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Ávila-Nieto C, Vergara-Alert J, Amengual-Rigo P, Ainsua-Enrich E, Brustolin M, Rodríguez de la Concepción ML, Pedreño-Lopez N, Rodon J, Urrea V, Pradenas E, Marfil S, Ballana E, Riveira-Muñoz E, Pérez M, Roca N, Tarrés-Freixas F, Cantero G, Pons-Grífols A, Rovirosa C, Aguilar-Gurrieri C, Ortiz R, Barajas A, Trinité B, Lepore R, Muñoz-Basagoiti J, Perez-Zsolt D, Izquierdo-Useros N, Valencia A, Blanco J, Guallar V, Clotet B, Segalés J, Carrillo J. Immunization with V987H-stabilized Spike glycoprotein protects K18-hACE2 mice and golden Syrian hamsters upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. Nat Commun 2024; 15:2349. [PMID: 38514609 PMCID: PMC10957958 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-46714-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: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Safe and effective severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are crucial to fight against the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Most vaccines are based on a mutated version of the Spike glycoprotein [K986P/V987P (S-2P)] with improved stability, yield and immunogenicity. However, S-2P is still produced at low levels. Here, we describe the V987H mutation that increases by two-fold the production of the recombinant Spike and the exposure of the receptor binding domain (RBD). S-V987H immunogenicity is similar to S-2P in mice and golden Syrian hamsters (GSH), and superior to a monomeric RBD. S-V987H immunization confer full protection against severe disease in K18-hACE2 mice and GSH upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge (D614G or B.1.351 variants). Furthermore, S-V987H immunized K18-hACE2 mice show a faster tissue viral clearance than RBD- or S-2P-vaccinated animals challenged with D614G, B.1.351 or Omicron BQ1.1 variants. Thus, S-V987H protein might be considered for future SARS-CoV-2 vaccines development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Júlia Vergara-Alert
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Pep Amengual-Rigo
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Marco Brustolin
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | | | | | - Jordi Rodon
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Victor Urrea
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Edwards Pradenas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Silvia Marfil
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Ester Ballana
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruit, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Mònica Pérez
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Núria Roca
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Ferran Tarrés-Freixas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
- IRTA Programa de Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Guillermo Cantero
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | | | - Carla Rovirosa
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | | | - Raquel Ortiz
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Ana Barajas
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Benjamin Trinité
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
| | - Rosalba Lepore
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Nuria Izquierdo-Useros
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruit, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfonso Valencia
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine. University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Julià Blanco
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruit, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine. University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Victor Guallar
- Life Sciences Department, Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), Barcelona, Spain
- Catalan Institution for Research and Advanced Studies, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bonaventura Clotet
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruit, Badalona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain
- Centre for Health and Social Care Research (CESS), Faculty of Medicine. University of Vic-Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), Vic, Catalonia, Spain
- Fundaciò Lluita contra les infeccions. Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, Badalona, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joaquim Segalés
- Unitat Mixta d'Investigació IRTA-UAB en Sanitat Animal, Centre de Recerca en Sanitat Animal (CReSA), Campus de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain.
- Departament de Sanitat i Anatomia Animals, Facultat de Veterinària, UAB, Bellaterra, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Spain.
| | - Jorge Carrillo
- IrsiCaixa AIDS Research Institute, Campus Can Ruti, Badalona, Spain.
- Germans Trias i Pujol Research Institute (IGTP), Campus Can Ruit, Badalona, Spain.
- CIBERINFEC. ISCIII, Madrid, Spain.
