1
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Usdan L, Patel S, Rodriguez H, Xu X, Lee DY, Finn D, Wyper H, Lowry FS, Mensa FJ, Lu C, Cooper D, Koury K, Anderson AS, Türeci Ö, Şahin U, Swanson KA, Gruber WC, Kitchin N. A Bivalent Omicron-BA.4/BA.5-Adapted BNT162b2 Booster in ≥12-Year-Olds. Clin Infect Dis 2024; 78:1194-1203. [PMID: 38016021 PMCID: PMC11093671 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Protection against contemporary severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants requires sequence-adapted vaccines. METHODS In this ongoing phase 2/3 trial, 12-17-year-olds (n = 108), 18-55-year-olds (n = 313), and >55-year-olds (n = 306) who previously received 3 original BNT162b2 30-µg doses, received a fourth dose (second booster) of 30-µg bivalent original/Omicron-BA.4/BA.5-adapted BNT162b2 (BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5). For comparisons with original BNT162b2, participants were selected from another phase 3 trial. Immunologic superiority 1 month after vaccination, with respect to 50% neutralizing titers (lower bound [LB] of 2-sided 95% confidence interval [CI] for geometric mean ratio [GMR], >1), and noninferiority with respect to seroresponse rates (LB of 2-sided 95% CI for rate difference, greater than -5%), for Omicron BA.4/BA.5 were assessed in >55-year-olds versus original BNT162b2 as a second booster. Noninferiority with respect to neutralizing titer level (LB of 2-sided 95% CI for GMR, > 0.67) and seroresponse rate (LB of 2-sided 95% CI for rate difference, greater than -10%) of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 immune response for BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 in 18-55 versus >55-year-olds was assessed. RESULTS One month after vaccination in >55-year-olds, the model-adjusted GMR of Omicron BA.4/BA.5 neutralizing titers for the BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 versus BNT162b2 groups (2.91 [95% CI, 2.45-3.44]) demonstrated the superiority of BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5. Adjusted difference in the percentages of >55-year-olds with seroresponse (26.77% [95% CI, 19.59-33.95]) showed noninferiority of BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 to BNT162b2. Noninferiority of BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 in 18-55-year-olds compared with >55-year-olds was met for model-adjusted GMR and seroresponse. Geometric mean titers in 12-17-year-olds increased from baseline to 1 month after vaccination. The BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 safety profile was similar to the profiles for booster doses of bivalent Omicron BA.1-modified BNT162b2 and original BNT162b2 reported in previous studies. CONCLUSIONS Based on immunogenicity and safety data up to 1 month after vaccination in participants who previously received 3 original BNT162b2 doses, a BNT162b2-Omi.BA.4/BA.5 30-µg booster has a favorable benefit-risk profile. CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION NCT05472038.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sohil Patel
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Hurley, United Kingdom
| | | | - Xia Xu
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Dung-Yang Lee
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Daniel Finn
- Kentucky Pediatric/Adult Research, Bardstown, Kentucky, USA
| | - Hayley Wyper
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Hurley, United Kingdom
| | - Francine S Lowry
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Collegeville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Claire Lu
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, New York, USA
| | - David Cooper
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, New York, USA
| | - Kenneth Koury
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, New York, USA
| | | | | | | | - Kena A Swanson
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, New York, USA
| | - William C Gruber
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Pearl River, New York, USA
| | - Nicholas Kitchin
- Vaccine Research and Development, Pfizer, Hurley, United Kingdom
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2
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Mahalingam G, Rachamalla HK, Arjunan P, Karuppusamy KV, Periyasami Y, Mohan A, Subramaniyam K, M S, Rajendran V, Moorthy M, Varghese GM, Mohankumar KM, Thangavel S, Srivastava A, Marepally S. SMART-lipid nanoparticles enabled mRNA vaccine elicits cross-reactive humoral responses against the omicron sub-variants. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1284-1297. [PMID: 38414245 PMCID: PMC11081802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.02.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
The continual emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants has necessitated the development of broad cross-reactive vaccines. Recent findings suggest that enhanced antigen presentation could lead to cross-reactive humoral responses against the emerging variants. Toward enhancing the antigen presentation to dendritic cells (DCs), we developed a novel shikimoylated mannose receptor targeting lipid nanoparticle (SMART-LNP) system that could effectively deliver mRNAs into DCs. To improve the translation of mRNA, we developed spike domain-based trimeric S1 (TS1) mRNA with optimized codon sequence, base modification, and engineered 5' and 3' UTRs. In a mouse model, SMART-LNP-TS1 vaccine could elicit robust broad cross-reactive IgGs against Omicron sub-variants, and induced interferon-γ-producing T cells against SARS-CoV-2 virus compared with non-targeted LNP-TS1 vaccine. Further, T cells analysis revealed that SMART-LNP-TS1 vaccine induced long-lived memory T cell subsets, T helper 1 (Th1)-dominant and cytotoxic T cells immune responses against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Importantly, SMART-LNP-TS1 vaccine produced strong Th1-predominant humoral and cellular immune responses. Overall, SMART-LNPs can be explored for precise antigenic mRNA delivery and robust immune responses. This platform technology can be explored further as a next-generation delivery system for mRNA-based immune therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gokulnath Mahalingam
