1
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Stepanova E, Isakova-Sivak I, Mezhenskaya D, Niskanen S, Matyushenko V, Bazhenova E, Rak A, Wong PF, Prokopenko P, Kotomina T, Krutikova E, Legotskiy S, Neterebskii B, Ostroukhova T, Sivak K, Orshanskaya Y, Yakovlev K, Rudenko L. Expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain by live attenuated influenza vaccine virus as a strategy for designing a bivalent vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza. Virol J 2024; 21:82. [PMID: 38589848 PMCID: PMC11003101 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02350-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are two major respiratory pathogens that cocirculate in humans and cause serious illness with the potential to exacerbate disease in the event of co-infection. To develop a bivalent vaccine, capable of protecting against both infections, we inserted the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into hemagglutinin (HA) molecule or into the open reading frame of the truncated nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) virus and assessed phenotypic characteristics of the rescued LAIV-RBD viruses, as well as their immunogenicity in mouse and Syrian hamster animal models. A panel of 9 recombinant LAIV-RBD viruses was rescued using the A/Leningrad/17 backbone. Notably, only two variants with RBD insertions into the HA molecule could express sufficient quantities of RBD protein in infected MDCK cells. Intranasal immunization of mice induced high levels of anti-influenza antibody responses in all chimeric LAIV-RBD viruses, which was comparable to the LAIV virus vector. The RBD-specific antibody responses were most pronounced in the variant expressing RBD194 fragment as a chimeric HA protein. This candidate was further tested in Syrian hamsters and was shown to be immunogenic and capable of protecting animals against both infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daria Mezhenskaya
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Sergei Niskanen
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | | | | | - Alexandra Rak
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Pei Fong Wong
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Polina Prokopenko
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Tatiana Kotomina
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Elena Krutikova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Sergei Legotskiy
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Bogdan Neterebskii
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Tatiana Ostroukhova
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Konstantin Sivak
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Yana Orshanskaya
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Kirill Yakovlev
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
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2
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Zare H, Farkhondeh T, Bakherad H, Sharifi H, Shirzeyli MH, Samarghandian S, Ghasemi F. Covid-19 Prevention and Treatment by Targeting Fc-fusion Proteins: An Experience to Fight Emerging Diseases. Curr Mol Med 2024; 24:428-434. [PMID: 37038291 DOI: 10.2174/1566524023666230410093243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has been considered a major threat to human health. Effective therapeutic approaches are urgently required. Spike protein and the Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors have critical roles in SARS-CoV-2 infection. As a result, these two proteins are considered potential targets for the development of a wide variety of biotherapeutics and vaccines for controlling Covid-19. The fusion proteins have desirable medicinal properties, including high serum half-life, stability, and solubility in the body. Moreover, other Fc-fusion proteins used to treat other diseases have no known side effects. These Fc-fusion proteins are valuable biopharmaceuticals and have been proposed as therapeutic candidates for the treatment and prevention of Covid-19 owing to their potential therapeutic benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Zare
- Recombinant Proteins Department, Breast Cancer Research Center, Motamed Cancer Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tahereh Farkhondeh
- Department of Toxicology and Pharmacology, School of Pharmacy, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Hamid Bakherad
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biotechnology and Isfahan Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Center, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Hengame Sharifi
- Department of Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
| | - Maryam Hosseinzade Shirzeyli
- Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Saeed Samarghandian
- Healthy Ageing Research Centre, Neyshabur University of Medical Sciences, Neyshabur. Iran
| | - Fahimeh Ghasemi
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
- Department of Medical Biotechnology, School of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
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3
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Budhadev D, Hooper J, Rocha C, Nehlmeier I, Kempf AM, Hoffmann M, Krüger N, Zhou D, Pöhlmann S, Guo Y. Polyvalent Nano-Lectin Potently Neutralizes SARS-CoV-2 by Targeting Glycans on the Viral Spike Protein. JACS Au 2023; 3:1755-1766. [PMID: 37388683 PMCID: PMC10302749 DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.3c00163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 05/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Mutations in spike (S) protein epitopes allow SARS-CoV-2 variants to evade antibody responses induced by infection and/or vaccination. In contrast, mutations in glycosylation sites across SARS-CoV-2 variants are very rare, making glycans a potential robust target for developing antivirals. However, this target has not been adequately exploited for SARS-CoV-2, mostly due to intrinsically weak monovalent protein-glycan interactions. We hypothesize that polyvalent nano-lectins with flexibly linked carbohydrate recognition domains (CRDs) can adjust their relative positions and bind multivalently to S protein glycans, potentially exerting potent antiviral activity. Herein, we displayed the CRDs of DC-SIGN, a dendritic cell lectin known to bind to diverse viruses, polyvalently onto 13 nm gold nanoparticles (named G13-CRD). G13-CRD bound strongly and specifically to target glycan-coated quantum dots with sub-nM Kd. Moreover, G13-CRD neutralized particles pseudotyped with the S proteins of Wuhan Hu-1, B.1, Delta variant and Omicron subvariant BA.1 with low nM EC50. In contrast, natural tetrameric DC-SIGN and its G13 conjugate were ineffective. Further, G13-CRD potently inhibited authentic SARS-CoV-2 B.1 and BA.1, with <10 pM and <10 nM EC50, respectively. These results identify G13-CRD as the 1st polyvalent nano-lectin with broad activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants that merits further exploration as a novel approach to antiviral therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darshita Budhadev
- School
of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - James Hooper
- School
of Food Science & Nutrition and Astbury Centre for Structural
Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Cheila Rocha
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty
of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University
Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Inga Nehlmeier
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Amy Madeleine Kempf
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty
of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University
Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Markus Hoffmann
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty
of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University
Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Nadine Krüger
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Dejian Zhou
- School
of Chemistry and Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
| | - Stefan Pöhlmann
- Infection
Biology Unit, German Primate Center −
Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
- Faculty
of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University
Göttingen, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Yuan Guo
- School
of Food Science & Nutrition and Astbury Centre for Structural
Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, United Kingdom
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4
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Jacobson GM, Kraakman K, Wallace O, Pan J, Hennebry A, Smolenski G, Cursons R, Hodgkinson S, Williamson A, Kelton W. Immunogenic fusion proteins induce neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in the serum and milk of sheep. Biotechnol Rep (Amst) 2023; 38:e00791. [PMID: 36915646 PMCID: PMC9995299 DOI: 10.1016/j.btre.2023.e00791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023]
Abstract
Antigen-specific polyclonal immunoglobulins derived from the serum, colostrum, or milk of immunized ruminant animals have potential as scalable therapeutics for the control of viral diseases including COVID-19. Here we show that the immunization of sheep with fusions of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) to ovine IgG2a Fc domains promotes significantly higher levels of antigen-specific antibodies compared to native RBD or full-length spike antigens. This antibody population contained elevated levels of neutralizing antibodies that suppressed binding between the RBD and hACE2 receptors in vitro. A second immune-stimulating fusion candidate, Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), induced high neutralizing responses in select animals but narrowly missed achieving significance. We further demonstrated that the antibodies induced by these fusion antigens were transferred into colostrum/milk and possessed cross-neutralizing activity against diverse SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our findings highlight a new pathway for recombinant antigen design in ruminant animals with applications in immune milk production and animal health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M Jacobson
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Kirsty Kraakman
- Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.,Ruakura Technologies Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Olivia Wallace
- Ruakura Technologies Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Jolyn Pan