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Prakash S, Dhanushkodi NR, Singer M, Quadiri A, Zayou L, Vahed H, Coulon PG, Ibraim IC, Tafoya C, Hitchcock L, Landucci G, Forthal DN, El Babsiri A, Tifrea DF, Figueroa CJ, Nesburn AB, Kuppermann BD, Gil D, Jones TM, Ulmer JB, BenMohamed L. A Broad-Spectrum Multi-Antigen mRNA/LNP-Based Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Induced Potent Cross-Protective Immunity Against Infection and Disease Caused by Highly Pathogenic and Heavily Spike-Mutated SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in the Syrian Hamster Model. bioRxiv 2024:2024.02.14.580225. [PMID: 38405942 PMCID: PMC10888826 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580225] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The first-generation Spike-alone-based COVID-19 vaccines have successfully contributed to reducing the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, waning immunity induced by these vaccines failed to prevent immune escape by many variants of concern (VOCs) that emerged from 2020 to 2024, resulting in a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesize that a next-generation Coronavirus (CoV) vaccine incorporating highly conserved non-Spike SARS-CoV-2 antigens would confer stronger and broader cross-protective immunity against multiple VOCs. In the present study, we identified ten non-Spike antigens that are highly conserved in 8.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains, twenty-one VOCs, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Common Cold CoVs, and animal CoVs. Seven of the 10 antigens were preferentially recognized by CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells from unvaccinated asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, irrespective of VOC infection. Three out of the seven conserved non-Spike T cell antigens belong to the early expressed Replication and Transcription Complex (RTC) region, when administered to the golden Syrian hamsters, in combination with Spike, as nucleoside-modified mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP) (i.e., combined mRNA/LNP-based pan-CoV vaccine): (i) Induced high frequencies of lung-resident antigen-specific CXCR5+CD4+ T follicular helper (TFH) cells, GzmB+CD4+ and GzmB+CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (TCYT), and CD69+IFN-γ+TNFα+CD4+ and CD69+IFN-γ+TNFα+CD8+ effector T cells (TEFF); and (ii) Reduced viral load and COVID-19-like symptoms caused by various VOCs, including the highly pathogenic B.1.617.2 Delta variant and the highly transmittable heavily Spike-mutated XBB1.5 Omicron sub-variant. The combined mRNA/LNP-based pan-CoV vaccine could be rapidly adapted for clinical use to confer broader cross-protective immunity against emerging highly mutated and pathogenic VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swayam Prakash
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Nisha R. Dhanushkodi
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Mahmoud Singer
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Afshana Quadiri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Latifa Zayou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Hawa Vahed
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Pierre-Gregoire Coulon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Izabela Coimbra Ibraim
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Christine Tafoya
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Lauren Hitchcock
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Gary Landucci
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Donald N. Forthal
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Assia El Babsiri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Delia F. Tifrea
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Cesar J. Figueroa
- Department of Surgery, Divisions of Trauma, Burns & Critical Care, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Anthony B. Nesburn
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Baruch D. Kuppermann
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Daniel Gil
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Trevor M. Jones
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Ulmer
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Lbachir BenMohamed
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Institute for Immunology; University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
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Muñoz-Alía MÁ, Nace RA, Balakrishnan B, Zhang L, Packiriswamy N, Singh G, Warang P, Mena I, Narjari R, Vandergaast R, Peng KW, García-Sastre A, Schotsaert M, Russell SJ. Surface-modified measles vaccines encoding oligomeric, prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins boost neutralizing antibody responses to Omicron and historical variants, independent of measles seropositivity. mBio 2024; 15:e0292823. [PMID: 38193729 PMCID: PMC10865805 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02928-23] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Serum titers of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) correlate well with protection from symptomatic COVID-19 but decay rapidly in the months following vaccination or infection. In contrast, measles-protective nAb titers are lifelong after measles vaccination, possibly due to persistence of the live-attenuated virus in lymphoid tissues. We, therefore, sought to generate a live recombinant measles vaccine capable of driving high SARS-CoV-2 nAb responses. Since previous clinical testing of a live measles vaccine encoding a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein resulted in suboptimal anti-spike antibody titers, our new vectors were designed to encode prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, trimerized via an inserted peptide domain, and displayed on a dodecahedral miniferritin scaffold. Additionally, to circumvent the blunting of vaccine efficacy by preformed anti-measles antibodies, we extensively modified the measles surface glycoproteins. Comprehensive in vivo mouse testing demonstrated the potent induction of high titer nAbs in measles-immune mice and confirmed the significant contributions to overall potency afforded by prefusion stabilization, trimerization, and miniferritin display of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. In animals primed and boosted with a measles virus (MeV) vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike, high-titer nAb responses against ancestral virus strains were only weakly cross-reactive with the Omicron variant. However, in primed animals that were boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the Omicron BA.1 spike, antibody titers to both ancestral and Omicron strains were robustly elevated, and the passive transfer of serum from these animals protected K18-ACE2 mice from infection and morbidity after exposure to BA.1 and WA1/2020 strains. Our results demonstrate that by engineering the antigen, we can develop potent measles-based vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2.IMPORTANCEAlthough the live-attenuated measles virus (MeV) is one of the safest and most efficacious human vaccines, a measles-vectored COVID-19 vaccine candidate expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike failed to elicit neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses in a phase-1 clinical trial, especially in measles-immune individuals. Here, we constructed a comprehensive panel of MeV-based COVID-19 vaccine candidates using a MeV with extensive modifications on the envelope glycoproteins (MeV-MR). We show that artificial trimerization of the spike is critical for the induction of nAbs and that their magnitude can be significantly augmented when the spike protein is synchronously fused to a dodecahedral scaffold. Furthermore, preexisting measles immunity did not abolish heterologous immunity elicited by our vector. Our results highlight the importance of antigen optimization in the development of spike-based COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Prajakta Warang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ignacio Mena