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Hari Krishnareddy Rachamalla
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic Florida, 4500 San Pablo Road S, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA
| | - Porkizhi Arjunan
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Karthik V Karuppusamy
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India; Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, Karnataka 576104, India
| | - Yogapriya Periyasami
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Aruna Mohan
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Kanimozhi Subramaniyam
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Salma M
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Vigneshwar Rajendran
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Mahesh Moorthy
- Department of Clinical Virology, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - George M Varghese
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Kumarasamypet M Mohankumar
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Saravanabhavan Thangavel
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Alok Srivastava
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India
| | - Srujan Marepally
- Centre for Stem Cell Research (CSCR) (a unit of inStem, Bengaluru), CMC Campus, Vellore, TN 632002, India.
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3
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Li H, Wang X, Wang S, Feng X, Wang L, Li Y. Acceptance, safety, and immunogenicity of a booster dose of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with primary biliary cholangitis. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28405. [PMID: 38560178 PMCID: PMC10981126 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28405] [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: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Inactivated coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines showed impaired immunogenicity in some autoimmune diseases, but it remains unclear in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). This study aimed to explore the antibody response to the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine in individuals with PBC, as well as to evaluate coverage, safety, and attitudes toward the COVID-19 vaccine among them. Two cohorts of patients with PBC were enrolled in this study. One cohort was arranged to evaluate the immunogenicity of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, another cohort participated in an online survey. The titers of the anti-receptor-binding domain (RBD)-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), neutralizing antibody (NAb) toward severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 wild-type, and NAb toward Omicron BA.4/5 subvariants were detected to assess antibody response from the vaccine. After booster vaccination for more than six months, patients with PBC had significantly lowered levels of anti-RBD-specific IgG compared to HCs, and the inhibition rates of NAb toward wild-type also declined in individuals with PBC. The detected levels of NAb toward Omicron BA.4/5 were below the positive threshold in patients with PBC and HCs. Laboratory parameters did not significantly correlate with any of the three antibodies. The online survey revealed that 24% of patients with PBC received three COVID-19 vaccines, while 63% were unimmunized. Adverse effect rates after the first, second, and third vaccine doses were 6.1%, 10.3%, and 9.5%, respectively. Unvaccinated patients with PBC were more worried about the safety of the vaccine than those who were vaccinated (P = 0.004). As a result, this study fills the immunological assessment gap in patients with PBC who received inactivated COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haolong Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Siyu Wang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Xinxin Feng
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- Department of Rheumatology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
| | - Yongzhe Li
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
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4
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Chen Z, Liu Z, Feng Y, Shi A, Wu L, Sang Y, Li C. Global research on RNA vaccines for COVID-19 from 2019 to 2023: a bibliometric analysis. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1259788. [PMID: 38426106 PMCID: PMC10902429 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1259788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Since the global pandemic of COVID-19 has broken out, thousands of pieces of literature on COVID-19 RNA vaccines have been published in various journals. The overall measurement and analysis of RNA vaccines for COVID-19, with the help of sophisticated mathematical tools, could provide deep insights into global research performance and the collaborative architectural structure within the scientific community of COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. In this bibliometric analysis, we aim to determine the extent of the scientific output related to COVID-19 RNA vaccines between 2019 and 2023. Methods We applied the Bibliometrix R package for comprehensive science mapping analysis of extensive bibliographic metadata retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection database. On January 11th, 2024, the Web of Science database was searched for COVID-19 RNA vaccine-related publications using predetermined search keywords with specific restrictions. Bradford's law was applied to evaluate the core journals in this field. The data was analyzed with various bibliometric indicators using the Bibliometrix R package. Results The final analysis included 2962 publications published between 2020 and 2023 while there is no related publication in 2019. The most productive year was 2022. The most relevant leading authors in terms of publications were Ugur Sahin and Pei-Yong, Shi, who had the highest total citations in this field. The core journals were Vaccines, Frontiers in Immunology, and Viruses-Basel. The most frequently used author's keywords were COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and vaccine. Recent COVID-19 RNA vaccine-related topics included mental health, COVID-19 vaccines in humans, people, and the pandemic. Harvard University was the top-ranked institution. The leading country in terms of publications, citations, corresponding author country, and international collaboration was the United States. The United States had the most robust collaboration with China. Conclusion The research hotspots include COVID-19 vaccines and the pandemic in people. We identified international collaboration and research expenditure strongly associated with COVID-19 vaccine research productivity. Researchers' collaboration among developed countries should be extended to low-income countries to expand COVID-19 vaccine-related research and understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyi Chen
