the researchers point out that mice who got their MERS-CoV vaccine produced a sufficient level of antibodies to neutralize the virus for at least a year. So far, the antibody levels of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccinated animals seem to be following the same trend. 

Once the FDA approves the vaccine, they can begin human trials. 

Phase One of those clinical trials would hopefully get started in the next few months. 

"Testing in patients would typically require at least a year and probably longer," said Dr. Falo. "This particular situation is different from anything we've ever seen, so we don't know how long the clinical development process will take. Recently announced revisions to the normal processes suggest we may be able to advance this faster."