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Kah-Whye Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen J. Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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Jiang X, Qin Q, Zhu H, Qian J, Huang Q. Structure-guided design of a trivalent nanobody cluster targeting SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 256:128191. [PMID: 38000614 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128191] [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: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Nanobodies are natural anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug candidates. Engineering multivalent nanobodies is an effective way to improve the functional binding affinity of natural nanobodies by simultaneously targeting multiple sites on viral proteins. However, multivalent nanobodies have usually been engineered by trial and error, and rational designs are still lacking. Here, we describe a structure-guided design of a self-assembled trivalent nanobody cluster targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Using the nanobody Nb6 as a monovalent binder, we first selected a human-derived trimerization scaffold evaluated by molecular dynamics simulations, then selected an optimal linker according to the minimum distance between Nb6 and the trimerization scaffold, and finally successfully engineered a trivalent nanobody cluster called Tribody. Compared with the low-affinity monovalent counterpart (Nb6), Tribody showed much higher target binding affinity (KD < 1 pM) and thus had a 900-fold increase in antiviral neutralization against SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus. We determined the cryo-EM structure of the Tribody-spike complex and confirmed that all three Nb6 binders of Tribody collectively bind to the three receptor-binding domains (RBDs) of the spike and lock them in a 3-RBD-down conformation, fully consistent with our structure-guided design. This study demonstrates that synthetic nanobody clusters with human-derived self-assembled scaffolds are potential protein drugs against SARS-CoV-2 coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qin Qin
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Haixia Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Jiaqiang Qian
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China
| | - Qiang Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Industrial Microorganisms, MOE Engineering Research Center of Gene Technology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200438, China; Multiscale Research Institute of Complex Systems, Fudan University, Shanghai 201203, China.
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5
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Heo CK, Lim WH, Yang J, Son S, Kim SJ, Kim DJ, Poo H, Cho EW. Novel S2 subunit-specific antibody with broad neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1307693. [PMID: 38143750 PMCID: PMC10749193 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1307693] [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: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), had a major impact on both the global health and economy. Numerous virus-neutralizing antibodies were developed against the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein to block viral binding to host cells and were authorized for control of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, frequent mutations in the S1 subunit of SARS-CoV-2 enabled the emergence of immune evasive variants. To address these challenges, broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting the relatively conserved S2 subunit and its epitopes have been investigated as antibody therapeutics and universal vaccines. Methods We initiated this study by immunizing BALB/c mice with β-propiolactone-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (IAV) to generate B-cell hybridomas. These hybridomas were subsequently screened using HEK293T cells expressing the S2-ECD domain. Hybridomas that produced anti-S2 antibodies were selected, and we conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of these anti-S2 antibodies as antiviral agents and versatile tools for research and diagnostics. Results In this study, we present a novel S2-specific antibody, 4A5, isolated from BALB/c mice immunized with inactivated SARS-CoV-2. 4A5 exhibited specific affinity to SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunits compared with those of other β-CoVs. 4A5 bound to epitope segment F1109-V1133 between the heptad-repeat1 (HR1) and the stem-helix (SH) region. The 4A5 epitope is highly conserved in SARS-CoV-2 variants, with a significant conformational feature in both pre- and postfusion S proteins. Notably, 4A5 exhibited broad neutralizing activity against variants and triggered Fc-enhanced antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis. Discussion These findings offer a promising avenue for novel antibody therapeutics and insights for next-generation vaccine design. The identification of 4A5, with its unique binding properties and broad neutralizing capacity, offers a potential solution to the challenge posed by SARS-CoV-2 variants and highlights the importance of targeting the conserved S2 subunit in combating the COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chang-Kyu Heo
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Hee Lim
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihyun Yang
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sumin Son
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Jick Kim
- Synthetic Biology and Bioengineering Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Doo-Jin Kim
- Infectious Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
| | - Haryoung Poo
- Department of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Konkuk University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Eun-Wie Cho
- Rare Disease Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology (KRIBB), Daejeon, Republic of Korea