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, the First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Zhiliang Liu
- Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Cancer Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Yali Feng
- Department of Pathology, Jiangxi Provincial Chest Hospital, Nanchang, China
| | - Aochen Shi
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, the First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Liqing Wu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, the First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Yi Sang
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, the First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
| | - Chenxi Li
- Center for Molecular Diagnosis and Precision Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory of Cancer Metastasis and Precision Treatment, the First Hospital of Nanchang, Nanchang, China
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5
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Baerends EAM, Reekie J, Andreasen SR, Stærke NB, Raben D, Nielsen H, Petersen KT, Johansen IS, Lindvig SO, Madsen LW, Wiese L, Iversen MB, Benfield T, Iversen KK, Larsen FD, Andersen SD, Juhl AK, Dietz LL, Hvidt AK, Ostrowski SR, Krause TG, Østergaard L, Søgaard OS, Lundgren J, Tolstrup M. Omicron Variant-Specific Serological Imprinting Following BA.1 or BA.4/5 Bivalent Vaccination and Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection: A Cohort Study. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:1511-1520. [PMID: 37392436 PMCID: PMC10686961 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outpaces monovalent vaccine cross-protection to new viral variants. Consequently, bivalent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines including Omicron antigens were developed. The contrasting immunogenicity of the bivalent vaccines and the impact of prior antigenic exposure on new immune imprinting remains to be clarified. METHODS In the large prospective ENFORCE cohort, we quantified spike-specific antibodies to 5 Omicron variants (BA.1 to BA.5) before and after BA.1 or BA.4/5 bivalent booster vaccination to compare Omicron variant-specific antibody inductions. We evaluated the impact of previous infection and characterized the dominant antibody responses. RESULTS Prior to the bivalent fourth vaccine, all participants (N = 1697) had high levels of Omicron-specific antibodies. Antibody levels were significantly higher in individuals with a previous polymerase chain reaction positive (PCR+) infection, particularly for BA.2-specific antibodies (geometric mean ratio [GMR] 6.79, 95% confidence interval [CI] 6.05-7.62). Antibody levels were further significantly boosted in all individuals by receiving either of the bivalent vaccines, but greater fold inductions to all Omicron variants were observed in individuals with no prior infection. The BA.1 bivalent vaccine generated a dominant response toward BA.1 (adjusted GMR 1.31, 95% CI 1.09-1.57) and BA.3 (1.32, 1.09-1.59) antigens in individuals with no prior infection, whereas the BA.4/5 bivalent vaccine generated a dominant response toward BA.2 (0.87, 0.76-0.98), BA.4 (0.85, 0.75-0.97), and BA.5 (0.87, 0.76-0.99) antigens in individuals with a prior infection. CONCLUSIONS Vaccination and previous infection leave a clear serological imprint that is focused on the variant-specific antigen. Importantly, both bivalent vaccines induce high levels of Omicron variant-specific antibodies, suggesting broad cross-protection of Omicron variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva A M Baerends
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Joanne Reekie
- Center of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Signe R Andreasen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Nina B Stærke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Dorthe Raben
- Center of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Henrik Nielsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Kristine T Petersen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Isik S Johansen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Susan O Lindvig
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lone W Madsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
| | - Lothar Wiese
- Department of Medicine, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Mette B Iversen
- Department of Medicine, Zealand University Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Thomas Benfield
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital—Amager and Hvidovre, Hvidovre, Denmark
- Departments of Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Kasper K Iversen
- Departments of Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Cardiology and Emergency Medicine, Herlev Hospital, Herlev, Denmark
| | - Fredrikke D Larsen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sidsel D Andersen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Anna K Juhl
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Lisa L Dietz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Astrid K Hvidt
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Sisse R Ostrowski
- Department of Clinical Immunology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Tyra G Krause
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and Prevention, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Lars Østergaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Ole S Søgaard
