Systems and methods for culture of human kidney organoids as a model system for characterizing kidney pathologies and implementing therapeutics for conditions that affect the kidney. A model system for characterization of a pathophysiology includes a culture of human kidney organoids and an organoid culture medium. The organoids may include one or more genome edits as part of an approach for studying genetic factors involved with a pathological process. The culture may include one or more other factors, such as pathological agents and/or anti-pathological agents, for development and evaluation of therapeutics. The approaches may be used for implementation of compositions and methods for virally transducing the kidney or a subset of cells or cell types thereof.

An SARS-COV-2 recombinant Spike protein is provided. The research process of the protein is as follows: the dominant strain in circulation was identified by screening clinical samples of SARS-COV-2 patients and its mutations in Turkey were evaluated by sequencing the Spike gene. Sequencing data and in silico methods were used to design the Spike antigen and then the novel Spike antigen was docked with the human ACE2 (Angiotensin Converting Enzyme-2) receptor to determine the binding energy. After DNA vaccine construction, HEK293T cells were transfected and analyzed for protein expression capacity by IFA, Western blot and RT-qPCR, then BALB/c mice and K18-hACE2 transgenic mice were immunized with DNA vaccine administered intramuscularly (IM) and intradermally (ID) using an electroporator device three times on days 0, 14 and 56. Humoral and cellular immune responses were then analyzed using recombinant ELISA, Western blot, surrogate virus neutralization assay, microneutralization assay, Cytokine ELISA and flow cytometry.

There are SARS coronavirus 2 recombinant vectors derived from a GH clade SARS coronavirus 2 Korean isolate, which express distinct reporter genes, and the production method thereof. A full-length clone of a SARS coronavirus 2 Korean isolate or a derivative thereof, according to one embodiment, can be used as a standard material for evaluating the efficacy of therapeutic agents and vaccines in cell lines and animal models while maintaining infectivity and replication capacity when restored to viruses, can be used to develop a large-scale testing method for therapeutic agent development, and can be used to develop attenuated vaccine strains. In addition, a SARS coronavirus 2 recombinant vector derived from a Korean isolate or a derivative thereof, expressing a reporter gene, can be used for high-capacity, rapid drug screening in the development of antibody therapeutic agents and antiviral agents.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a worldwide health crisis and devastating economic and social issues. The present invention provides a method enhancing the effectiveness of the vaccines currently used for the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which comprises three incremental doses of a vaccine to elicit an enhanced immune response against in a subject. The first dose, second dose, and final dose are administered in the amount of 10-25%, 45-55%, and about 100% of the vaccine's full-strength dose, respectively.