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Kuroda M, Halfmann PJ, Uraki R, Yamayoshi S, Kim T, Armbrust TA, Spyra S, Dahn R, Babujee L, Kawaoka Y. SARS-CoV-2 virus lacking the envelope and membrane open-reading frames as a vaccine platform. Nat Commun 2025; 16:4453. [PMID: 40360482 PMCID: PMC12075476 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-59533-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2025] [Indexed: 05/15/2025] Open
Abstract
To address the need for broadly protective SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, we developed an attenuated a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine virus that lacks the open reading frames of two viral structural proteins: the envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins. This vaccine virus (ΔEM) replicates in a cell line stably expressing E and M but not in wild-type cells. Vaccination with ΔEM elicits a CD8 T-cell response against the viral spike and nucleocapsid proteins. Two vaccinations with ΔEM provide better protection of the lower respiratory tissues than a single dose against the Delta and Omicron XBB variants in hamsters. Moreover, ΔEM is effective as a booster in hamsters previously vaccinated with an mRNA-based vaccine, providing higher levels of protection in both respiratory tissues compared to the mRNA vaccine booster. Collectively, our data demonstrate the feasibility of a SARS-CoV-2 ΔEM vaccine candidate virus as a vaccine platform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Makoto Kuroda
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Peter J Halfmann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
| | - Ryuta Uraki
- Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
- Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
- Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
- International Research Center for Infectious Diseases, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Taksoo Kim
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Tammy A Armbrust
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Sam Spyra
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Randall Dahn
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Lavanya Babujee
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
- Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
- Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
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2
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Banete A, Griffin BD, Corredor JC, Chien E, Yip L, Gunawardena TNA, Nirmalarajah K, Liang J, Lee Y, Leacy A, Pagliarani S, de Borja R, Yim W, Lee H, Onodera Y, Aftanas P, Budylowski P, Ahn SK, Pei Y, Ouyang H, Kent L, Li XA, Ostrowski MA, Kozak RA, Wootton SK, Christie-Holmes N, Gray-Owen SD, Taipale M, Simpson JT, Maguire F, McGeer AJ, Zhang H, Susta L, Moraes TJ, Mubareka S. Pathogenesis and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 D614G, Alpha, Gamma, Delta, and Omicron variants in golden hamsters. NPJ VIRUSES 2025; 3:15. [PMID: 40295859 PMCID: PMC11850601 DOI: 10.1038/s44298-025-00092-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2025] [Indexed: 04/30/2025]
Abstract
Since the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, novel variants have evolved to become dominant circulating lineages. These include D614G (B.1 lineage), Alpha (B.1.1.7), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.617.2), and Omicron BA.1 (B.1.1.529) and BA.2 (B.1.1.529.2) viruses. Here, we compared the viral replication, pathogenesis, and transmissibility of these variants. Replication kinetics and innate immune response against the viruses were tested in ex vivo human nasal epithelial cells (HNEC) and induced pluripotent stem cell-derived lung organoids (IPSC-LOs), and the golden hamster model was employed to test pathogenicity and potential for transmission by the respiratory route. Delta, BA.1, and BA.2 viruses replicated more efficiently, and outcompeted D614G, Alpha, and Gamma viruses in an HNEC competition assay. BA.1 and BA.2 viruses, however, replicated poorly in IPSC-LOs compared to other variants. Moreover, BA.2 virus infection significantly increased secretion of IFN-λ1, IFN-λ2, IFN-λ3, IL-6, and IL-1RA in HNECs relative to D614G infection, but not in IPSC-LOs. The BA.1 and BA.2 viruses replicated less effectively in hamster lungs compared to the other variants; and while the Gamma virus reached titers comparable to D614G and Delta viruses, it caused greater lung pathology. Lastly, the Gamma and Delta variants transmitted more efficiently by the respiratory route compared to the other viruses, while BA.1 and BA.2 viruses transmitted less efficiently. These findings demonstrate the ongoing utility of experimental risk assessment as SARS-CoV-2 variants continue to evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andra Banete
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bryan D Griffin
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Juan C Corredor
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Emily Chien
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Lily Yip
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Tarini N A Gunawardena
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Program in Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Jady Liang
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yaejin Lee
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Alexander Leacy
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Sara Pagliarani
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | | | - Winfield Yim
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Hunsang Lee