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Jens Lundgren
- Center of Excellence for Health, Immunity and Infections, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Departments of Clinical Medicine and Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Martin Tolstrup
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Aarhus University Hospital, Aarhus, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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6
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Ong CP, Tang K, Cheung PHH, Zhang H, Tang TT, Xue Y, Wang J, To KKW, Yuan S, Ye ZW, Jin DY. Monovalent vaccination with inactivated SARS-CoV-2 BA.5 protects hamsters against Omicron but not non-Omicron variants. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:177. [PMID: 37985668 PMCID: PMC10662430 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00776-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We compared the protective effects of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines derived from the ancestral and the currently circulating BA.5.2 strains against infection with multiple variants in Syrian golden hamsters. Vaccination with BA.5.2 effectively protected against infection with the Omicron subvariants including XBB.1, but not the Alpha or Delta variant. In contrast, hamsters vaccinated with the ancestral strain demonstrated decent neutralization activity against both the Omicron and non-Omicron variants. Our findings might instruct future design and formulation of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chon Phin Ong
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kaiming Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Pak-Hin Hinson Cheung
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hongzhuo Zhang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tze-Tung Tang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yaqian Xue
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Junjue Wang
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Kelvin Kai-Wang To
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuofeng Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Emerging Infectious Diseases, Carol Yu Centre for Infection, Department of Microbiology, School of Clinical Medicine, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
- Department of Infectious Disease and Microbiology, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
| | - Zi-Wei Ye
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
| | - Dong-Yan Jin
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China.
- Centre for Virology, Vaccinology and Therapeutics, Hong Kong Science and Technology Park, Shatin, Hong Kong, China.
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7
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Muik A, Lui BG, Quandt J, Diao H, Fu Y, Bacher M, Gordon J, Toker A, Grosser J, Ozhelvaci O, Grikscheit K, Hoehl S, Kohmer N, Lustig Y, Regev-Yochay G, Ciesek S, Beguir K, Poran A, Vogler I, Türeci Ö, Sahin U. Progressive loss of conserved spike protein neutralizing antibody sites in Omicron sublineages is balanced by preserved T cell immunity. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112888. [PMID: 37527039 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Revised: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant has led to the emergence of sublineages with different patterns of neutralizing antibody evasion. We report that Omicron BA.4/BA.5 breakthrough infection of individuals immunized with SARS-CoV-2 wild-type-strain-based mRNA vaccines results in a boost of Omicron BA.4.6, BF.7, BQ.1.1, and BA.2.75 neutralization but does not efficiently boost BA.2.75.2, XBB, or XBB.1.5 neutralization. In silico analyses showed that the Omicron spike glycoprotein lost most neutralizing B cell epitopes, especially in sublineages BA.2.75.2, XBB, and XBB.1.5. In contrast, T cell epitopes are conserved across variants including XBB.1.5. T cell responses of mRNA-vaccinated, SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals against the wild-type strain, Omicron BA.1, and BA.4/BA.5 were comparable, suggesting that T cell immunity against recent sublineages including XBB.1.5 may remain largely unaffected. While some Omicron sublineages effectively evade B cell immunity, spike-protein-specific T cell immunity, due to the nature of polymorphic cell-mediated immune responses, may continue to contribute to prevention/limitation of severe COVID-19 manifestation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Huitian Diao
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | - Yunguan Fu
- InstaDeep, Ltd., 5 Merchant Square, London W2 1AY, UK
| | - Maren Bacher
- BioNTech, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Aras Toker
- BioNTech, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | | | | | - Katharina Grikscheit
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Sebastian Hoehl
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Niko Kohmer
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Yaniv Lustig
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; Central Virology Laboratory, Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Tel-Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Gili Regev-Yochay
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel; SPRI-Sheba Pandemic Preparedness Research Institute, Sheba Medical Center Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; DZIF - German Centre for Infection Research, External Partner Site, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Karim Beguir
- InstaDeep, Ltd., 5 Merchant Square, London W2 1AY, UK
| | - Asaf Poran
- BioNTech US, 40 Erie Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
| | | | - Özlem Türeci
- BioNTech, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; HI-TRON - Helmholtz Institute for Translational Oncology Mainz by DKFZ, Obere Zahlbacherstr. 63, 55131 Mainz, Germany
| | - Ugur Sahin
- BioNTech, An der Goldgrube 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany; TRON gGmbH - Translational Oncology at the University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Freiligrathstraße 12, 55131 Mainz, Germany.
