Abstract COVID‐19 is disastrous to global health and the economy. SARS‐CoV‐2 infection exhibits similar clinical symptoms and immunopathological sequelae to SARS‐CoV infection. Therefore, much of the developmental progress on SARS‐CoV vaccines can be utilized for the development of SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines. Careful antigen selection during development is always of utmost importance for the production of effective vaccines that do not compromise recipient safety. This holds especially true for SARS‐CoV vaccines, as several immunopathological disorders are associated with the activity of structural and nonstructural proteins encoded in the virus’s genetic material. Whole viral protein and RNA‐encoding full‐length proteins contain both protective and “dangerous” sequences, unless pathological fragments are deleted. In light of recent advances, peptide vaccines may present a very safe and effective alternative. Peptide vaccines can avoid immunopathological pro‐inflammatory sequences, focus immune responses on neutralizing immunogenic epitopes, avoid off‐target antigen loss, combine antigens with different protective roles or mechanisms, even from different viral proteins, and avoid mutant escape by employing highly conserved cryptic epitopes. In this review, an attempt is made to exploit the similarities between SARS‐CoV and SARS‐CoV‐2 in vaccine antigen screening, with particular attention to the pathological and immunogenic properties of SARS proteins. Careful antigen selection is essential for development of an effective and safe SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccine. Considering recent advances, peptide vaccines can be ideal substitutes for protein and RNA/DNA‐based vaccines. Peptide vaccines can avoid immunopathological sequences, focus immune responses on neutralizing B‐cell and on T‐cell epitopes, combine antigens from different viral proteins, and avoid mutant escape by employing conserved epitopes.
【저자키워드】 Neutralizing antibodies, SARS‐CoV‐2, Spike protein, Receptor binding domain, angiotensin‐converting enzyme 2, antibody‐dependent enhancement, critical binding residues, type‐I interferons, 【초록키워드】 Vaccine, immune response, Vaccines, Peptide vaccines, Infection, Economy, peptide, Viral proteins, Proteins, virus, global health, Antigen, COVID‐19, SARS‐CoV‐2, Protein, Epitopes, Health, Viral, immune responses, nonstructural protein, antigens, Neutralizing, mechanisms, mutant, peptide vaccine, Protective, similarity, Safe, focus, Viral protein, clinical symptom, Effective vaccines, protective role, similarities, immunogenic, SARS‐CoV‐2 infection, disorder, B‐cell, vaccine antigen, genetic material, effective, conserved, effective vaccine, deleted, exhibit, developmental, immunopathological, T‐cell, 【제목키워드】 SARS‐CoV‐2, development,