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Alex Hennebry
- Ruakura Technologies Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Grant Smolenski
- Ruakura Technologies Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Ray Cursons
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - Steve Hodgkinson
- Ruakura Technologies Ltd, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton 3214, New Zealand
| | - Adele Williamson
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
| | - William Kelton
- Te Aka Mātuatua School of Science, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.,Te Huataki Waiora School of Health, University of Waikato, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand
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5
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Riguero V, Delmar J, Dippel A, McTamney P, Luo E, Martinez A, Ren K, van Dyk N, O'Connor E. A scalable and high yielding SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain production process. Protein Expr Purif 2023; 205:106241. [PMID: 36736512 PMCID: PMC9890279 DOI: 10.1016/j.pep.2023.106241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is of interest for the development of vaccines and therapeutics against COVID-19. Vaccines are designed to raise an immune response against the spike protein. Other therapies attempt to block the interaction of the spike protein and mammalian cells. Therefore, the spike protein itself and specific interacting regions of the spike protein are reagents required by industry to enable the advancement of medicines to combat SARS-CoV-2. Early production methods of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD) were labor intensive with scalability challenges. In this work, we describe a high yielding and scalable production process for the SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Expression was performed in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells followed by a two-column purification process including immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) followed by Ceramic Hydroxyapatite (CHT). The improved process showed good scalability, enabling efficient purification of 2.5 g of product from a 200 L scale bioreactor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Riguero
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Jared Delmar
- Analytical Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Andrew Dippel
- Biological Engineering, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Patrick McTamney
- Biological Engineering, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Ethan Luo
- Cell Culture and Fermentation Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Antonio Martinez
- Manufacturing Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Kuishu Ren
- Biological Engineering, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Nydia van Dyk
- Biological Engineering, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA
| | - Ellen O'Connor
- Purification Process Sciences, BioPharmaceuticals Development, R&D, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, MD, 20878, USA. ellen.o'
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6
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Kassardjian A, Sun E, Sookhoo J, Muthuraman K, Boligan KF, Kucharska I, Rujas E, Jetha A, Branch DR, Babiuk S, Barber B, Julien JP. Modular adjuvant-free pan-HLA-DR-immunotargeting subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 elicits broad sarbecovirus-neutralizing antibody responses. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112391. [PMID: 37053069 PMCID: PMC10067452 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2023] [Indexed: 04/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Subunit vaccines typically require co-administration with an adjuvant to elicit protective immunity, adding development hurdles that can impede rapid pandemic responses. To circumvent the need for adjuvant in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) subunit vaccine, we engineer a thermostable immunotargeting vaccine (ITV) that leverages the pan-HLA-DR monoclonal antibody 44H10 to deliver the viral spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) to antigen-presenting cells. X-ray crystallography shows that 44H10 binds to a conserved epitope on HLA-DR, providing the basis for its broad HLA-DR reactivity. Adjuvant-free ITV immunization in rabbits and ferrets induces robust anti-RBD antibody responses that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and protect recipients from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. We demonstrate that the modular nature of the ITV scaffold with respect to helper T cell epitopes and diverse RBD antigens facilitates broad sarbecovirus neutralization. Our findings support anti-HLA-DR immunotargeting as an effective means to induce strong antibody responses to subunit antigens without requiring an adjuvant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Kassardjian
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Eric Sun
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jamie Sookhoo
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada
| | - Krithika Muthuraman
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | | | - Iga Kucharska
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Edurne Rujas
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Ikerbasque, Basque Foundation for Science, 48013 Bilbao, Spain; Pharmacokinetic, Nanotechnology and Gene Therapy Group, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, 01006 Vitoria, Spain; Bioaraba, Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Antimicrobial Agents, and Gene Therapy, 01006 Vitoria, Spain
| | - Arif Jetha
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada
| | - Donald R Branch
- Canadian Blood Services, Keenan Research Centre, Toronto, ON M5B 1W8, Canada; University of Toronto, Departments of Medicine and Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Shawn Babiuk
- Canadian Food Inspection Agency, National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB R3E 3M4, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3E 0T5, Canada
| | - Brian Barber
- Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada
| | - Jean-Philippe Julien
- Program in Molecular Medicine, The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada; Department of Immunology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 1A8, Canada.
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7
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Li CJ, Jiang CL, Chao TL, Lin SY, Tsai YM, Chao CS, Su YT, Chen CJ, Chang SY, Lin FJ, Chang SC. Elicitation of potent neutralizing antibodies in obese mice by ISA 51-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD-Fc vaccine. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 2023; 107:2983-2995. [PMID: 36988669 PMCID: PMC10049902 DOI: 10.1007/s00253-023-12490-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination is considered to be the most effective countermeasure to prevent and combat the global health threats of COVID-19. People with obesity are at a greater risk of hospitalization, life-threatening illness, and adverse outcomes after having COVID-19. Therefore, a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine for obese individuals is urgently needed. In the study, the vaccine composed of the ISA 51 adjuvant and the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) receptor-binding domain (RBD) in conjugation with the human IgG1 Fc fragment (named as ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine) was developed and inoculated in the regular chow diet (RCD) lean mice and the high-fat diet (HFD)-induced obese mice. The S protein-specific IgG titers were largely induced in an increasing manner along with three doses of ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine without causing any harmful side effect. In the HFD mice, the S protein-specific IgG titers can be quickly observed 2 weeks post the first inoculation. The antisera elicited by the ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine in the RCD and HFD mice exhibited potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activities in the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) assays and showed similar specificity for recognizing the key residues in the RBD which were involved in interacting with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The immune efficacy of the ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine in the HFD mice can be sustainably maintained with the PRNT50 values of 1.80-1.91×10-3 for at least 8 weeks post the third inoculation. Collectively, the RBD-Fc-based immunogen and the ISA 51-adjuvanted formulation can be developed as an effective COVID-19 vaccine for obese individuals. KEY POINTS: • The ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine can induce potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies in the obese mouse • The antibodies elicited by the ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine can bind to the key RBD residues involved in interacting with ACE2 • The immune efficacy of the ISA 51-adjuvanted RBD-Fc vaccine can be sustainably maintained for at least 8 weeks post the third inoculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chia-Jung Li
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Chung-Lin Jiang
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Tai-Ling Chao
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
- Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Shiau-Yu Lin
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Ya-Min Tsai
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Chong-Syun Chao
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ting Su
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Chun-Jen Chen
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Sui-Yuan Chang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences and Medical Biotechnology, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital, College of Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
| | - Fu-Jung Lin
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
- Research Center for Developmental Biology and Regenerative Medicine, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
| | - Shih-Chung Chang
- Department of Biochemical Science and Technology, College of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
- Center for Biotechnology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan.