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8
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Ovcar E, Patyna S, Kohmer N, Heckel-Kratz E, Ciesek S, Rabenau HF, Hauser IA, de Groot K. Riding the Omicron BA.5 Wave: Improved Humoral Response after Vaccination with Bivalent Omicron BA.4-5-Adapted mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Chronic Hemodialysis Patients. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1428. [PMID: 37766105 PMCID: PMC10537021 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11091428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hemodialysis patients faced an excess morbidity and mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic. We evaluated the effect of second-generation mRNA vaccines against Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants of SARS-CoV-2 on humoral immunity. The study population comprised 66 adult hemodialysis patients who have encountered four SARS-CoV-2 antigen contacts through vaccination or infection. We assessed their humoral response using an anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain IgG antibody assay (S-RBD-ab), measuring neutralizing antibodies against ancestral strain of SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron in a surrogate virus neutralization test (SVNT), and specifically against BA.5 in a plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) before and four weeks after vaccination with Comirnaty Original/Omicron BA.4-5. During the following six months, SARS-CoV-2 infections and symptom severity were documented. The bivalent mRNA vaccine led to a 7.6-fold increase in S-RBD-ab levels and an augmented inhibition of the Omicron variant in SVNT by 35% (median). Seroconversion in the Omicron BA.5-specific PRNT was attained by in 78.4% of previously negative patients (29/37). Levels of S-RBD-ab correlated with inhibition in the Omicron-specific SVNT and neutralization titers in the BA.5-PRNT. Eleven SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred in the six-month follow-up, none of which took a life-threatening course. The bivalent mRNA vaccine improved the SARS-CoV-2 virus variant-specific humoral immunity in chronic hemodialysis patients. Measurement of S-RBD-ab can be used in hemodialysis patients to estimate their humoral immunity status against Omicron BA.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugen Ovcar
- Department of Internal Medicine 4, Nephrology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- KfH Kuratorium for Dialysis and Transplantation, 63069 Offenbach am Main, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Sana Klinikum, 63069 Offenbach am Main, Germany
| | - Sammy Patyna
- Department of Internal Medicine 4, Nephrology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Niko Kohmer
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | | | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research, External Partner Site, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology (IME), Branch Translational Medicine and Pharmacology, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Holger F Rabenau
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60596 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Ingeborg A Hauser
- Department of Internal Medicine 4, Nephrology, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Kirsten de Groot
- KfH Kuratorium for Dialysis and Transplantation, 63069 Offenbach am Main, Germany
- Department of Internal Medicine III, Internal Medicine, Nephrology, Rheumatology, Sana Klinikum, 63069 Offenbach am Main, Germany
- University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt, 60590 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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9
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Lee WS, Tan HX, Reynaldi A, Esterbauer R, Koutsakos M, Nguyen J, Amarasena T, Kent HE, Aggarwal A, Turville SG, Taiaroa G, Kinsella P, Liew KC, Tran T, Williamson DA, Cromer D, Davenport MP, Kent SJ, Juno JA, Khoury DS, Wheatley AK. Durable reprogramming of neutralizing antibody responses following Omicron breakthrough infection. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadg5301. [PMID: 37478181 PMCID: PMC10361595 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg5301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) breakthrough infection of vaccinated individuals is increasingly common with the circulation of highly immune evasive and transmissible Omicron variants. Here, we report the dynamics and durability of recalled spike-specific humoral immunity following Omicron BA.1 or BA.2 breakthrough infection, with longitudinal sampling up to 8 months after infection. Both BA.1 and BA.2 infections robustly boosted neutralization activity against the infecting strain while expanding breadth against BA.4, although neutralization activity was substantially reduced for the more recent XBB and BQ.1.1 strains. Cross-reactive memory B cells against both ancestral and Omicron spike were predominantly expanded by infection, with limited recruitment of de novo Omicron-specific B cells or antibodies. Modeling of neutralization titers predicts that protection from symptomatic reinfection against antigenically similar strains will be durable but is undermined by new emerging strains with further neutralization escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Shi Lee
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Hyon-Xhi Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Arnold Reynaldi
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Robyn Esterbauer
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Marios Koutsakos
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Julie Nguyen
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thakshila Amarasena
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Helen E. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Anupriya Aggarwal
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart G. Turville
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - George Taiaroa
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Paul Kinsella
