SARS vaccine compositions and methods of making and using them

A composition comprising a modified, partially delipidated viral particle of a coronavirus, wherein the modified, partially delipidated viral particle of the coronavirus

• is immunogenic,
• is of reduced infectivity as compared to the coronavirus not subjected to delipidation, and
• comprises an envelope with envelope viral and host proteins and a lower lipid content as compared to an envelope in the coronavirus not subjected to delipidation,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated viral particle is produced by exposing the coronavirus not subjected to delipidation to a partial delipidation process consisting essentially of treating the coronavirus with 0.01% to 3% solvent, wherein the solvent is a combination of a surfactant and the ether, the fluoroether, the alcohol or the combination thereof.

A method of creating a modified, partially delipidated viral particle of a coronavirus comprising the steps of:

• receiving a coronavirus in a fluid,
• exposing the coronavirus to a delipidation process, consisting essentially of treating the coronavirus with 0.01% to 3% solvent,
• wherein the solvent is an ether, a fluoroether, an alcohol, a combination thereof, or a combination of a surfactant and the ether, the fluoroether, the alcohol or the combination thereof, and
• wherein the delipidation process decreases the lipid content of a viral envelope of the coronavirus.

A method of inducing an immune response to a coronavirus in an animal or a human comprising:

• removing blood containing the coronavirus from the animal or the human;
• obtaining plasma from the blood, the plasma containing the coronavirus;
• delipidating the coronavirus by a process consisting essentially of contacting the plasma containing the coronavirus with a 0.01% to 3% solvent capable of extracting lipid from the coronavirus to produce modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the coronavirus,
• wherein the solvent is an ether, a fluoroether, an alcohol, a combination thereof, or a combination of a surfactant and the ether, the fluoroether, the alcohol or the combination thereof,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles are of reduced infectivity and reduced lipid content as compared to the coronavirus not subjected to the delipidation process, and,
• wherein the modified, partially delipidated particles comprise a modified viral envelope with envelope viral and host proteins,
• wherein the contacting is for a time and under conditions sufficient to reduce the infectivity and the lipid content of the coronavirus to produce the modified, partially delipidated coronavirus viral particles;
• separating the solvent from the modified, partially delipidated viral particles;
• and
• administering the modified, partially delipidated viral particles of the coronavirus to the animal or the human in an amount sufficient to produce a cellular immune response or an antibody response to the coronavirus in the animal or the human.