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8
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Ehteshaminia Y, Jalali SF, Jadidi-Niaragh F, Enderami SE, Pagheh AS, Akbari E, Kenari SA, Hassannia H. Enhancement of immunogenicity and neutralizing responses against SARS-CoV-2 spike protein using the Fc fusion fragment. Life Sci 2023; 320:121525. [PMID: 36841470 PMCID: PMC9951089 DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2023.121525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2022] [Revised: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/27/2023]
Abstract
AIMS Vaccination has played an important role in protecting against death and the severity of COVID-19. The recombinant protein vaccine platform has a long track record of safety and efficacy. Here, we fused the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 subunit to the Fc region of IgG and investigated immunogenicity, reactivity to human vaccinated sera, and neutralizing activity as a candidate protein vaccine. MATERIALS AND METHOD We evaluated the immunogenicity of CHO-expressed S1-Fc fusion protein and tag-free S1 protein in rabbits via the production of S1-specific polyclonal antibodies. We subsequently compared the neutralizing activities of sera from immunized rabbits and human-vaccinated individuals using a surrogate Virus Neutralization Test (sVNT). KEY FINDINGS The results indicate that S1-specific polyclonal antibodies were induced in all groups; however, antibody levels were higher in rabbits immunized with S1-Fc fusion protein than tag-free S1 protein. Moreover, the reactivity of human vaccinated sera against S1-Fc fusion protein was significantly higher than tag-free S1 protein. Lastly, the results of the virus-neutralizing activity revealed that vaccination with S1-Fc fusion protein induced the highest level of neutralizing antibody response against SARS-CoV-2. SIGNIFICANCE Our results demonstrate that the S1 protein accompanied by the Fc fragment significantly enhances the immunogenicity and neutralizing responses against SARS-CoV-2. It is hoped that this platform can be used for human vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yahya Ehteshaminia
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Seyedeh Farzaneh Jalali
- Department of Hematology, Faculty of Allied Medicine, Kerman University of Medical Sciences, Kerman, Iran
| | | | - Seyed Ehsan Enderami
- Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Abdol Sattar Pagheh
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Science, Birjand, Iran
| | - Esmaeil Akbari
- Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Saeid Abedian Kenari
- Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran
| | - Hadi Hassannia
- Immunogenetics Research Center, School of Medicine, Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences, Sari, Iran.
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9
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Sun C, Kong D, Guo E, Zhao J, Jia J, Wang R, Ma J, Chen M, Lu J, Yu C, Li K, Xie L. A Polysaccharide-RBD-Fc-Conjugated COVID-19 Vaccine, SCTV01A, Showed High Immunogenicity and Low Toxicity in Animal Models. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11030526. [PMID: 36992109 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11030526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 02/14/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2023] Open
Abstract
We previously developed a polysaccharide-–RBD-conjugated nanoparticle vaccine which induced protective efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in a mouse model. Here, we newly developed a vaccine, SCTV01A, by chemically conjugating recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBD-Fc and PPS14 (Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype type 14 capsular polysaccharide). The immunogenicity and toxicity of SCTV01A were evaluated in animal models. The PPS14 conjugation enhanced the immunogenicity of RBD-Fc in C57BL/6 mice whether formulated with SCT-VA02B or Alum adjuvant. SCTV01A also induced high opsonophagocytic activity (OPA) against S. pneumoniae serotype 14. In addition, SCTV01A stimulated potent neutralizing titers in rhesus macaques and effectively reduced lung inflammation after SARS-CoV-2 infection with neither antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE) nor vaccine-enhanced diseases (VED) phenomenon. Importantly, the long-term toxicity study of SCTV01A in rhesus macaques did not cause any abnormal toxicity and was tolerated at the highest tested dose (120 μg). The existing immunogenicity and toxicological evaluation results have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of SCTV01A, which will be a promising and feasible vaccine to protect against SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunyun Sun
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Desheng Kong
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Erhong Guo
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Jun Zhao
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Jilei Jia
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Rui Wang
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Juan Ma
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Meng Chen
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Jianbo Lu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Chulin Yu
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Kuokuo Li
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Liangzhi Xie
- Beijing Engineering Research Center of Protein and Antibody, Sinocelltech Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Monoclonal Antibody Research and Development, Sino Biological Inc., Beijing 100176, China
- Cell Culture Engineering Center, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100005, China
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10