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Kwee Chin Liew
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Thomas Tran
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Deborah A. Williamson
- Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, The Royal Melbourne Hospital at The Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Department of Infectious Diseases, The University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia
| | - Deborah Cromer
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Miles P. Davenport
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Stephen J. Kent
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Melbourne Sexual Health Centre and Department of Infectious Diseases, Alfred Hospital and Central Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Jennifer A. Juno
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - David S. Khoury
- Kirby Institute, University of New South Wales, Kensington, NSW, Australia
| | - Adam K. Wheatley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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10
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Pather S, Madhi SA, Cowling BJ, Moss P, Kamil JP, Ciesek S, Muik A, Türeci Ö. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variants: burden of disease, impact on vaccine effectiveness and need for variant-adapted vaccines. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1130539. [PMID: 37287979 PMCID: PMC10242031 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1130539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The highly transmissible Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in late 2021. Initial Omicron waves were primarily made up of sub-lineages BA.1 and/or BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 subsequently became dominant in mid-2022, and several descendants of these sub-lineages have since emerged. Omicron infections have generally caused less severe disease on average than those caused by earlier variants of concern in healthy adult populations, at least, in part, due to increased population immunity. Nevertheless, healthcare systems in many countries, particularly those with low population immunity, have been overwhelmed by unprecedented surges in disease prevalence during Omicron waves. Pediatric admissions were also higher during Omicron waves compared with waves of previous variants of concern. All Omicron sub-lineages exhibit partial escape from wild-type (Wuhan-Hu 1) spike-based vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibodies, with sub-lineages with more enhanced immuno-evasive properties emerging over time. Evaluating vaccine effectiveness (VE) against Omicron sub-lineages has become challenging against a complex background of varying vaccine coverage, vaccine platforms, prior infection rates, and hybrid immunity. Original messenger RNA vaccine booster doses substantially improved VE against BA.1 or BA.2 symptomatic disease. However, protection against symptomatic disease waned, with reductions detected from 2 months after booster administration. While original vaccine-elicited CD8+ and CD4+ T-cell responses cross-recognize Omicron sub-lineages, thereby retaining protection against severe outcomes, variant-adapted vaccines are required to expand the breadth of B-cell responses and improve durability of protection. Variant-adapted vaccines were rolled out in late 2022 to increase overall protection against symptomatic and severe infections caused by Omicron sub-lineages and antigenically aligned variants with enhanced immune escape mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shabir A. Madhi
- South African Medical Research Council Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytics Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Benjamin J. Cowling
- School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Paul Moss
- Institute of Immunology and Immunotherapy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy P. Kamil
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport, Shreveport, LA, United States
| | - Sandra Ciesek
- Institute for Medical Virology, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt, Germany
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11
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Beesley LJ, Moran KR, Wagh K, Castro LA, Theiler J, Yoon H, Fischer W, Hengartner NW, Korber B, Del Valle SY. SARS-CoV-2 variant transition dynamics are associated with vaccination rates, number of co-circulating variants, and convalescent immunity. EBioMedicine 2023; 91:104534. [PMID: 37004335 PMCID: PMC10065418 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has continued to evolve, with new variants outcompeting existing variants and often leading to different dynamics of disease spread. METHODS In this paper, we performed a retrospective analysis using longitudinal sequencing data to characterize differences in the speed, calendar timing, and magnitude of 16 SARS-CoV-2 variant waves/transitions for 230 countries and sub-country regions, between October 2020 and January 2023. We then clustered geographic locations in terms of their variant behavior across several Omicron variants, allowing us to identify groups of locations exhibiting similar variant transitions. Finally, we explored relationships between heterogeneity in these variant waves and time-varying factors, including vaccination status of the population, governmental policy, and the number of variants in simultaneous competition. FINDINGS This work demonstrates associations between the behavior of an emerging variant and the number of co-circulating variants as well as the demographic context of the population. We also observed an association between high vaccination rates and variant transition dynamics prior to the Mu and Delta variant transitions. INTERPRETATION These results suggest the behavior of an emergent variant may be sensitive to the immunologic and demographic context of its location. Additionally, this work represents the most comprehensive characterization of variant transitions globally to date. FUNDING Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD), Los Alamos National Laboratory.