- Department of Functional Genomics, KRIBB School of Bioscience, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon, Republic of Korea
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Le K, Kannappan S, Kim T, Lee JH, Lee HR, Kim KK. Structural understanding of SARS-CoV-2 virus entry to host cells. Front Mol Biosci 2023; 10:1288686. [PMID: 38033388 PMCID: PMC10683510 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2023.1288686] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is a major global health concern associated with millions of fatalities worldwide. Mutant variants of the virus have further exacerbated COVID-19 mortality and infection rates, emphasizing the urgent need for effective preventive strategies. Understanding the viral infection mechanism is crucial for developing therapeutics and vaccines. The entry of SARS-CoV-2 into host cells is a key step in the infection pathway and has been targeted for drug development. Despite numerous reviews of COVID-19 and the virus, there is a lack of comprehensive reviews focusing on the structural aspects of viral entry. In this review, we analyze structural changes in Spike proteins during the entry process, dividing the entry process into prebinding, receptor binding, proteolytic cleavage, and membrane fusion steps. By understanding the atomic-scale details of viral entry, we can better target the entry step for intervention strategies. We also examine the impacts of mutations in Spike proteins, including the Omicron variant, on viral entry. Structural information provides insights into the effects of mutations and can guide the development of therapeutics and vaccines. Finally, we discuss available structure-based approaches for the development of therapeutics and vaccines. Overall, this review provides a detailed analysis of the structural aspects of SARS-CoV-2 viral entry, highlighting its significance in the development of therapeutics and vaccines against COVID-19. Therefore, our review emphasizes the importance of structural information in combating SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kim Le
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Shrute Kannappan
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Technology Core Research Institute, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Truc Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung Heon Lee
- Research Center for Advanced Materials Technology Core Research Institute, Suwon, Republic of Korea
- School of Advanced Materials and Science Engineering, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Ra Lee
- Department of Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, College of Science and Technology, Korea University, Sejong, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Kyu Kim
- Department of Precision Medicine, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Institute of Antibacterial Resistance Research and Therapeutics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon, Republic of Korea
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7
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Ni T, Mendonça L, Zhu Y, Howe A, Radecke J, Shah PM, Sheng Y, Krebs AS, Duyvesteyn HM, Allen E, Lambe T, Bisset C, Spencer A, Morris S, Stuart DI, Gilbert S, Zhang P. ChAdOx1 COVID vaccines express RBD open prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spikes on the cell surface. iScience 2023; 26:107882. [PMID: 37766989 PMCID: PMC10520439 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107882] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been proven to be an effective means of decreasing COVID-19 mortality, hospitalization rates, and transmission. One of the vaccines deployed worldwide is ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, which uses an adenovirus vector to drive the expression of the original SARS-CoV-2 spike on the surface of transduced cells. Using cryo-electron tomography and subtomogram averaging, we determined the native structures of the vaccine product expressed on cell surfaces in situ. We show that ChAdOx1-vectored vaccines expressing the Beta SARS-CoV-2 variant produce abundant native prefusion spikes predominantly in one-RBD-up conformation. Furthermore, the ChAdOx1-vectored HexaPro-stabilized spike yields higher cell surface expression, enhanced RBD exposure, and reduced shedding of S1 compared to the wild type. We demonstrate in situ structure determination as a powerful means for studying antigen design options in future vaccine development against emerging novel SARS-CoV-2 variants and broadly against other infectious viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Ni
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Luiza Mendonça
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Yanan Zhu
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Andrew Howe
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Julika Radecke
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Pranav M. Shah
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Yuewen Sheng
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
| | - Anna-Sophia Krebs
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Helen M.E. Duyvesteyn
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Elizabeth Allen
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Teresa Lambe
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Cameron Bisset
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Alexandra Spencer
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Susan Morris
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7TY, UK
| | - David I. Stuart
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Sarah Gilbert
- The Jenner Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, OX3 7TY, UK
| | - Peijun Zhang
- Division of Structural Biology, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
- Diamond Light Source, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, UK
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Oxford Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
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8
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Xu J, Zhang Y, Qu P, Shamseldin MM, Yoo SJ, Misny J, Thongpan I, KC M, Hall JM, Evans JP, Eltobgy M, Lu M, Ye C, Chamblee M, Liang X, Martinez-Sobrido L, Amer AO, Yount JS, Boyaka PN, Peeples ME, Liu SL, Dubey P, Li J. A next-generation intranasal trivalent MMS vaccine induces durable and broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2220403120. [PMID: 37796985 PMCID: PMC10576135 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2220403120] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
As SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoCs) that evade immunity continue to emerge, next-generation adaptable COVID-19 vaccines which protect the respiratory tract and provide broader, more effective, and durable protection are urgently needed. Here, we have developed one such approach, a highly efficacious, intranasally delivered, trivalent measles-mumps-SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein (MMS) vaccine candidate that induces robust systemic and mucosal immunity with broad protection. This vaccine candidate is based on three components of the MMR vaccine, a measles virus Edmonston and the two mumps virus strains [Jeryl Lynn 1 (JL1) and JL2] that are known to provide safe, effective, and long-lasting protective immunity. The six proline-stabilized prefusion S protein (preS-6P) genes for ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1 and two important SARS-CoV-2 VoCs (Delta and Omicron BA.1) were each inserted into one of these three viruses which were then combined into a trivalent "MMS" candidate vaccine. Intranasal immunization of MMS in IFNAR1-/- mice induced a strong SARS-CoV-2-specific serum IgG response, cross-variant neutralizing antibodies, mucosal IgA, and systemic and tissue-resident T cells. Immunization of golden Syrian hamsters with MMS vaccine induced similarly high levels of antibodies that efficiently neutralized SARS-CoV-2 VoCs and provided broad and complete protection against challenge with any of these VoCs. This MMS vaccine is an efficacious, broadly protective next-generation COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which is readily adaptable to new variants, built on a platform with a 50-y safety record that also protects against measles and mumps.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayu Xu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Yuexiu Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Panke Qu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Mohamed M. Shamseldin
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Helwan University, Helwan11795, Egypt
| | - Sung J. Yoo
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jack Misny
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205
| | - Ilada Thongpan
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205
| | - Mahesh KC
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205
| | - Jesse M. Hall
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - John P. Evans
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Mostafa Eltobgy
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Mijia Lu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Department of Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227
| | - Michelle Chamblee
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Xueya Liang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Department of Disease Intervention and Prevention, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227
| | - Amal O. Amer
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jacob S. Yount
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Prosper N. Boyaka
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Mark E. Peeples
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH 43205
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Shan-Lu Liu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH43210
| | - Purnima Dubey
- Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210
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9
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Feng S, Fan Z, Zhou K, Ma S, Liang M, Zhang H, Xie Y, Ha Z, Jin N, Lu H. Subunit vaccine raised against the SARS-CoV-2 spike of Delta and Omicron variants. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29160. [PMID: 37822266 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29160] [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: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination has proven effective against SARS-CoV-2 infection but vaccines were originally based on the wild type and emerging variants have led to a decrease in protective efficacy. There is an urgent need for broad-spectrum vaccine protection against emerging variants. A vaccine based on the Delta strain spike protein was created by optimization of vector, codon, and protein structure to produce a subunit immunogen (Delta-6P-S) containing six proline mutations, stable pre-fusion conformation, and with high expression in CHO-S cells. Immunogenicity and protective efficacy were evaluated in mice and golden hamsters using alum adjuvant. The Delta-6P-S recombinant protein induced strong immune responses in C57BL/6J mice and golden hamsters and sera had cross-neutralization activity and neutralized wild type and Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5 variant strains. Golden hamsters were immunized against Delta, Omicron BA.1, and BA.2 variants. Viral RNA detected from throat swabs, lungs and tracheas decreased significantly in vaccine-inoculated animals relative to alum-treated controls and no infectious viruses were detected in lungs and tracheas. Almost no pathological damage to lung tissue was found in vaccinated animals by contrast with those treated only with alum. The Delta-6P-S recombinant protein rapidly eliminated replicating virus in the upper and lower airways of golden hamsters and merits further investigation as a candidate anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheng Feng
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Zechang Fan
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Jilin Agricultural University, Changchun, China
| | - Keyue Zhou
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Shanshan Ma
- Beijing Northland Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Beijing, China
| | | | - He Zhang
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Yubiao Xie
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Zhuo Ha
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Ningyi Jin
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Huijun Lu
- Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China
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10
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Ratswohl C, Vázquez García C, Ahmad AUW, Gonschior H, Lebedin M, Silvis CE, Spatt L, Gerhard C, Lehmann M, Sander LE, Kurth F, Olsson S, de la Rosa K. A design strategy to generate a SARS-CoV-2 RBD vaccine that abrogates ACE2 binding and improves neutralizing antibody responses. Eur J Immunol 2023; 53:e2350408. [PMID: 37435628 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350408] [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: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
The structure-based design of antigens holds promise for developing vaccines with higher efficacy and improved safety profiles. We postulate that abrogation of host receptor interaction bears potential for the improvement of vaccines by preventing antigen-induced modification of receptor function as well as the displacement or masking of the immunogen. Antigen modifications may yet destroy epitopes crucial for antibody neutralization. Here, we present a methodology that integrates deep mutational scans to identify and score SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain variants that maintain immunogenicity, but lack interaction with the widely expressed host receptor. Single point mutations were scored in silico, validated in vitro, and applied in vivo. Our top-scoring variant receptor binding domain-G502E prevented spike-induced cell-to-cell fusion, receptor internalization, and improved neutralizing antibody responses by 3.3-fold in rabbit immunizations. We name our strategy BIBAX for body-inert, B-cell-activating vaccines, which in the future may be applied beyond SARS-CoV-2 for the improvement of vaccines by design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Ratswohl