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Abdul F, Ribaux P, Caillon A, Malézieux-Picard A, Prendki V, Vernaz N, Zhukovsky N, Delhaes F, Krause KH, Preynat-Seauve O. A Cellular Assay for Spike/ACE2 Fusion: Quantification of Fusion-Inhibitory Antibodies after COVID-19 and Vaccination. Viruses 2022; 14:v14102118. [PMID: 36298674 PMCID: PMC9609042 DOI: 10.3390/v14102118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 09/15/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Not all antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 inhibit viral entry, and hence, infection. Neutralizing antibodies are more likely to reflect real immunity; however, certain tests investigate protein/protein interaction rather than the fusion event. Viral and pseudoviral entry assays detect functionally active antibodies but are limited by biosafety and standardization issues. We have developed a Spike/ACE2-dependent fusion assay, based on a split luciferase. Hela cells stably transduced with Spike and a large fragment of luciferase were co-cultured with Hela cells transduced with ACE2 and the complementary small fragment of luciferase. Cell fusion occurred rapidly allowing the measurement of luminescence. Light emission was abolished in the absence of Spike and reduced in the presence of proteases. Sera from COVID-19-negative, non-vaccinated individuals or from patients at the moment of first symptoms did not lead to a significant reduction of fusion. Sera from COVID-19-positive patients as well as from vaccinated individuals reduced the fusion. This assay was more correlated to pseudotyped-based entry assay rather than serology or competitive ELISA. In conclusion, we report a new method measuring fusion-inhibitory antibodies in serum, combining the advantage of a complete Spike/ACE2 interaction active on entry with a high degree of standardization, easily allowing automation in a standard bio-safety environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabien Abdul
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Pascale Ribaux
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Aurélie Caillon
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Astrid Malézieux-Picard
- Division of Internal Medicine for the Aged, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Chemin du Pont Bochet 3, 1226 Thônex, Switzerland
| | - Virginie Prendki
- Division of Internal Medicine for the Aged, Department of Rehabilitation and Geriatrics, Geneva University Hospitals, Chemin du Pont Bochet 3, 1226 Thônex, Switzerland
| | - Nathalie Vernaz
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
- Medical Directorate, Geneva University Hospitals, Rue Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil 4, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Flavien Delhaes
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Karl-Heinz Krause
- Department of Pathology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Olivier Preynat-Seauve
- Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Geneva, 1 Rue Michel Servet, 1211 Geneva, Switzerland
- Correspondence:
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11
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He C, Yang J, Hong W, Chen Z, Peng D, Lei H, Alu A, He X, Bi Z, Jiang X, Jia G, Yang Y, Zhou Y, Yu W, Tang C, Huang Q, Yang M, Li B, Li J, Wang J, Que H, Chen L, Ren W, Wan D, Li J, Wang W, Shen G, Zhao Z, Yang L, Yang J, Wang Z, Su Z, Wei Y, Cen X, Tanaka Y, Song X, Lu S, Peng X, Lu G, Wei X. A self-assembled trimeric protein vaccine induces protective immunity against Omicron variant. Nat Commun 2022; 13. [PMID: 36115859 PMCID: PMC9482656 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33209-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe recently emerged Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant has rapidly surpassed Delta to become the predominant circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant, given the higher transmissibility rate and immune escape ability, resulting in breakthrough infections in vaccinated individuals. A new generation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines targeting the Omicron variant are urgently needed. Here, we developed a subunit vaccine named RBD-HR/trimer by directly linking the sequence of RBD derived from the Delta variant (containing L452R and T478K) and HR1 and HR2 in SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit in a tandem manner, which can self-assemble into a trimer. In multiple animal models, vaccination of RBD-HR/trimer formulated with MF59-like oil-in-water adjuvant elicited sustained humoral immune response with high levels of broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies against Omicron variants, also inducing a strong T cell immune response in vivo. In addition, our RBD-HR/trimer vaccine showed a strong boosting effect against Omicron variants after two doses of mRNA vaccines, featuring its capacity to be used in a prime-boost regimen. In mice and non-human primates, RBD-HR/trimer vaccination could confer a complete protection against live virus challenge of Omicron and Delta variants. The results qualified RBD-HR/trimer vaccine as a promising next-generation vaccine candidate for prevention of SARS-CoV-2, which deserved further evaluation in clinical trials.
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12
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Zhang Z, Wan X, Li X, Cai S, Wan C. Enhancing the Immunogenicity of RBD Protein Variants through Amino Acid E484 Mutation in SARS-CoV-2. Viruses 2022; 14:v14092020. [PMID: 36146826 PMCID: PMC9506138 DOI: 10.3390/v14092020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2022] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, conducting antibody testing and vaccination is critical. In particular, the continued evolution of SARS-CoV-2 raises concerns about the effectiveness of vaccines currently in use and the activity of neutralizing antibodies. Here, we used the Escherichia coli expression system to obtain nine different SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein variants, including six single-point mutants, one double-point mutant, and two three-point mutants. Western blotting results show that nine mutants of the RBD protein had strong antigenic activity in vitro. The immunogenicity of all RBD proteins was detected in mice to screen for protein mutants with high immunogenicity. The results show that the mutants E484K, E484Q, K417T-E484K-N501Y, and K417N-E484K-N501Y, especially the former two, had better immunogenicity than the wild type. This suggests that site E484 has a significant impact on the function of the RBD protein. Our results demonstrate that recombinant RBD protein expressed in E. coli can be an effective tool for the development of antibody detection methods and vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhikai Zhang
- BSL-3 Laboratory (Guangdong), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xuan Wan
- Chronic Airways Diseases Laboratory, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xinyue Li
- BSL-3 Laboratory (Guangdong), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Shaoxi Cai
- Chronic Airways Diseases Laboratory, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (C.W.)
| | - Chengsong Wan
- BSL-3 Laboratory (Guangdong), Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
- Correspondence: (S.C.); (C.W.)