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12
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Monach PA, Branch-Elliman W. More data needed on efficacy and safety of monovalent vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 omicron variants. THE LANCET. INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2023; 23:654-655. [PMID: 37119830 PMCID: PMC10132782 DOI: 10.1016/s1473-3099(23)00274-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/01/2023]
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13
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Tada T, Peng JY, Dcosta BM, Landau NR. Single-epitope T cell-based vaccine protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a preclinical animal model. JCI Insight 2023; 8:167306. [PMID: 37036004 PMCID: PMC10132166 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines induce humoral and cellular responses to epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, though the relative roles of antibodies and T cells in protection are not well understood. To understand the role of vaccine-elicited T cell responses in protection, we established a T cell-only vaccine using a DC-targeted lentiviral vector expressing single CD8+ T cell epitopes of the viral nucleocapsid, spike, and ORF1. Immunization of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-transgenic mice with ex vivo lentiviral vector-transduced DCs or by direct injection of the vector induced the proliferation of functional antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, resulting in a 3-log decrease in virus load upon live virus challenge that was effective against the ancestral virus and Omicron variants. The Pfizer/BNT162b2 vaccine was also protective in mice, but the antibodies elicited did not cross-react on the Omicron variants, suggesting that the protection was mediated by T cells. The studies suggest that the T cell response plays an important role in vaccine protection. The findings suggest that the incorporation of additional T cell epitopes into current vaccines would increase their effectiveness and broaden protection.
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14
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Lu C, Zhang Y, Liu X, Hou F, Cai R, Yu Z, Liu F, Yang G, Ding J, Xu J, Hua X, Cheng X, Pan X, Liu L, Lin K, Wang Z, Li X, Lu J, Zhang Q, Li Y, Hu C, Fan H, Liu X, Wang H, Jia R, Xu F, Wang X, Huang H, Zhao R, Li J, Cheng H, Jia W, Yang X. Heterologous boost with mRNA vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 Delta/Omicron variants following an inactivated whole-virus vaccine. Antiviral Res 2023; 212:105556. [PMID: 36871919 PMCID: PMC9985518 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2023.105556] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has mutated quickly and caused significant global damage. This study characterizes two mRNA vaccines ZSVG-02 (Delta) and ZSVG-02-O (Omicron BA.1), and associating heterologous prime-boost strategy following the prime of a most widely administrated inactivated whole-virus vaccine (BBIBP-CorV). The ZSVG-02-O induces neutralizing antibodies that effectively cross-react with Omicron subvariants. In naïve animals, ZSVG-02 or ZSVG-02-O induce humoral responses skewed to the vaccine's targeting strains, but cellular immune responses cross-react to all variants of concern (VOCs) tested. Following heterologous prime-boost regimes, animals present comparable neutralizing antibody levels and superior protection against Delta and Omicron BA.1variants. Single-boost only generated ancestral and omicron dual-responsive antibodies, probably by "recall" and "reshape" the prime immunity. New Omicron-specific antibody populations, however, appeared only following the second boost with ZSVG-02-O. Overall, our results support a heterologous boost with ZSVG-02-O, providing the best protection against current VOCs in inactivated virus vaccine-primed populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changrui Lu
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | | | - Xiaohu Liu
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Fujun Hou
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Rujie Cai
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Zhibin Yu
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Fei Liu
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Guohuan Yang
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Jun Ding
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Jiang Xu
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Xianwu Hua
- Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Xinhua Cheng
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Xinping Pan
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Lianxiao Liu
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Kang Lin
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China
| | - Zejun Wang
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Xinguo Li
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Jia Lu
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Qiu Zhang
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Yuwei Li
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Chunxia Hu
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Huifen Fan
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Xiaoke Liu
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Hui Wang
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., LTD (WIBP), China
| | - Rui Jia
- China National Biotec Group (CNBG), China
| | | | | | - Hongwei Huang
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China; Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Ronghua Zhao
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China; Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China
| | - Jing Li
- Shuimu BioSciences Ltd, China
| | | | - William Jia
- China National Biological Group-Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (CNBG-Virogin), China; Virogin Biotech (Shanghai) Ltd (Virogin), China.
