1
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Ho VWT, Boon LH, Cui J, Juequn Z, Shunmuganathan B, Gupta R, Tan NYJ, Qian X, Purushotorman K, Fong S, Renia L, Ng LFP, Angeli V, Chen J, Kennedy BK, Ong CWM, Macary PA. Relative deficiency in interferon-γ-secreting CD4+ T cells is strongly associated with poorer COVID-19 vaccination responses in older adults. Aging Cell 2024; 23:e14099. [PMID: 38317404 PMCID: PMC11019126 DOI: 10.1111/acel.14099] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/12/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Although the two-dose mRNA vaccination regime provides protection against SARS-CoV-2, older adults have been shown to exhibit poorer vaccination responses. In addition, the role of vaccine-induced T-cell responses is not well characterised. We aim to assess the impact of age on immune responses after two doses of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, focussing on antigen-specific T-cells. A prospective 3-month study was conducted on 15 young (median age 31 years, interquartile range (IQR) 25-35 years) and 14 older adults (median age 72 years, IQR 70-73 years). We assessed functional, neutralising antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants using ACE-2 inhibition assays, and changes in B and T-cell subsets by high-dimensional flow cytometry. Antigen-specific T-cell responses were also quantified by intracellular cytokine staining and flow cytometry. Older adults had attenuated T-helper (Th) response to vaccination, which was associated with weaker antibody responses and decreased SARS-CoV-2 neutralisation. Antigen-specific interferon-γ (IFNγ)-secreting CD4+ T-cells to wild-type and Omicron antigens increased in young adults, which was strongly positively correlated with their neutralising antibody responses. Conversely, this relationship was negative in older adults. Hence, older adults' relative IFNγ-secreting CD4+ T cell deficiency might explain their poorer COVID-19 vaccination responses. Further exploration into the aetiology is needed and would be integral in developing novel vaccination strategies and improving infection outcomes in older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanda W. T. Ho
- Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of MedicineNational University HospitalSingaporeSingapore
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Low Heng Boon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jianzhou Cui
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS Immunology Program, Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Zhou Juequn
- Metabolic Core, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari Shunmuganathan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Rashi Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Nikki Y. J. Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Siew‐Wai Fong
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Laurent Renia
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of MedicineNanyang Technological UniversitySingaporeSingapore
| | - Lisa F. P. Ng
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs (A*STAR ID Labs)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Veronique Angeli
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Singapore Immunology Network (SIgN)Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)SingaporeSingapore
| | - Brian K. Kennedy
- Healthy Longevity Translational Research Programme, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
| | - Catherine W. M. Ong
- Infectious Diseases Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Institute for Health Innovation and TechnologyNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of MedicineNational University HospitalSingaporeSingapore
| | - Paul A. Macary
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of MedicineNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- NUS‐Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences InstituteNational University of SingaporeSingaporeSingapore
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2
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Bae KH, Shunmuganathan B, Zhang L, Lim A, Gupta R, Wang Y, Chua BL, Wang Y, Gu Y, Qian X, Tan ISL, Purushotorman K, MacAry PA, White KP, Yang YY. Durable cross-protective neutralizing antibody responses elicited by lipid nanoparticle-formulated SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines. NPJ Vaccines 2024; 9:43. [PMID: 38396073 PMCID: PMC10891077 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-024-00835-x] [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: 10/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The advent of SARS-CoV-2 variants with defined mutations that augment pathogenicity and/or increase immune evasiveness continues to stimulate global efforts to improve vaccine formulation and efficacy. The extraordinary advantages of lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), including versatile design, scalability, and reproducibility, make them ideal candidates for developing next-generation mRNA vaccines against circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here, we assess the efficacy of LNP-encapsulated mRNA booster vaccines encoding the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 for variants of concern (Delta, Omicron) and using a predecessor (YN2016C isolated from bats) strain spike protein to elicit durable cross-protective neutralizing antibody responses. The mRNA-LNP vaccines have desirable physicochemical characteristics, such as small size (~78 nm), low polydispersity index (<0.13), and high encapsulation efficiency (>90%). We employ in vivo bioluminescence imaging to illustrate the capacity of our LNPs to induce robust mRNA expression in secondary lymphoid organs. In a BALB/c mouse model, a three-dose subcutaneous immunization of mRNA-LNPs vaccines achieved remarkably high levels of cross-neutralization against the Omicron B1.1.529 and BA.2 variants for extended periods of time (28 weeks) with good safety profiles for all constructs when used in a booster regime, including the YN2016C bat virus sequences. These findings have important implications for the design of mRNA-LNP vaccines that aim to trigger durable cross-protective immunity against the current and newly emerging variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ki Hyun Bae
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari Shunmuganathan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117545, Republic of Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Li Zhang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Andrew Lim
- Provaxus, Inc, Dover, Delaware, 19901, USA
| | - Rashi Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117545, Republic of Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yanming Wang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Boon Lin Chua
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yang Wang
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St, Singapore, 138672, Republic of Singapore
| | - Yue Gu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117545, Republic of Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Isabelle Siang Ling Tan
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117545, Republic of Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117545, Republic of Singapore.