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13
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Ghaemi A, Roshani Asl P, Zargaran H, Ahmadi D, Hashimi AA, Abdolalipour E, Bathaeian S, Miri SM. Recombinant COVID-19 vaccine based on recombinant RBD/Nucleoprotein and saponin adjuvant induces long-lasting neutralizing antibodies and cellular immunity. Front Immunol 2022; 13:974364. [PMID: 36159845 PMCID: PMC9494508 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.974364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has caused a global pandemic, infecting millions of people. An effective preventive vaccine against this virus is urgently needed. Here, we designed and developed a novel formulated recombinant receptor-binding domain (RBD) nucleocapsid (N) recombinant vaccine candidates. The RBD and N were separately expressed in E. coli and purified using column chromatography. The female Balb/c mice were immunized subcutaneously with the combination of purified RBD and N alone or formulated with saponin adjuvant in a two-week interval in three doses. Neutralization antibody (Nabs) titers against the SARS-CoV-2 were detected by a Surrogate Virus Neutralization (sVNT) Test. Also, total IgG and IgG1, and IgG2a isotypes and the balance of cytokines in the spleen (IFN-γ, Granzyme B, IL-4, and IL-12) were measured by ELISA. The percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were quantified by flow cytometry. The lymphoproliferative activity of restimulated spleen cells was also determined. The findings showed that the combination of RBD and N proteins formulated with saponin significantly promoted specific total IgG and neutralization antibodies, elicited robust specific lymphoproliferative and T cell response responses. Moreover, marked increase in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were observed in the adjuvanted RBD and N vaccine group compared with other groups. The results suggest that the formulations are able to elicit a specific long-lasting mixed Th1/Th2 balanced immune response. Our data indicate the significance of the saponin-adjuvanted RBD/N vaccine in the design of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and provide a rationale for the development of a protective long-lasting and strong vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Ghaemi
- Department of Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | - Parisa Roshani Asl
- Department of Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | - Delaram Ahmadi
- Department of Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
| | | | | | - Sahar Bathaeian
- Department of Influenza and other respiratory viruses, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran
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14
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Chen C, Saville JW, Marti MM, Schäfer A, Cheng MH, Mannar D, Zhu X, Berezuk AM, Banerjee A, Sobolewski MD, Kim A, Treat BR, Da Silva Castanha PM, Enick N, McCormick KD, Liu X, Adams C, Hines MG, Sun Z, Chen W, Jacobs JL, Barratt-Boyes SM, Mellors JW, Baric RS, Bahar I, Dimitrov DS, Subramaniam S, Martinez DR, Li W. Potent and broad neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) including omicron sub-lineages BA.1 and BA.2 by biparatopic human VH domains. iScience 2022; 25:104798. [PMID: 35875685 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 07/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) requires the development of next-generation biologics with high neutralization breadth. Here, we characterized a human VH domain, F6, which we generated by sequentially panning large phage-displayed VH libraries against receptor binding domains (RBDs) containing VOC mutations. Cryo-EM analyses reveal that F6 has a unique binding mode that spans a broad surface of the RBD and involves the antibody framework region. Attachment of an Fc region to a fusion of F6 and ab8, a previously characterized VH domain, resulted in a construct (F6-ab8-Fc) that broadly and potently neutralized VOCs including Omicron. Additionally, prophylactic treatment using F6-ab8-Fc reduced live Beta (B.1.351) variant viral titers in the lungs of a mouse model. Our results provide a new potential therapeutic against SARS-CoV-2 variants including Omicron and highlight a vulnerable epitope within the spike that may be exploited to achieve broad protection against circulating variants.
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15
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Sulbaran G, Maisonnasse P, Amen A, Effantin G, Guilligay D, Dereuddre-Bosquet N, Burger JA, Poniman M, Grobben M, Buisson M, Dergan Dylon S, Naninck T, Lemaître J, Gros W, Gallouët AS, Marlin R, Bouillier C, Contreras V, Relouzat F, Fenel D, Thepaut M, Bally I, Thielens N, Fieschi F, Schoehn G, van der Werf S, van Gils MJ, Sanders RW, Poignard P, Le Grand R, Weissenhorn W. Immunization with synthetic SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein virus-like particles protects macaques from infection. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100528. [PMID: 35233549 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has caused an ongoing global health crisis. Here, we present as a vaccine candidate synthetic SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein-coated lipid vesicles that resemble virus-like particles. Soluble S glycoprotein trimer stabilization by formaldehyde cross-linking introduces two major inter-protomer cross-links that keep all receptor-binding domains in the “down” conformation. Immunization of cynomolgus macaques with S coated onto lipid vesicles (S-LVs) induces high antibody titers with potent neutralizing activity against the vaccine strain, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma variants as well as T helper (Th)1 CD4+-biased T cell responses. Although anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific antibody responses are initially predominant, the third immunization boosts significant non-RBD antibody titers. Challenging vaccinated animals with SARS-CoV-2 shows a complete protection through sterilizing immunity, which correlates with the presence of nasopharyngeal anti-S immunoglobulin G (IgG) and IgA titers. Thus, the S-LV approach is an efficient and safe vaccine candidate based on a proven classical approach for further development and clinical testing. S glycoprotein formaldehyde cross-linking stabilizes S in the prefusion conformation Vaccination of cynomolgus macaques with S lipid particles induces neutralization Vaccination protects macaques against a SARS-CoV-2 challenge Sterilizing protection correlates with nasopharyngeal anti-S IgG and IgA titers
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16
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Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccines are the agreed upon weapon against the COVID-19 pandemic. This review discusses about COVID-19 subunit vaccines adjuvants and their signaling pathways, which could provide a glimpse into the selection of appropriate adjuvants for prospective vaccine development studies. AREAS COVERED In the introduction, a brief background about the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, the vaccine development race and classes of vaccine adjuvants were provided. . The antigen, trial stage, and types of adjuvants were extracted from the included articles and thun assimilated. Finally, the pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), their classes, cognate adjuvants, and potential signaling pathways were comprehended. EXPERT OPINION Adjuvants are unsung heroes of subunit vaccines. The in silico studies are very vital in avoiding several costly trial errors and save much work times. The majority of the (pre)clinical studies are promising. It is encouraging that most of the selected adjuvants are novel. Much emphasis must be paid to the optimal paring of antigen-adjuvant-PRRs for obtaining the desired vaccine effect. A good subunit vaccine/adjuvant is one that has high efficacy, safety, dose sparing, and rapid seroconversion rate and broad spectrum of immune response. In the years to come, COVID-19 adjuvanted subunit vaccines are expected to have superior utility than any other vaccines for various reasons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mekonnen
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
| | - Hylemariam Mihiretie Mengist
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Cas Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science, College of Health Sciences, Debre Markos University, Debre Markos, Ethiopia
| | - Tengchuan Jin
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- Division of Molecular Medicine, Hefei National Laboratory for Physical Sciences at Microscale, Cas Key Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Chronic Disease, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
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17
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Chaouat AE, Achdout H, Kol I, Berhani O, Roi G, Vitner EB, Melamed S, Politi B, Zahavy E, Brizic I, Lenac Rovis T, Alfi O, Wolf D, Jonjic S, Israely T, Mandelboim O. SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain fusion protein efficiently neutralizes virus infection. PLoS Pathog 2021; 17:e1010175. [PMID: 34929007 PMCID: PMC8722722 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Revised: 01/03/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic. Currently, as dangerous mutations emerge, there is an increased demand for specific treatments for SARS-CoV-2 infected patients. The spike glycoprotein on the virus envelope binds to the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) on host cells through its receptor binding domain (RBD) to mediate virus entry. Thus, blocking this interaction may inhibit viral entry and consequently stop infection. Here, we generated fusion proteins composed of the extracellular portions of ACE2 and RBD fused to the Fc portion of human IgG1 (ACE2-Ig and RBD-Ig, respectively). We demonstrate that ACE2-Ig is enzymatically active and that it can be recognized by the SARS-CoV-2 RBD, independently of its enzymatic activity. We further show that RBD-Ig efficiently inhibits in-vivo SARS-CoV-2 infection better than ACE2-Ig. Mechanistically, we show that anti-spike antibody generation, ACE2 enzymatic activity, and ACE2 surface expression were not affected by RBD-Ig. Finally, we show that RBD-Ig is more efficient than ACE2-Ig at neutralizing high virus titers. We thus propose that RBD-Ig physically blocks virus infection by binding to ACE2 and that RBD-Ig should be used for the treatment of SARS-CoV-2-infected patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigael Eva Chaouat
