A potential coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford in England has shown promising results in increasing antibodies and beneficial T-cells in more than 1,000 people involved in its first human trial, reports the BBC.

The results are so promising, the British government has already ordered 100 million doses of the final vaccine, when it’s approved.

Called ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, the vaccine is a heavily-modified genetically-engineered version of the virus that causes the common cold in chimpanzees.  It mimics the novel coronavirus without resulting in harm or infection.

The vaccine promotes the production of neutralizing antibodies, proteins that can incapacitate the virus, as well as T-cells, specialized white blood cells that identify and destroy infected cells.

The trial vaccine has produced peaks in T-cell production after 14 days and in neutralizing antibodies after 28 days.  Of the 1,077 who took part in the test, 90% produced antibodies after a single dose within the time period.

Only ten people were given a second dose, and they all started to produce antibodies.

“We’re really pleased with the results published today as we’re seeing both neutralising antibodies and T-cells.  They’re extremely promising and we believe the type of response that may be associated with protection,” a member of the research group, Prof. Andrew Pollard, told the BBC. “But the key question everyone wants to know is does the vaccine work, does it offer protection… and we’re in a waiting game.”

Spurring the production of neutralizing antibodies and T-cells through a vaccine would prevent the spread of the vaccine and it may also assist people who have had the virus, whose level and length of immunity from naturally-produced antibodies are uncertain.