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre (NCIPC), Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117456, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Kevin P White
- Genome Institute of Singapore (GIS), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 60 Biopolis St, Singapore, 138672, Republic of Singapore.
- Department of Biochemistry and Precision Medicine Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 119228, Republic of Singapore.
| | - Yi Yan Yang
- Bioprocessing Technology Institute (BTI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), 20 Biopolis Way, Centros #06-01, Singapore, 138668, Republic of Singapore.
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3
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Gu Y, Shunmuganathan B, Qian X, Gupta R, Tan RSW, Kozma M, Purushotorman K, Murali TM, Tan NYJ, Preiser PR, Lescar J, Nasir H, Somani J, Tambyah PA, Smith KGC, Renia L, Ng LFP, Lye DC, Young BE, MacAry PA. Employment of a high throughput functional assay to define the critical factors that influence vaccine induced cross-variant neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2. Sci Rep 2023; 13:21810. [PMID: 38071323 PMCID: PMC10710454 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-49231-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] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The scale and duration of neutralizing antibody responses targeting SARS-CoV-2 viral variants represents a critically important serological parameter that predicts protective immunity for COVID-19. In this study, we describe the development and employment of a new functional assay that measures neutralizing antibodies for SARS-CoV-2 and present longitudinal data illustrating the impact of age, sex and comorbidities on the kinetics and strength of vaccine-induced antibody responses for key variants in an Asian volunteer cohort. We also present an accurate quantitation of serological responses for SARS-CoV-2 that exploits a unique set of in-house, recombinant human monoclonal antibodies targeting the viral Spike and nucleocapsid proteins and demonstrate a reduction in neutralizing antibody titres across all groups 6 months post-vaccination. We also observe a marked reduction in the serological binding activity and neutralizing responses targeting recently newly emerged Omicron variants including XBB 1.5 and highlight a significant increase in cross-protective neutralizing antibody responses following a third dose (boost) of vaccine. These data illustrate how key virological factors such as immune escape mutations combined with host demographic factors such as age and sex of the vaccinated individual influence the strength and duration of cross-protective serological immunity for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Gu
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- NUH-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari Shunmuganathan
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rashi Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rebecca S W Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mary Kozma
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Tanusya M Murali
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nikki Y J Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter R Preiser
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), Singapore, 138602, Singapore
- School of Biological Science (SBS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 60 Nanyang Dr, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological Science (SBS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 60 Nanyang Dr, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Nanyang Technological University, 59 Nanyang Drive, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Haziq Nasir
- Division of Infectious Disease, University Medicine Cluster, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jyoti Somani
- Division of Infectious Disease, University Medicine Cluster, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul A Tambyah
- Division of Infectious Disease, University Medicine Cluster, National University Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kenneth G C Smith
- NUH-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 0AW, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK
| | - Laurent Renia
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Lisa F P Ng
- A*STAR Infectious Diseases Labs, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - David C Lye
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Singapore, Singapore
- Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Barnaby E Young
- Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Singapore, Singapore
- Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- NUH-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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4