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15
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Roth N, Gergen J, Kovacikova K, Mueller SO, Ulrich L, Schön J, Halwe NJ, Fricke C, Corleis B, Dorhoi A, Hoffmann D, Beer M, Maione D, Petsch B, Rauch S. Assessment of Immunogenicity and Efficacy of CV0501 mRNA-Based Omicron COVID-19 Vaccination in Small Animal Models. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11020318. [PMID: 36851196 PMCID: PMC9965737 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11020318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron and its subvariants (BA.2, BA.4, BA.5) represented the most commonly circulating variants of concern (VOC) in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in 2022. Despite high vaccination rates with approved SARS-CoV-2 vaccines encoding the ancestral spike (S) protein, these Omicron subvariants have collectively resulted in increased viral transmission and disease incidence. This necessitates the development and characterization of vaccines incorporating later emerging S proteins to enhance protection against VOC. In this context, bivalent vaccine formulations may induce broad protection against VOC and potential future SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we report preclinical data for a lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-formulated RNActive® N1-methylpseudouridine (N1mΨ) modified mRNA vaccine (CV0501) based on our second-generation SARS-CoV-2 vaccine CV2CoV, encoding the S protein of Omicron BA.1. The immunogenicity of CV0501, alone or in combination with a corresponding vaccine encoding the ancestral S protein (ancestral N1mΨ), was first measured in dose-response and booster immunization studies performed in Wistar rats. Both monovalent CV0501 and bivalent CV0501/ancestral N1mΨ immunization induced robust neutralizing antibody titers against the BA.1, BA.2 and BA.5 Omicron subvariants, in addition to other SARS-CoV-2 variants in a booster immunization study. The protective efficacy of monovalent CV0501 against live SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 infection was then assessed in hamsters. Monovalent CV0501 significantly reduced SARS-CoV-2 BA.2 viral loads in the airways, demonstrating protection induced by CV0501 vaccination. CV0501 has now advanced into human Phase 1 clinical trials (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05477186).
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Lorenz Ulrich
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institut, 17493 Griefswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Jacob Schön
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institut, 17493 Griefswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Nico Joel Halwe
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institut, 17493 Griefswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Charlie Fricke
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Björn Corleis
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Anca Dorhoi
- Institute of Immunology, Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Donata Hoffmann
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institut, 17493 Griefswald-Insel Riems, Germany
| | - Martin Beer
- Institute of Diagnostic Virology, Friedrich Loeffler Institut, 17493 Griefswald-Insel Riems, Germany
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16
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Hybrid Immunity to SARS-CoV-2 from Infection and Vaccination-Evidence Synthesis and Implications for New COVID-19 Vaccines. Biomedicines 2023; 11:biomedicines11020370. [PMID: 36830907 PMCID: PMC9953148 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2022] [Revised: 01/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 has taken a severe toll on the global population through infections, hospitalizations, and deaths. Elucidating SARS-CoV-2 infection-derived immunity has led to the development of multiple effective COVID-19 vaccines and their implementation into mass-vaccination programs worldwide. After ~3 years, a substantial proportion of the human population possesses immunity from infection and/or vaccination. With waning immune protection over time against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, it is essential to understand the duration of protection, breadth of coverage, and effects on reinfection. This targeted review summarizes available research literature on SARS-CoV-2 infection-derived, vaccination-elicited, and hybrid immunity. Infection-derived immunity has shown 93-100% protection against severe COVID-19 outcomes for up to 8 months, but reinfection is observed with some virus variants. Vaccination elicits high levels of neutralizing antibodies and a breadth of CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell responses. Hybrid immunity enables strong, broad responses, with high-quality memory B cells generated at 5- to 10-fold higher levels, versus infection or vaccination alone and protection against symptomatic disease lasting for 6-8 months. SARS-CoV-2 evolution into more transmissible and immunologically divergent variants has necessitated the updating of COVID-19 vaccines. To ensure continued protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants, regulators and vaccine technical committees recommend variant-specific or bivalent vaccines.
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17
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Pather S, Muik A, Rizzi R, Mensa F. Clinical development of variant-adapted BNT162b2 COVID-19 vaccines: the early Omicron era. Expert Rev Vaccines 2023; 22:650-661. [PMID: 37417000 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2023.2232851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/30/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The Omicron BA.1 variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and subsequent sub-lineages exhibit partial escape from neutralizing antibodies elicited by vaccines containing or encoding wild-type spike protein. In response to the emergence of Omicron sub-lineages, variant-adapted vaccines that contain or encode for Omicron spike protein components have been developed. AREAS COVERED This review presents currently available clinical immunogenicity and safety data on Omicron variant-adapted versions of the BNT162b2 messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine and summarizes the expected mechanism of action, and rationale for development, of these vaccines. In addition, challenges encountered during development and regulatory approval are discussed. EXPERT OPINION Omicron-adapted BNT162b2 vaccines provide a wider breadth and potentially more durable protection against Omicron sub-lineages and antigenically aligned variants when compared with the original vaccine. As SARS-CoV-2 continues to evolve, further vaccine updates may be required. To facilitate this, a globally harmonized regulatory process for the transition to updated vaccines is needed. Next-generation vaccine approaches may provide broader protection against future variants.
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