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Free University of Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Clara Vázquez García
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Ata Ul Wakeel Ahmad
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hannes Gonschior
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Mikhail Lebedin
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Casper Ewijn Silvis
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Spatt
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Cathrin Gerhard
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
| | - Martin Lehmann
- Leibniz-Forschungsinstitut für Molekulare Pharmakologie (FMP), Berlin, Germany
| | - Leif E Sander
- Charité - Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - Simon Olsson
- Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Västra Götalands län, Sweden
| | - Kathrin de la Rosa
- Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Berlin Institute of Health (BIH) at Charité, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Liu C, Wang L, Merriam JS, Shi W, Yang ES, Zhang Y, Chen M, Kong WP, Cheng C, Tsybovsky Y, Stephens T, Verardi R, Leung K, Stein C, Olia AS, Harris DR, Choe M, Zhang B, Graham BS, Kwong PD, Koup RA, Pegu A, Mascola JR. Self-assembling SARS-CoV-2 spike-HBsAg nanoparticles elicit potent and durable neutralizing antibody responses via genetic delivery. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:111. [PMID: 37553406 PMCID: PMC10409857 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00707-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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While several COVID-19 vaccines have been in use, more effective and durable vaccines are needed to combat the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, we report highly immunogenic self-assembling SARS-CoV-2 spike-HBsAg nanoparticles displaying a six-proline-stabilized WA1 (wild type, WT) spike S6P on a HBsAg core. These S6P-HBsAgs bound diverse domain-specific SARS-CoV-2 monoclonal antibodies. In mice with and without a HBV pre-vaccination, DNA immunization with S6P-HBsAgs elicited significantly more potent and durable neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses against diverse SARS-CoV-2 strains than that of soluble S2P or S6P, or full-length S2P with its coding sequence matching mRNA-1273. The nAb responses elicited by S6P-HBsAgs persisted substantially longer than by soluble S2P or S6P and appeared to be enhanced by HBsAg pre-exposure. These data show that genetic delivery of SARS-CoV-2 S6P-HBsAg nanoparticles can elicit greater and more durable nAb responses than non-nanoparticle forms of stabilized spike. Our findings highlight the potential of S6P-HBsAgs as next generation genetic vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cuiping Liu
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Lingshu Wang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jonah S Merriam
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wei Shi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Eun Sung Yang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Man Chen
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Wing-Pui Kong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Tyler Stephens
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Cancer Research Technology Program, Leidos Biomedical Research, Inc., Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, 21702, USA
| | - Raffaello Verardi
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Kwanyee Leung
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Cody Stein
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Adam S Olia
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Darcy R Harris
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Misook Choe
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Baoshan Zhang
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Barney S Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Peter D Kwong
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Richard A Koup
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Amarendra Pegu
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - John R Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
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12
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Krammer F. The role of vaccines in the COVID-19 pandemic: what have we learned? Semin Immunopathol 2023:10.1007/s00281-023-00996-2. [PMID: 37436465 DOI: 10.1007/s00281-023-00996-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/13/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged late in 2019 and caused the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic that has so far claimed approximately 20 million lives. Vaccines were developed quickly, became available in the end of 2020, and had a tremendous impact on protection from SARS-CoV-2 mortality but with emerging variants the impact on morbidity was diminished. Here I review what we learned from COVID-19 from a vaccinologist's perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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13
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Williams JA, Biancucci M, Lessen L, Tian S, Balsaraf A, Chen L, Chesterman C, Maruggi G, Vandepaer S, Huang Y, Mallett CP, Steff AM, Bottomley MJ, Malito E, Wahome N, Harshbarger WD. Structural and computational design of a SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen with improved expression and immunogenicity. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadg0330. [PMID: 37285422 PMCID: PMC10246912 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adg0330] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern challenge the efficacy of approved vaccines, emphasizing the need for updated spike antigens. Here, we use an evolutionary-based design aimed at boosting protein expression levels of S-2P and improving immunogenic outcomes in mice. Thirty-six prototype antigens were generated in silico and 15 were produced for biochemical analysis. S2D14, which contains 20 computationally designed mutations within the S2 domain and a rationally engineered D614G mutation in the SD2 domain, has an ~11-fold increase in protein yield and retains RBD antigenicity. Cryo-electron microscopy structures reveal a mixture of populations in various RBD conformational states. Vaccination of mice with adjuvanted S2D14 elicited higher cross-neutralizing antibody titers than adjuvanted S-2P against the SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain and four variants of concern. S2D14 may be a useful scaffold or tool for the design of future coronavirus vaccines, and the approaches used for the design of S2D14 may be broadly applicable to streamline vaccine discovery.