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Tulsian NK, Palur RV, Qian X, Gu Y, D/O Shunmuganathan B, Samsudin F, Wong YH, Lin J, Purushotorman K, Kozma MM, Wang B, Lescar J, Wang CI, Gupta RK, Bond PJ, MacAry PA. Defining neutralization and allostery by antibodies against COVID-19 variants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:6967. [PMID: 37907459 PMCID: PMC10618280 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-42408-x] [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: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The changing landscape of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein is linked to the emergence of variants, immune-escape and reduced efficacy of the existing repertoire of anti-viral antibodies. The functional activity of neutralizing antibodies is linked to their quaternary changes occurring as a result of antibody-Spike trimer interactions. Here, we reveal the conformational dynamics and allosteric perturbations linked to binding of novel human antibodies and the viral Spike protein. We identified epitope hotspots, and associated changes in Spike dynamics that distinguish weak, moderate and strong neutralizing antibodies. We show the impact of mutations in Wuhan-Hu-1, Delta, and Omicron variants on differences in the antibody-induced conformational changes in Spike and illustrate how these render certain antibodies ineffective. Antibodies with similar binding affinities may induce destabilizing or stabilizing allosteric effects on Spike, with implications for neutralization efficacy. Our results provide mechanistic insights into the functional modes and synergistic behavior of human antibodies against COVID-19 and may assist in designing effective antiviral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Kumar Tulsian
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
| | - Raghuvamsi Venkata Palur
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Yue Gu
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari D/O Shunmuganathan
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore
| | - Yee Hwa Wong
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Jianqing Lin
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Mary McQueen Kozma
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
| | - Bei Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, 637551, Singapore
- NTU Institute of Structural Biology, Experimental Medicine Building, Singapore, 636921, Singapore
| | - Cheng-I Wang
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138648, Singapore
| | - Ravindra Kumar Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology & Infectious Disease (CITIID), Cambridge, UK
- Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter John Bond
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117543, Singapore.
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, 138761, Singapore.
| | - Paul Anthony MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, 117546, Singapore.
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5
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Murali TM, Shunmuganathan B, Trueman ELL, Gupta R, Tan RSW, Sran HK, D’Costa MR, Wong ETY, Gu Y, Cui J, Wee Kun K, Lim AQH, Qian X, Purushotorman K, Chen J, MacAry PA, Vathsala A. Analyzing COVID-19 Vaccine Responses in Transplant Recipients. Immunohorizons 2023; 7:708-717. [PMID: 37889158 PMCID: PMC10615654 DOI: 10.4049/immunohorizons.2300071] [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] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/29/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccination has significantly impacted the global pandemic by reducing the severity of infection, lowering rates of hospitalization, and reducing morbidity/mortality in healthy individuals. However, the degree of vaccine-induced protection afforded to renal transplant recipients who receive forms of maintenance immunosuppression remains poorly defined. This is particularly important when we factor in the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) that have defined mutations that reduce the effectiveness of Ab responses targeting the Spike Ags from the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 variants employed in the most widely used vaccine formats. In this study, we describe a qualitative, longitudinal analysis of neutralizing Ab responses against multiple SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in 129 renal transplant recipients who have received three doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine (BNT162b2). Our results reveal a qualitative and quantitative reduction in the vaccine-induced serological response in transplant recipients versus healthy controls where only 51.9% (67 of 129) made a measurable vaccine-induced IgG response and 41.1% (53 of 129) exhibited a significant neutralizing Ab titer (based on a pseudovirus neutralization test value >50%). Analysis on the VOCs revealed strongest binding toward the wild-type Wuhan-Hu-1 and Delta variants but none with both of the Omicron variants tested (BA1 and BA2). Moreover, older transplant recipients and those who are on mycophenolic acid as part of their maintenance therapy exhibited a profound reduction in all of the analyzed vaccine-induced immune correlates. These data have important implications for how we monitor and manage transplant patients in the future as COVID-19 becomes endemic in our populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanusya Murali Murali
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari Shunmuganathan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Emma Li-Lin Trueman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rashi Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Rebecca See Weng Tan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hersharan Kaur Sran
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Matthew Ross D’Costa
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Emmett Tsz-Yeung Wong
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Yue Gu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jianzhou Cui
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Koh Wee Kun
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Amy Qiao Hui Lim
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jinmiao Chen
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Singapore Immunology Network, Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Singapore