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yu Onodera
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Emergency and Critical Care Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata University, Yamagata, Japan
| | | | - Patrick Budylowski
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sang Kyun Ahn
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Yanlong Pei
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Hong Ouyang
- Program in Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Laura Kent
- Division of Comparative Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Xinliu Angel Li
- Department of Microbiology, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mario A Ostrowski
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Robert A Kozak
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Shared Hospital Laboratory, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Sarah K Wootton
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Natasha Christie-Holmes
- Toronto High Containment Facility, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Scott D Gray-Owen
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto High Containment Facility, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mikko Taipale
- Donnelly Centre for Cellular and Biomolecular Research, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jared T Simpson
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Molecular Genetics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Computer Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Finlay Maguire
- Shared Hospital Laboratory, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Faculty of Computer Science, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Allison J McGeer
- Department of Microbiology, Sinai Health System, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Haibo Zhang
- Keenan Research Centre for Biomedical Science, St. Michael's Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Physiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Interdepartmental Division of Critical Care Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Leonardo Susta
- Department of Pathobiology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Theo J Moraes
- Program in Translational Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Samira Mubareka
- Biological Sciences, Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
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3
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Chew KW, Taiwo BO, Moser C, Daar ES, Wohl DA, Ritz J, Javan AC, Li JZ, Fischer W, Greninger AL, Bausch C, Luke T, Call R, Neytman G, Giganti MJ, Fletcher CV, Hughes MD, Eron JJ, Currier JS, Smith DM. Safety and Efficacy of SAB-185 for Nonhospitalized Adults With COVID-19: A Randomized Clinical Trial. J Infect Dis 2024; 230:1177-1186. [PMID: 39028902 PMCID: PMC11566225 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/21/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We evaluated the fully human polyclonal antibody product SAB-185 in a phase 3 trial for COVID-19. METHODS Nonhospitalized high-risk adults within 7 days of symptom onset were randomized 1:1 to open-label SAB-185 3840 units/kg or casirivimab/imdevimab 1200 mg. Noninferiority comparison was undertaken for pre-Omicron population (casirivimab/imdevimab expected to be fully active) and superiority comparison for the Omicron population (casirivimab/imdevimab not expected to be active). Primary outcomes were the composite of all-cause hospitalizations/deaths and grade ≥3 treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) through day 28. A secondary outcome was time to sustained symptom resolution. RESULTS Enrollment ended early due to low hospitalization/death rates upon Omicron emergence; 255 adults were in pre-Omicron and 392 in Omicron populations. Hospitalizations/deaths occurred in 6 (5.0%) and 3 (2.2%) of pre-Omicron SAB-185 and casirivimab/imdevimab arms (absolute difference 2.7%; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.3%-8.6%); and 5 (2.5%) versus 3 (1.5%) (absolute difference 1.0%; 95% CI, -2.3%-4.5%) for Omicron. All risk ratios for grade ≥3 TEAEs were not significant. Time to symptom resolution was significantly shorter for SAB-185 for Omicron only: 18 versus >25 days; P =.006. CONCLUSIONS SAB-185 had an acceptable safety profile with faster symptom resolution in the Omicron population. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT04518410.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara W Chew
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Babafemi O Taiwo
- Department of Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Carlee Moser
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Eric S Daar
- Lundquist Institute, Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance, California, USA
| | - David Alain Wohl
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Justin Ritz
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Arzhang Cyrus Javan
- Division of AIDS, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Jonathan Z Li
- Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - William Fischer
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Alexander L Greninger
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, University of Washington Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | | | - Thomas Luke
- SAB Biotherapeutics, Inc, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
| | - Robert Call
- Clinical Research Partners, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | | | - Mark J Giganti
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Courtney V Fletcher
