COM Outlook Winter 2021

NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY | 31 other locations,” Rankin said. “This includes trial setup, training of physician investigators, delegation of staff duties, and general oversight of the trials.” When he dons his principal investigator hat, Rankin has “com- plete oversight of the actual trials I am running,” he said. “We follow official good clinical practice guidelines to protect each subject’s safety and data integrity during every trial. Some of our trials run just a few months, while others can run for many years.” Rankin explained that the COVID-19 vaccine trials are unique in that they were established quickly and began enrolling patient volun- teers within months of the pandemic’s start. “They are using new vaccine technology to produce an immune response,” he said. “Early reports are showing higher antibody production compared to individuals who had COVID-19. Animal studies are running simultaneously with human trials to speed up the approval process if a vaccine is found to be efficacious to prevent or reduce the COVID-19 illness or symptoms.” Rankin is optimistic that the vaccine trials he and other clinical research sites are working on will yield positive results. “My osteopathic medical training at NSU has been a huge benefit in my role as a clinical trial investigator,” he emphasized. “I focus on the whole person as we develop new medical treatments, vaccines, and medical devices. The world has suffered due to this pan- demic, and each of us needs to do every- thing and anything we can to help.” Anyone interested in learning more about ongoing COVID-19 research in the United States can visit clinicaltrials.gov . Information about Accel Clinical Research COVID-19 trials can be accessed at covidorlando.com . o Understanding the Vaccine “The vaccine is called mRNA. The m stands for messenger, while RNA— ribonucleic acid—produces the proteins that are identical to the proteins in the coronavirus. That is called an antigen,” Rankin explained. “We’re inject- ing mRNA. It’s in the protein chain that is produced in the lab from basic amino acid—the basic building block of protein. It goes into the cells, the body sees those spike-like projections, and it produces antibodies against the virus. The virus needs those spikes, because that is how it attaches itself to cells in the body. The antibodies are in the bloodstream. The early studies are showing it takes 14 days to produce the antibodies. We’re doing the booster shot at three weeks, and antibody levels are higher than for those who have had the infection.” Lab technician Jeffery Hood prepares a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.