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14
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Halma MTJ, Plothe C, Marik P, Lawrie TA. Strategies for the Management of Spike Protein-Related Pathology. Microorganisms 2023; 11:1308. [PMID: 37317282 PMCID: PMC10222799 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11051308] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Revised: 05/04/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023] Open
Abstract
In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, a need has arisen to prevent and treat two related conditions, COVID-19 vaccine injury and long COVID-19, both of which can trace at least part of their aetiology to the spike protein, which can cause harm through several mechanisms. One significant mechanism of harm is vascular, and it is mediated by the spike protein, a common element of the COVID-19 illness, and it is related to receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Given the significant number of people experiencing these two related conditions, it is imperative to develop treatment protocols, as well as to consider the diversity of people experiencing long COVID-19 and vaccine injury. This review summarizes the known treatment options for long COVID-19 and vaccine injury, their mechanisms, and their evidentiary basis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Christof Plothe
- Center for Biophysical Osteopathy, Am Wegweiser 27, 55232 Alzey, Germany
| | - Paul Marik
- Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC), 2001 L St. NW Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036, USA;
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15
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Ma Y, Li P, Hu Y, Qiu T, Wang L, Lu H, Lv K, Xu M, Zhuang J, Liu X, He S, He B, Liu S, Liu L, Wang Y, Yue X, Zhai Y, Luo W, Mai H, Kuang Y, Chen S, Ye F, Zhou N, Zhao W, Chen J, Chen S, Xiong X, Shi M, Pan JA, Chen YQ. Spike substitution T813S increases Sarbecovirus fusogenicity by enhancing the usage of TMPRSS2. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011123. [PMID: 37196033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011123] [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] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2023] [Indexed: 05/19/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV Spike (S) protein shares considerable homology with SARS-CoV-2 S, especially in the conserved S2 subunit (S2). S protein mediates coronavirus receptor binding and membrane fusion, and the latter activity can greatly influence coronavirus infection. We observed that SARS-CoV S is less effective in inducing membrane fusion compared with SARS-CoV-2 S. We identify that S813T mutation is sufficient in S2 interfering with the cleavage of SARS-CoV-2 S by TMPRSS2, reducing spike fusogenicity and pseudoparticle entry. Conversely, the mutation of T813S in SARS-CoV S increased fusion ability and viral replication. Our data suggested that residue 813 in the S was critical for the proteolytic activation, and the change from threonine to Serine at 813 position might be an evolutionary feature adopted by SARS-2-related viruses. This finding deepened the understanding of Spike fusogenicity and could provide a new perspective for exploring Sarbecovirus' evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Ma
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Pengbin Li
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yunqi Hu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tianyi Qiu
- Institute of Clinical Science, Zhongshan Hospital, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Lixiang Wang
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjie Lu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Kexin Lv
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mengxin Xu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jiaxin Zhuang
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xue Liu
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Suhua He
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Bing He
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuning Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lin Liu
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xinyu Yue
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yanmei Zhai
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wanyu Luo
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Haoting Mai
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yu Kuang
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Shifeng Chen
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Feng Ye
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Na Zhou
- The 74(th) Group Army Hospital, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Zhao
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shoudeng Chen
- Molecular Imaging Center, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Biomedical Imaging, the Fifth Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, China
| | - Xiaoli Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, CAS Key Laboratory of Regenerative Biology, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mang Shi
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Ji-An Pan
- The Center for Infection and Immunity Study and Molecular Cancer Research Center, School of Medicine, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Yao-Qing Chen
- School of Public Health (Shenzhen), Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, China
- National Medical Products Administration Key Laboratory for Quality Monitoring and Evaluation of Vaccines and Biological Products, Sun Yat-sen University, Guanzhou, China
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16
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Zhang Y, Lu M, Thongpan I, Xu J, Kc M, Dravid P, Trivedi S, Sharma H, Liang X, Kapoor A, Peeples ME, Li J. Recombinant measles virus expressing prefusion spike protein stabilized by six rather than two prolines is more efficacious against SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28687. [PMID: 36941778 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28687] [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: 11/18/2022] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023]
Abstract
Measles virus (MeV) has been an excellent vector platform for delivering vaccines against many pathogens because of its high safety and efficacy, and induction of long-lived immunity. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, a recombinant MeV (rMeV) expressing the prefusion full-length spike protein stabilized by two prolines (TMV-083) was developed and tested in phase 1 and 1/2 clinical trials but was discontinued because of insufficient immunogenicity and a low seroconversion rate in adults. Here, we compared the immunogenicity of rMeV expressing a soluble prefusion spike (preS) protein stabilized by two prolines (rMeV-preS-2P) with a rMeV expressing a soluble preS protein stabilized by six prolines (rMeV-preS-6P). We found that rMeV-preS-6P expressed approximately five times more preS than rMeV-preS-2P in cell culture. Importantly, rMeV-preS-6P induced 30-60 and six times more serum immunoglobulin G and neutralizing antibody than rMeV-preS-2P, respectively, in IFNAR-/- mice. IFNAR-/- mice immunized with rMeV-preS-6P were completely protected from challenge with a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2, whereas those immunized with rMeV-preS-2P were partially protected. In addition, hamsters immunized with rMeV-preS-6P were completely protected from the challenge with a Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Our results demonstrate that rMeV-preS-6P is significantly more efficacious than rMeV-preS-2P, highlighting the value of using preS-6P as the antigen for developing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuexiu Zhang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mijia Lu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Ilada Thongpan