- Center for Drug Discovery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, Nebraska, USA
| | - Michael D Hughes
- Department of Biostatistics, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Joseph J Eron
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Judith S Currier
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Davey M Smith
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
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4
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Martinez EJ, Chang WC, Chen WH, Hajduczki A, Thomas PV, Jensen JL, Choe M, Sankhala RS, Peterson CE, Rees PA, Kimner J, Soman S, Kuklis C, Mendez-Rivera L, Dussupt V, King J, Corbett C, Mayer SV, Fernandes A, Murzello K, Cookenham T, Hvizdos J, Kummer L, Hart T, Lanzer K, Gambacurta J, Reagan M, Duso D, Vasan S, Collins ND, Michael NL, Krebs SJ, Gromowski GD, Modjarrad K, Kaundinya J, Joyce MG. SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccines produce hyperimmune equine sera with broad sarbecovirus activity. iScience 2024; 27:110624. [PMID: 39351195 PMCID: PMC11440237 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.110624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2024] [Revised: 05/23/2024] [Accepted: 07/29/2024] [Indexed: 10/04/2024] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) and the threat of future zoonotic sarbecovirus spillover emphasizes the need for broadly protective next-generation vaccines and therapeutics. We utilized SARS-CoV-2 spike ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN), and SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain ferritin nanoparticle (RFN) immunogens, in an equine model to elicit hyperimmune sera and evaluated its sarbecovirus neutralization and protection capacity. Immunized animals rapidly elicited sera with the potent neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 VoC, and SARS-CoV-1 pseudoviruses, and potent binding against receptor binding domains from sarbecovirus clades 1b, 1a, 2, 3, and 4. Purified equine polyclonal IgG provided protection against Omicron XBB.1.5 virus in the K18-hACE2 transgenic mouse model. These results suggest that SARS-CoV-2-based nanoparticle vaccines can rapidly produce a broad and protective sarbecovirus response in the equine model and that equine serum has therapeutic potential against emerging SARS-CoV-2 VoC and diverse sarbecoviruses, presenting a possible alternative or supplement to monoclonal antibody immunotherapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth J Martinez
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - William C Chang
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Wei-Hung Chen
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Agnes Hajduczki
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Paul V Thomas
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jaime L Jensen
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Misook Choe
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rajeshwer S Sankhala
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Caroline E Peterson
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Phyllis A Rees
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Jordan Kimner
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Sandrine Soman
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Caitlin Kuklis
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Letzibeth Mendez-Rivera
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Vincent Dussupt
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Jocelyn King
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Courtney Corbett
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Sandra V Mayer
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sandhya Vasan
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Natalie D Collins
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Nelson L Michael
- Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Shelly J Krebs
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Gregory D Gromowski
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Kayvon Modjarrad
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | | | - M Gordon Joyce
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA
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5
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Gibson SA, Liu Y, Li R, Hurst BL, Fan Z, Siddharthan V, Larson DP, Sheesley AY, Stewart R, Kunzler M, Polejaeva IA, Van Wettere AJ, Moisyadi S, Morrey JD, Tarbet EB, Wang Z. Differences in Susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Infection Among Transgenic hACE2-Hamster Founder Lines. Viruses 2024; 16:1625. [PMID: 39459957 PMCID: PMC11512293 DOI: 10.3390/v16101625] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2024] [Revised: 10/02/2024] [Accepted: 10/09/2024] [Indexed: 10/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Animal models that are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection and develop clinical signs like human COVID-19 are desired to understand viral pathogenesis and develop effective medical countermeasures. The golden Syrian hamster is important for the study of SARS-CoV-2 since hamsters are naturally susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. However, infected hamsters show only limited clinical disease and resolve infection quickly. In this study, we describe development of human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic hamsters as a model for COVID-19. During development of the model for SARS-CoV-2, we observed that different hACE2 transgenic hamster founder lines varied in their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 lethal infection. The highly