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Stepanova E, Isakova-Sivak I, Mezhenskaya D, Niskanen S, Matyushenko V, Bazhenova E, Rak A, Wong PF, Prokopenko P, Kotomina T, Krutikova E, Legotskiy S, Neterebskii B, Ostroukhova T, Sivak K, Orshanskaya Y, Yakovlev K, Rudenko L. Expression of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain by live attenuated influenza vaccine virus as a strategy for designing a bivalent vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza. Virol J 2024; 21:82. [PMID: 38589848 PMCID: PMC11003101 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02350-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza and SARS-CoV-2 are two major respiratory pathogens that cocirculate in humans and cause serious illness with the potential to exacerbate disease in the event of co-infection. To develop a bivalent vaccine, capable of protecting against both infections, we inserted the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein into hemagglutinin (HA) molecule or into the open reading frame of the truncated nonstructural protein 1 (NS1) of live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) virus and assessed phenotypic characteristics of the rescued LAIV-RBD viruses, as well as their immunogenicity in mouse and Syrian hamster animal models. A panel of 9 recombinant LAIV-RBD viruses was rescued using the A/Leningrad/17 backbone. Notably, only two variants with RBD insertions into the HA molecule could express sufficient quantities of RBD protein in infected MDCK cells. Intranasal immunization of mice induced high levels of anti-influenza antibody responses in all chimeric LAIV-RBD viruses, which was comparable to the LAIV virus vector. The RBD-specific antibody responses were most pronounced in the variant expressing RBD194 fragment as a chimeric HA protein. This candidate was further tested in Syrian hamsters and was shown to be immunogenic and capable of protecting animals against both infections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daria Mezhenskaya
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Sergei Niskanen
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | | | | | - Alexandra Rak
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Pei Fong Wong
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Polina Prokopenko
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Tatiana Kotomina
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Elena Krutikova
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
| | - Sergei Legotskiy
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Bogdan Neterebskii
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Tatiana Ostroukhova
- Joint-Stock Company «BIOCAD» (JSC «BIOCAD») Saint Petersburg, Intracity Municipality the Settlement of Strelna, the Settlement of Strelna, ul. Svyazi, d. 38, str. 1, pomeshch. 89, Saint Petersburg, 198515, Russia
| | - Konstantin Sivak
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Yana Orshanskaya
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Kirill Yakovlev
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint Petersburg, 197376, Russia
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, 197022, Russia
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