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jiayu Xu
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mahesh Kc
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Piyush Dravid
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Sheetal Trivedi
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Himanshu Sharma
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Xueya Liang
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Amit Kapoor
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark E Peeples
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
- Infectious Disease Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA
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17
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Zhang J, Xia Y, Liu X, Liu G. Advanced Vaccine Design Strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and Emerging Variants. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:bioengineering10020148. [PMID: 36829642 PMCID: PMC9951973 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10020148] [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] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2022] [Revised: 01/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is the most cost-effective means in the fight against infectious diseases. Various kinds of vaccines have been developed since the outbreak of COVID-19, some of which have been approved for clinical application. Though vaccines available achieved partial success in protecting vaccinated subjects from infection or hospitalization, numerous efforts are still needed to end the global pandemic, especially in the case of emerging new variants. Safe and efficient vaccines are the key elements to stop the pandemic from attacking the world now; novel and evolving vaccine technologies are urged in the course of fighting (re)-emerging infectious diseases. Advances in biotechnology offered the progress of vaccinology in the past few years, and lots of innovative approaches have been applied to the vaccine design during the ongoing pandemic. In this review, we summarize the state-of-the-art vaccine strategies involved in controlling the transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. In addition, challenges and future directions for rational vaccine design are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Zhang
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Yutian Xia
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Xuan Liu
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
| | - Gang Liu
- Center for Molecular Imaging and Translational Medicine, State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
- Innovation Center for Cell Biology, State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
- Correspondence:
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18
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Muñoz-Alía MÁ, Nace RA, Balakrishnan B, Zhang L, Packiriswamy N, Singh G, Warang P, Mena I, Narjari R, Vandergaast R, García-Sastre A, Schotsaert M, Russell SJ. Surface-modified measles vaccines encoding oligomeric, fusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins bypass measles seropositivity, boosting neutralizing antibody responses to omicron and historical variants. bioRxiv 2022:2022.12.16.520799. [PMID: 36561187 PMCID: PMC9774211 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.16.520799] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Serum titers of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAb) correlate well with protection from symptomatic COVID-19, but decay rapidly in the months following vaccination or infection. In contrast, measles-protective nAb titers are life-long after measles vaccination, possibly due to persistence of the live-attenuated virus in lymphoid tissues. We therefore sought to generate a live recombinant measles vaccine capable of driving high SARS-CoV-2 nAb responses. Since previous clinical testing of a live measles vaccine encoding a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein resulted in suboptimal anti-spike antibody titers, our new vectors were designed to encode prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, trimerized via an inserted peptide domain and displayed on a dodecahedral miniferritin scaffold. Additionally, to circumvent the blunting of vaccine efficacy by preformed anti-measles antibodies, we extensively modified the measles surface glycoproteins. Comprehensive in vivo mouse testing demonstrated potent induction of high titer nAb in measles-immune mice and confirmed the significant incremental contributions to overall potency afforded by prefusion stabilization, trimerization, and miniferritin-display of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, and vaccine resurfacing. In animals primed and boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike, high titer nAb responses against ancestral virus strains were only weakly cross-reactive with the omicron variant. However, in primed animals that were boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the omicron BA.1 spike, antibody titers to both ancestral and omicron strains were robustly elevated and the passive transfer of serum from these animals protected K18-ACE2 mice from infection and morbidity after exposure to BA.1 and WA1/2020 strains. Our results demonstrate that antigen engineering can enable the development of potent measles-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prajakta Warang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ignacio Mena
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen J. Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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19
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Burnap SA, Struwe WB. Mass photometry reveals SARS-CoV-2 spike stabilisation to impede ACE2 binding through altered conformational dynamics. Chem Commun (Camb) 2022; 58:12939-12942. [PMID: 36317551 PMCID: PMC9680610 DOI: 10.1039/d2cc04711j] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Here we show using mass photometry how proline substitutions, commonly used for SARS-CoV-2 spike stabilisation in vaccine design, directly affects ACE2 receptor interactions via dynamics of open and closed states. Conformational changes and ACE2 binding were influenced by spike variant and temperature, but independent of site-specific N-glycosylation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sean A Burnap
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3TA, UK.
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Weston B Struwe
- Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, OX1 3TA, UK.
- The Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, South Parks Road, OX1 3QU, UK
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Focosi D, Maggi F. Do We Really Need Omicron Spike-Based Updated COVID-19 Vaccines? Evidence and Pipeline. Viruses 2022; 14:2488. [PMID: 36366586 PMCID: PMC9692555 DOI: 10.3390/v14112488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The wild-type SARS-CoV-2 Spike-based vaccines authorized so far have reduced COVID-19 severity, but periodic boosts are required to counteract the decline in immunity. An accelerated rate of immune escape to vaccine-elicited immunity has been associated with Spike protein antigenic shifts, as seen in the Omicron variant of concern and its sublineages, demanding the development of Omicron Spike-based vaccines. Herein, we review the evidence in animal models and topline results from ongoing clinical trials with such updated vaccines, discussing the pros and cons for their deployment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Focosi
- North-Western Tuscany Blood Bank, Pisa University Hospital, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- National Institute for Infectious Diseases “L. Spallanzani”, 00161 Rome, Italy
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