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Hagit Achdout
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Inbal Kol
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Orit Berhani
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Gil Roi
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Einat B. Vitner
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Sharon Melamed
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Boaz Politi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Eran Zahavy
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ilija Brizic
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Tihana Lenac Rovis
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Or Alfi
- Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
- Clinical Virology Unit, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Dana Wolf
- Lautenberg Center for General and Tumor Immunology, The Hebrew University Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem, Israel
- Clinical Virology Unit, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Stipan Jonjic
- Center for Proteomics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Tomer Israely
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness Ziona, Israel
| | - Ofer Mandelboim
- The Concern Foundation Laboratories at the Lautenberg Center for Immunology and Cancer Research, Institute for Medical Research Israel Canada (IMRIC), The Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel
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18
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Sun S, Cai Y, Song TZ, Pu Y, Cheng L, Xu H, Sun J, Meng C, Lin Y, Huang H, Zhao F, Zhang S, Gao Y, Han JB, Feng XL, Yu DD, Zhu Y, Gao P, Tang H, Zhao J, Zhang Z, Yang J, Hu Z, Fu YX, Zheng YT, Peng H. Interferon-armed RBD dimer enhances the immunogenicity of RBD for sterilizing immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Cell Res 2021; 31:1011-23. [PMID: 34267349 DOI: 10.1038/s41422-021-00531-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused a global crisis, urgently necessitating the development of safe, efficacious, convenient-to-store, and low-cost vaccine options. A major challenge is that the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-only vaccine fails to trigger long-lasting protective immunity if used alone for vaccination. To enhance antigen processing and cross-presentation in draining lymph nodes (DLNs), we developed an interferon (IFN)-armed RBD dimerized by an immunoglobulin fragment (I-R-F). I-R-F efficiently directs immunity against RBD to DLNs. A low dose of I-R-F induces not only high titers of long-lasting neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) but also more comprehensive T cell responses than RBD. Notably, I-R-F provides comprehensive protection in the form of a one-dose vaccine without an adjuvant. Our study shows that the pan-epitope modified human I-R-F (I-P-R-F) vaccine provides rapid and complete protection throughout the upper and lower respiratory tracts against a high-dose SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques. Based on these promising results, we have initiated a randomized, placebo-controlled, phase I/II trial of the human I-P-R-F vaccine (V-01) in 180 healthy adults, and the vaccine appears safe and elicits strong antiviral immune responses. Due to its potency and safety, this engineered vaccine may become a next-generation vaccine candidate in the global effort to overcome COVID-19.
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19
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Zhang J, Hu Z, He J, Liao Y, Li Y, Pei R, Fang X, Zeng P, Fan R, Ou Z, Deng J, Zhou J, Guan W, Min Y, Deng F, Peng H, Zhang Z, Feng C, Xin B. Safety and immunogenicity of a recombinant interferon-armed RBD dimer vaccine (V-01) for COVID-19 in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase I trial. Emerg Microbes Infect 2021; 10:1589-1597. [PMID: 34197281 PMCID: PMC8366678 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2021.1951126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Safe and effective vaccines are still urgently needed to cope with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, we developed a recombinant COVID-19 vaccine (V-01) containing fusion protein (IFN-PADRE-RBD-Fc dimer) as antigen verified to induce protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in pre-clinical study, which supported progression to Phase I clinical trials in humans. A Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled Phase I clinical trial was initiated at the Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Gaozhou, China) in February 2021. Healthy adults aged between 18 and 59 years and over 60 years were sequentially enrolled and randomly allocated into three subgroups (1:1:1) either to receive the vaccine (10, 25, and 50 μg) or placebo (V-01: Placebo = 4:1) intramuscularly with a 21-day interval by a sentinel and dose escalation design. The data showed a promising safety profile with approximately 25% vaccine-related overall adverse events (AEs) within 30 days and no grade 3 or worse AEs. Besides, V-01 provoked rapid and strong immune responses, elicited substantially high-titre neutralizing antibodies and anti-RBD IgG peaked at day 35 or 49 after first dose, presented with encouraging immunogenicity at low dose (10 μg) subgroup and elderly participants, which showed great promise to be used as all-aged (18 and above) vaccine against COVID-19. Taken together, our preliminary findings indicate that V-01 is safe and well tolerated, capable of inducing rapid and strong immune responses, and warrants further testing in Phase II/III clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jikai Zhang
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Biological Products and Materia Medica, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhongyu Hu
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianfeng He
- Guangdong Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuyi Liao
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Biological Products and Materia Medica, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuan Li
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Biological Products and Materia Medica, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Rongjuan Pei
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Fang
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Peiyu Zeng
- Gaozhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maoming, People's Republic of China
| | - Renfeng Fan
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Biological Products and Materia Medica, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhiqiang Ou
- Guangdong Provincial Institute of Biological Products and Materia Medica, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
| | - Jinglong Deng
- Gaozhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maoming, People's Republic of China
| | - Jian Zhou
- Gaozhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Maoming, People's Republic of China
| | - Wuxiang Guan
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuanqin Min
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Fei Deng
- Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, People's Republic of China
| | - Hua Peng
- Key Laboratory of Infection and Immunity, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunyan Feng
- LivzonBio Inc., Zhuhai, People's Republic of China
| | - Baobao Xin
- LivzonBio Inc., Zhuhai, People's Republic of China
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20
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Wang XF, Zhang MJ, He N, Wang YC, Yan C, Chen XZ, Gao XF, Guo J, Luo R, Liu Z. Potent Neutralizing Antibodies Elicited by RBD-Fc-Based COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Adjuvanted by the Th2-Skewing iNKT Cell Agonist. J Med Chem 2021; 64:11554-11569. [PMID: 34279930 PMCID: PMC8315257 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c00881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
The development of a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine is of paramount importance to terminate the current pandemic. An adjuvant is crucial for improving the efficacy of the subunit COVID19 vaccine. α-Galactosylceramide (αGC) is a classical iNKT cell agonist which causes the rapid production of Th1- and Th2-associated cytokines; we, therefore, expect that the Th1- or Th2-skewing analogues of αGC can better enhance the immunogenicity of the receptor-binding domain in the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 fused with the Fc region of human IgG (RBD-Fc). Herein, we developed a universal synthetic route to the Th1-biasing (α-C-GC) and Th2-biasing (OCH and C20:2) analogues. Immunization of mice demonstrated that αGC-adjuvanted RBD-Fc elicited a more potent humoral response than that observed with Alum and enabled the sparing of antigens. Remarkably, at a low dose of the RBD-Fc protein (2 μg), the Th2-biasing agonist C20:2 induced a significantly higher titer of the neutralizing antibody than that of Alum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi-Feng Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
| | - Meng-Jia Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, P. R. China
| | - Na He
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
| | - Ya-Cong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
| | - Cheng Yan
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
| | - Xiang-Zhao Chen
- Key Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of
Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Diseases of Ministry of Education, Gannan
Medical University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi 341000,
China
| | - Xiao-Fei Gao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry and
Instrumentation, East China University of Technology, Nanchang,
Jiangxi 330013, China
| | - Jun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
| | - Rui Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Agricultural Microbiology,
College of Veterinary Medicine, Huazhong Agricultural
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, P. R. China
| | - Zheng Liu
- Key Laboratory of Pesticide & Chemical Biology of
Ministry of Education, Hubei International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base
of Pesticide and Green Synthesis, International Joint Research Center for Intelligent
Biosensing Technology and Health, College of Chemistry, Central China Normal
University, Wuhan, Hubei 430079, P. R. China
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21
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Gao X, Peng S, Mei S, Liang K, Khan MSI, Vong EG, Zhan J. Expression and functional identification of recombinant SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) from E. coli system. Prep Biochem Biotechnol 2021; 52:318-324. [PMID: 34187304 DOI: 10.1080/10826068.2021.1941106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is located in the C-terminal of S1 subunit of the spike (S) protein which is responsible for recognizing and binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. The DNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 RBD was inserted into pET-28a (+) to construct expression plasmid pET-28a (+)/RBD. The desired RBD protein was produced in E. coli Rosetta (DE) and purified by a Ni-NTA column. The recombinant RBD was analyzed by SDS-PAGE and Western blot. The flow cytometry analysis indicated that the recombinant RBD is capable of binding to human ACE2 (hACE2) in the ACE2-overexpressed HEK293A-hACE2 cells. Our results demonstrated that recombinant RBD expressed in E. coli Rosetta (DE) strain has bioactivities and can be used as an antigen for diagnosis and as a tool for the development of novel anti-viral drugs against SASR-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiangzheng Gao
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shanshan Peng
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shengsheng Mei
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Keying Liang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Muhammad Saleem Iqbal Khan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Eu Gene Vong
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jinbiao Zhan
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Cancer Institute of the Second Affiliated Hospital (Key Laboratory of Cancer Prevention and Intervention, China National Ministry of Education), Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
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22
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Elia U, Ramishetti S, Rosenfeld R, Dammes N, Bar-Haim E, Naidu GS, Makdasi E, Yahalom-Ronen Y, Tamir H, Paran N, Cohen O, Peer D. Design of SARS-CoV-2 hFc-Conjugated Receptor-Binding Domain mRNA Vaccine Delivered via Lipid Nanoparticles. ACS Nano 2021; 15:9627-9637. [PMID: 33480671 PMCID: PMC7860138 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.0c10180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the causal agent of COVID-19 and stands at the center of the current global human pandemic, with death toll exceeding one million. The urgent need for a vaccine has led to the development of various immunization approaches. mRNA vaccines represent a cell-free, simple, and rapid platform for immunization, and therefore have been employed in recent studies toward the development of a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. Herein, we present the design of an mRNA vaccine, based on lipid nanoparticles (LNPs)-encapsulated SARS-CoV-2 human Fc-conjugated receptor-binding domain (RBD-hFc). Several ionizable lipids have been evaluated in vivo in a luciferase (luc) mRNA reporter assay, and two leading LNPs formulations have been chosen for the subsequent RBD-hFc mRNA vaccine strategy. Intramuscular administration of LNP RBD-hFc mRNA elicited robust humoral response, a high level of neutralizing antibodies and a Th1-biased cellular response in BALB/c mice. The data in the current study demonstrate the potential of these lipids as promising candidates for LNP-based mRNA vaccines in general and for a COVID19 vaccine in particular.
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Affiliation(s)
- Uri Elia
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Shmunis School
for Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby
and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics,
Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Srinivas Ramishetti
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Shmunis School
for Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby
and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Ronit Rosenfeld
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics,
Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Niels Dammes
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Shmunis School
for Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby
and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Erez Bar-Haim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics,
Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Gonna Somu Naidu
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Shmunis School
for Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby
and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
| | - Efi Makdasi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel
Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Yfat Yahalom-Ronen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel
Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Hadas Tamir
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel
Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Nir Paran
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Israel
Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Ofer Cohen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics,
Israel Institute for Biological Research, Ness-Ziona 76100,
Israel
| | - Dan Peer
- Laboratory of Precision NanoMedicine, Shmunis School
for Biomedicine and Cancer Research, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology,
Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978,
Israel
- Department of Materials Sciences and Engineering, Iby
and Aladar Fleischman Faculty of Engineering, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
- Cancer Biology Research Center, Tel Aviv
University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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23
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Chen C, Sun Z, Liu X, Li W, Dimitrov DS. Protocol for constructing large size human antibody heavy chain variable domain (V H) library and selection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody domains. STAR Protoc 2021; 2:100617. [PMID: 34095859 PMCID: PMC8164376 DOI: 10.1016/j.xpro.2021.100617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
This protocol is a comprehensive guide to phage display-based selection of virus neutralizing VH antibody domains. It details three optimized parts including (1) construction of a large-sized (theoretically > 1011) naïve human antibody heavy chain domain library, (2) SARS-CoV-2 antigen expression and stable cell line construction, and (3) library panning for selection of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody domains. Using this protocol, we identified a high-affinity neutralizing human VH antibody domain, VH ab8, which exhibits high prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Li et al. (2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Chuan Chen
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Zehua Sun
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Xianglei Liu
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Wei Li
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Dimiter S. Dimitrov
- Center for Antibody Therapeutics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical School, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Abound Bio, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author
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24
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Tong J, Zhu C, Lai H, Feng C, Zhou D. Potent Neutralization Antibodies Induced by a Recombinant Trimeric Spike Protein Vaccine Candidate Containing PIKA Adjuvant for COVID-19. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:296. [PMID: 33810026 PMCID: PMC8004863 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9030296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The structures of immunogens that elicit the most potent neutralization antibodies to prevent COVID-19 infection are still under investigation. In this study, we tested the efficacy of a recombinant trimeric Spike protein containing polyI:C (PIKA) adjuvant in mice immunized by a 0-7-14 day schedule. The results showed that a Spike protein-specific antibody was induced at Day 21 with titer of above 50,000 on average, as measured by direct binding. The neutralizing titer was above 1000 on average, as determined by a pseudo-virus using monoclonal antibodies (40592-MM57 and 40591-MM43) with IC50 at 1 μg/mL as standards. The protein/peptide array-identified receptor-binding domain (RBD) was considered as immunodominant. No linear epitopes were found in the RBD, although several linear epitopes were found in the C-terminal domain right after the RBD and heptad repeat regions. Our study supports the efficacy of a recombinant trimeric Spike protein vaccine candidate for COVID-19 that is safe and ready for storage and distribution in developing countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiao Tong
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; (J.T.); (C.Z.); (H.L.); (C.F.)