susceptible hACE2 founder lines F0F35 and F0M41 rapidly progress to severe infection and death within 6 days post-infection (p.i.). Clinical signs included lethargy, weight loss, dyspnea, and mortality. Lethality was observed in a viral dose-dependent manner with a lethal dose as low as 1 × 100.15 CCID50. In addition, virus shedding from highly susceptible lines was detected in oropharyngeal swabs on days 2-5 p.i., and virus titers were observed at 105.5-6.5 CCID50 in lung and brain tissue by day 4 p.i.. Histopathology revealed that infected hACE2-hamsters developed rhinitis, tracheitis, bronchointerstitial pneumonia, and encephalitis. Mortality in highly susceptible hACE2-hamsters can be attributed to neurologic disease with contributions from the accompanying respiratory disease. In contrast, virus challenge of animals from less susceptible founder lines, F0M44 and F0M51, resulted in only 0-20% mortality. To demonstrate utility of this SARS-CoV-2 infection model, we determined the protective effect of the TLR3 agonist polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly (I:C)). Prophylactic treatment with Poly (I:C) significantly improved survival in highly susceptible hACE2-hamsters. In summary, our studies demonstrate that hACE2 transgenic hamsters differ in their susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection, based on the transgenic hamster founder line, and that prophylactic treatment with Poly (I:C) was protective in this COVID-19 model of highly susceptible hACE2-hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A. Gibson
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Yanan Liu
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Rong Li
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Brett L. Hurst
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Zhiqiang Fan
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Venkatraman Siddharthan
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Deanna P. Larson
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Ashley Y. Sheesley
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Rebekah Stewart
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Madelyn Kunzler
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Irina A. Polejaeva
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
| | - Arnaud J Van Wettere
- Department of Veterinary, Clinical, and Life Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA;
- Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Stefan Moisyadi
- Institute of Biogenesis Research, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96822, USA;
| | - John D. Morrey
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - E. Bart Tarbet
- Institute for Antiviral Research, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
- Department of Veterinary, Clinical, and Life Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA;
| | - Zhongde Wang
- Department of Animal, Diary and Veterinary Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA; (S.A.G.); (Y.L.); (R.L.); (B.L.H.); (Z.F.); (V.S.); (D.P.L.); (A.Y.S.); (R.S.); (M.K.); (I.A.P.); (J.D.M.); (Z.W.)
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6
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Halfmann PJ, Iwatsuki-Horimoto K, Kuroda M, Hirata Y, Yamayoshi S, Iida S, Uraki R, Ito M, Ueki H, Furusawa Y, Sakai-Tagawa Y, Kiso M, Armbrust T, Spyra S, Maeda K, Wang Z, Imai M, Suzuki T, Kawaoka Y. Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters. Commun Biol 2024; 7:331. [PMID: 38491227 PMCID: PMC10943235 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the replicative ability and pathogenicity of BA.4.6, BQ1.1, and XBB clinical isolates in male Syrian hamsters. Although we found no substantial differences in weight change among hamsters infected with these Omicron subvariants, the replicative ability of BQ.1.1 and XBB in lung tissue was higher than that of BA.4.6 and BA.5. Of note, BQ.1.1 was lethal in both male and female transgenic human ACE2 hamsters. In competition assays, XBB replicated better than BQ.1.1 in the nasal turbinate tissues of female hamsters previously infected with Omicron BA.2. These results suggest that newer Omicron subvariants in the XBB family are still evolving and should be closely monitored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J Halfmann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | | | - Makoto Kuroda
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Yuichiro Hirata
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Seiya Yamayoshi
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Shun Iida
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Ryuta Uraki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Mutsumi Ito
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ueki
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Yuri Furusawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Yuko Sakai-Tagawa
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Maki Kiso
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
| | - Tammy Armbrust
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Sam Spyra
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA
| | - Ken Maeda
- Department of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Zhongde Wang
- Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA
| | - Masaki Imai
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, 53711, USA.
- Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 108-8639, Japan.
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
- The University of Tokyo, Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), Tokyo, 162-8655, Japan.
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