| | - Paul Anthony MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- NUS-Cambridge Immune Phenotyping Centre, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Antibody Engineering Programme, Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Immunology Translational Research Program, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
| | - Anantharaman Vathsala
- National University Centre for Organ Transplantation, National University Hospital, Singapore
- Department of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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6
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Krishnananthasivam S, Li H, Bouzeyen R, Shunmuganathan B, Purushotorman K, Liao X, Du F, Friis CGK, Crawshay-Williams F, Boon LH, Xinlei Q, Chan CEZ, Sobota R, Kozma M, Barcelli V, Wang G, Huang H, Floto A, Bifani P, Javid B, MacAry PA. Author Correction: An anti-LpqH human monoclonal antibody from an asymptomatic individual mediates protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:136. [PMID: 37749097 PMCID: PMC10520079 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00735-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/27/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Shivankari Krishnananthasivam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Rania Bouzeyen
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Liao
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fengjiao Du
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Claudia Guldager Kring Friis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Felicity Crawshay-Williams
- Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Low Heng Boon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qian Xinlei
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Conrad En Zuo Chan
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Radoslaw Sobota
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mary Kozma
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valeria Barcelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guirong Wang
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hairong Huang
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Andreas Floto
- Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pablo Bifani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Babak Javid
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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7
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Krishnananthasivam S, Li H, Bouzeyen R, Shunmuganathan B, Purushotorman K, Liao X, Du F, Friis CGK, Crawshay-Williams F, Boon LH, Xinlei Q, Chan CEZ, Sobota R, Kozma M, Barcelli V, Wang G, Huang H, Floto A, Bifani P, Javid B, MacAry PA. An anti-LpqH human monoclonal antibody from an asymptomatic individual mediates protection against Mycobacterium tuberculosis. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:127. [PMID: 37626082 PMCID: PMC10457302 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00710-1] [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: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Tuberculosis (TB) is an airborne disease caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb). Whilst a functional role for humoral immunity in Mtb protection remains poorly defined, previous studies have suggested that antibodies can contribute towards host defense. Thus, identifying the critical components in the antibody repertoires from immune, chronically exposed, healthy individuals represents an approach for identifying new determinants for natural protection. In this study, we performed a thorough analysis of the IgG/IgA memory B cell repertoire from occupationally exposed, immune volunteers. We detail the identification and selection of a human monoclonal antibody that exhibits protective activity in vivo and show that it targets a virulence factor LpqH. Intriguingly, protection in both human ex vivo and murine challenge experiments was isotype dependent, with most robust protection being mediated via IgG2 and IgA. These data have important implications for our understanding of natural mucosal immunity for Mtb and highlight a new target for future vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shivankari Krishnananthasivam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hao Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Rania Bouzeyen
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA
| | | | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Liao
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Fengjiao Du
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Claudia Guldager Kring Friis
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Felicity Crawshay-Williams
- Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Low Heng Boon
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Qian Xinlei
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Conrad En Zuo Chan
- National Centre for Infectious Diseases, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Radoslaw Sobota
- Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mary Kozma
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Valeria Barcelli
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Guirong Wang
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Hairong Huang
- National Clinical Laboratory on Tuberculosis, Beijing Tuberculosis and Thoracic Tumor Institute, Beijing Chest Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, P.R. China
| | - Andreas Floto
- Molecular Immunity Unit, University of Cambridge, Department of Medicine, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK
| | - Pablo Bifani
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Babak Javid
- Center for Infectious Disease Research, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China.
- Division of Experimental Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, USA.