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center Affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
| | - Chenxi Zhu
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; (J.T.); (C.Z.); (H.L.); (C.F.)
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center Affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
| | - Hanyu Lai
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; (J.T.); (C.Z.); (H.L.); (C.F.)
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center Affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
| | - Chunchao Feng
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; (J.T.); (C.Z.); (H.L.); (C.F.)
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center Affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
| | - Dapeng Zhou
- Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200092, China; (J.T.); (C.Z.); (H.L.); (C.F.)
- Shanghai Pudong New Area Mental Health Center Affiliated with Tongji University School of Medicine, 165 Sanlin Road, Shanghai 200124, China
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25
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Srivastava V, Niu L, Phadke KS, Bellaire BH, Cho MW. Induction of Potent and Durable Neutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Using a Receptor Binding Domain-Based Immunogen. Front Immunol 2021; 12:637982. [PMID: 33777030 PMCID: PMC7991075 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.637982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A novel betacoronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that causes severe pneumonia emerged through zoonosis in late 2019. The disease, referred to as COVID-19, has an alarming mortality rate and it is having a devastating effect on the global economy and public health systems. A safe, effective vaccine is urgently needed to halt this pandemic. In this study, immunogenicity of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike (S) glycoprotein was examined in mice. Animals were immunized with recombinant RBD antigen intraperitoneally using three different adjuvants (Zn-chitosan, Alhydrogel, and Adju-Phos), and antibody responses were followed for over 5 months. Results showed that potent neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) can be induced with 70% neutralization titer (NT70) of ~14,580 against live, infectious viruses. Although antigen-binding antibody titers decreased gradually over time, sufficiently protective levels of nAbs persisted (NT80 >2,430) over the 5-month observation period. Results also showed that adjuvants have profound effects on kinetics of nAb induction, total antibody titers, antibody avidity, antibody longevity, and B-cell epitopes targeted by the immune system. In conclusion, a recombinant subunit protein immunogen based on the RBD is a highly promising vaccine candidate. Continued evaluation of RBD immunogenicity using different adjuvants and vaccine regimens could further improve vaccine efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vikram Srivastava
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Ling Niu
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Kruttika S. Phadke
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Bryan H. Bellaire
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
| | - Michael W. Cho
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- Interdepartmental Microbiology Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, United States
- NeoVaxSyn, Inc., Ames, IA, United States
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26
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Shi Y, Shi J, Sun L, Tan Y, Wang G, Guo F, Hu G, Fu Y, Fu ZF, Xiao S, Peng G. Insight into vaccine development for Alpha-coronaviruses based on structural and immunological analyses of spike proteins. J Virol 2021; 95:JVI. [PMID: 33414160 DOI: 10.1128/JVI.02284-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronaviruses that infect humans belong to the Alpha-coronavirus (including HCoV-229E) and Beta-coronavirus (including SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) genera. In particular, SARS-CoV-2 is currently a major threat to public health worldwide. The spike (S) homotrimers bind to their receptors via the receptor-binding domain (RBD), which is a major target to block viral entry. In this study, we selected Alpha-coronavirus (HCoV-229E) and Beta-coronavirus (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) as models. Their RBDs exist two different conformational states (lying or standing) in the prefusion S-trimer structure. Then, the differences in the immune responses to RBDs from these coronaviruses were analyzed structurally and immunologically. Our results showed that more RBD-specific antibodies (antibody titers: 1.28×105; 2.75×105) were induced by the S-trimer with the RBD in the "standing" state (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) than the S-trimer with the RBD in the "lying" state (HCoV-229E, antibody titers: <500), and more S-trimer-specific antibodies were induced by the RBD in the SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 (antibody titers: 6.72×105; 5×105) than HCoV-229E (antibody titers:1.125×103). Besides, we found that the ability of the HCoV-229E RBD to induce neutralizing antibodies was lower than S-trimer, and the intact and stable S1 subunit was essential for producing efficient neutralizing antibodies against HCoV-229E. Importantly, our results reveal different vaccine strategies for coronaviruses, and S-trimer is better than RBD as a target for vaccine development in Alpha-coronavirus Our findings will provide important implications for future development of coronavirus vaccines.Importance Outbreak of coronaviruses, especially SARS-CoV-2, poses a serious threat to global public health. Development of vaccines to prevent the coronaviruses that can infect humans has always been a top priority. Coronavirus spike (S) protein is considered as a major target for vaccine development. Currently, structural studies have shown that Alpha-coronavirus (HCoV-229E) and Beta-coronavirus (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) RBDs are in "lying" and "standing" states in the prefusion S-trimer structure. Here, we evaluated the ability of S-trimer and RBD to induce neutralizing antibodies among these coronaviruses. Our results showed that the S-trimer and RBD are both candidates for subunit vaccines in Beta-coronavirus (SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2) with a RBD "standing" state. However, for Alpha-coronavirus (HCoV-229E) with a RBD "lying" state, the S-trimer may be more suitable for subunit vaccines than the RBD. Our results will provide novel ideas for the development of vaccines targeting S protein in the future.
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