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
- Life Sciences Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
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8
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Kongsuphol P, Jia H, Cheng HL, Gu Y, Shunmuganathan BD, Chen MW, Lim SM, Ng SY, Tambyah PA, Nasir H, Gao X, Tay D, Kim S, Gupta R, Qian X, Kozma MM, Purushotorman K, McBee ME, MacAry PA, Sikes HD, Preiser PR. A rapid simple point-of-care assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Commun Med (Lond) 2021; 1:46. [PMID: 35602218 PMCID: PMC9053278 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-021-00045-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) prevent pathogens from infecting host cells. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 NAbs is critical to evaluate herd immunity and monitor vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. All currently available NAb tests are lab-based and time-intensive. Method We develop a 10 min cellulose pull-down test to detect NAbs against SARS-CoV-2 from human plasma. The test evaluates the ability of antibodies to disrupt ACE2 receptor-RBD complex formation. The simple, portable, and rapid testing process relies on two key technologies: (i) the vertical-flow paper-based assay format and (ii) the rapid interaction of cellulose binding domain to cellulose paper. Results Here we show the construction of a cellulose-based vertical-flow test. The developed test gives above 80% sensitivity and specificity and up to 93% accuracy as compared to two current lab-based methods using COVID-19 convalescent plasma. Conclusions A rapid 10 min cellulose based test has been developed for detection of NAb against SARS-CoV-2. The test demonstrates comparable performance to the lab-based tests and can be used at Point-of-Care. Importantly, the approach used for this test can be easily extended to test RBD variants or to evaluate NAbs against other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patthara Kongsuphol
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Huan Jia
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Hoi Lok Cheng
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Yue Gu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545 Singapore
| | - Bhuvaneshwari D/O Shunmuganathan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545 Singapore
| | - Ming Wei Chen
- School of Biological Science (SBS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 60 Nanyang Dr, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
| | - Sing Mei Lim
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Say Yong Ng
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Paul Ananth Tambyah
- Department of Medicine, National University Hospital (NUH), 5 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore, 119074 Singapore
- The Infectious Diseases Translational Research Programme (ID TRP), NUS Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore, 119228 Singapore
| | - Haziq Nasir
- Department of Medicine, National University Hospital (NUH), 5 Lower Kent Ridge Rd, Singapore, 119074 Singapore
| | - Xiaohong Gao
- School of Biological Science (SBS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 60 Nanyang Dr, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
| | - Dousabel Tay
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 25 Ames Street, Building 66, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Seunghyeon Kim
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 25 Ames Street, Building 66, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Rashi Gupta
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545 Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Life Sciences Institute (LSI), National University of Singapore (NUS), Center for Life Sciences, #05-02, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Mary M. Kozma
- Life Sciences Institute (LSI), National University of Singapore (NUS), Center for Life Sciences, #05-02, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545 Singapore
| | - Megan E. McBee
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
| | - Paul A. MacAry
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), 5 Science Drive 2, Blk MD4, Level 3, Singapore, 117545 Singapore
- Life Sciences Institute (LSI), National University of Singapore (NUS), Center for Life Sciences, #05-02, 28 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117456 Singapore
| | - Hadley D. Sikes
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 25 Ames Street, Building 66, Cambridge, MA 02139 USA
| | - Peter R. Preiser
- Antimicrobial Resistance Interdisciplinary Research Group (AMR-IRG), Singapore-MIT Alliance in Research and Technology (SMART), #03-10/11 Innovation Wing, 1 CREATE way, Singapore, 138602 Singapore
- School of Biological Science (SBS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU), 60 Nanyang Dr, Singapore, 637551 Singapore
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9
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Chan CEZ, Seah SGK, Chye DH, Massey S, Torres M, Lim APC, Wong SKK, Neo JJY, Wong PS, Lim JH, Loh GSL, Wang D, Boyd-Kirkup JD, Guan S, Thakkar D, Teo GH, Purushotorman K, Hutchinson PE, Young BE, Low JG, MacAry PA, Hentze H, Prativadibhayankara VS, Ethirajulu K, Comer JE, Tseng CTK, Barrett ADT, Ingram PJ, Brasel T, Hanson BJ. The Fc-mediated effector functions of a potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, SC31, isolated from an early convalescent COVID-19 patient, are essential for the optimal therapeutic efficacy of the antibody. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253487. [PMID: 34161386 PMCID: PMC8221499 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Although SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies are promising therapeutics against COVID-19, little is known about their mechanism(s) of action or effective dosing windows. We report the generation and development of SC31, a potent SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody, isolated from a convalescent patient. Antibody-mediated neutralization occurs via an epitope within the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. SC31 exhibited potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 activities in multiple animal models. In SARS-CoV-2 infected K18-human ACE2 transgenic mice, treatment with SC31 greatly reduced viral loads and attenuated pro-inflammatory responses linked to the severity of COVID-19. Importantly, a comparison of the efficacies of SC31 and its Fc-null LALA variant revealed that the optimal therapeutic efficacy of SC31 requires Fc-mediated effector functions that promote IFNγ-driven anti-viral immune responses, in addition to its neutralization ability. A dose-dependent efficacy of SC31 was observed down to 5mg/kg when administered before viral-induced lung inflammatory responses. In addition, antibody-dependent enhancement was not observed even when infected mice were treated with SC31 at sub-therapeutic doses. In SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters, SC31 treatment significantly prevented weight loss, reduced viral loads, and attenuated the histopathology of the lungs. In rhesus macaques, the therapeutic potential of SC31 was evidenced through the reduction of viral loads in both upper and lower respiratory tracts to undetectable levels. Together, the results of our preclinical studies demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of SC31 in three different models and its potential as a COVID-19 therapeutic candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conrad E. Z. Chan
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shirley G. K. Seah
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - De Hoe Chye
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Shane Massey
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Maricela Torres
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Angeline P. C. Lim
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Steven K. K. Wong
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jacklyn J. Y. Neo
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Pui San Wong
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jie Hui Lim
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gary S. L. Loh
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Dongling Wang
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Siyu Guan
- Hummingbird Bioscience, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Guo Hui Teo
- Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul E. Hutchinson
- Life Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Jenny G. Low
- Singapore General Hospital, Singapore, Singapore
- Programme in Emerging Infectious Disease, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul A. MacAry
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Hannes Hentze
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, Therapeutics Development, A*STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore, Singapore
| | | | - Kantharaj Ethirajulu
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, Therapeutics Development, A*STAR Research Entities (ARES), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Jason E. Comer
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Chien-Te K. Tseng
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Center of Biodefense and Emerging Disease, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Alan D. T. Barrett
- Department of Pathology and Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | | | - Trevor Brasel
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology and Office of Regulated Nonclinical Studies, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, United States of America
| | - Brendon John Hanson
- Biological Defence Programme, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore
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10
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Raghuvamsi PV, Tulsian NK, Samsudin F, Qian X, Purushotorman K, Yue G, Kozma MM, Hwa WY, Lescar J, Bond PJ, MacAry PA, Anand GS. SARS-CoV-2 S protein:ACE2 interaction reveals novel allosteric targets. eLife 2021; 10:63646. [PMID: 33554856 PMCID: PMC7932696 DOI: 10.7554/elife.63646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The spike (S) protein is the main handle for SARS-CoV-2 to enter host cells via surface angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors. How ACE2 binding activates proteolysis of S protein is unknown. Here, using amide hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry and molecular dynamics simulations, we have mapped the S:ACE2 interaction interface and uncovered long-range allosteric propagation of ACE2 binding to sites necessary for host-mediated proteolysis of S protein, critical for viral host entry. Unexpectedly, ACE2 binding enhances dynamics at a distal S1/S2 cleavage site and flanking protease docking site ~27 Å away while dampening dynamics of the stalk hinge (central helix and heptad repeat [HR]) regions ~130 Å away. This highlights that the stalk and proteolysis sites of the S protein are dynamic hotspots in the prefusion state. Our findings provide a dynamics map of the S:ACE2 interface in solution and also offer mechanistic insights into how ACE2 binding is allosterically coupled to distal proteolytic processing sites and viral–host membrane fusion. Thus, protease docking sites flanking the S1/S2 cleavage site represent alternate allosteric hotspot targets for potential therapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palur V Raghuvamsi
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Nikhil K Tulsian
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Centre for Life Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Xinlei Qian
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Kiren Purushotorman
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Gu Yue
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Mary M Kozma
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Wong Y Hwa
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Julien Lescar
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Peter J Bond
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology, and Research (A*STAR), Singapore, Singapore
| | - Paul A MacAry
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Ganesh S Anand
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,Current address: Department of Chemistry, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics -Huck Institute of the Life Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, United States
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