1
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Dangi T, Sanchez S, Awakoaiye B, Lew MH, Irani N, Penaloza-MacMaster P. Breast Milk-Derived Antibodies Impair Vaccine Immunity in Suckling Mice. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2024; 213:612-618. [PMID: 39007643 PMCID: PMC11333162 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2400277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/28/2024] [Indexed: 07/16/2024]
Abstract
Breast milk confers multiple benefits to the neonate, including passive immunity against multiple microorganisms via Abs. However, it remains unclear whether breast milk-derived Abs affect vaccine-induced immunity in the neonate. We evaluated in C57BL/6 and BALB/c mice whether breastfeeding from an mRNA-SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated dam affects vaccine-induced immunity in neonate mice. Using an experimental model that allows the distinction of maternal Abs and neonate Abs based on their allotype, we show that breastfeeding from an immune dam is associated with reduced vaccine immunity in the neonate. Importantly, mice that breastfed from an immune dam showed reduced numbers of plasma cells after vaccination, relative to mice that breastfed from a naive dam. Our subsequent studies using an mRNA-luciferase reporter system show that passive transfer of Abs through breastfeeding accelerates the clearance of vaccine Ag in suckling mice, resulting in reduced Ag availability. Altogether, maternal Abs transferred through breast milk can protect against infectious microorganisms, but they may also interfere with the neonate's response to vaccination by accelerating the clearance of vaccine Ag. These findings are important for understanding the effects of maternal Abs on the neonate's response to vaccines and may provide insights for improving neonatal vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sarah Sanchez
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Bakare Awakoaiye
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Min Han Lew
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nahid Irani
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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2
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Class J, Simons LM, Lorenzo-Redondo R, Achi JG, Cooper L, Dangi T, Penaloza-MacMaster P, Ozer EA, Lutz SE, Rong L, Hultquist JF, Richner JM. Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in the murine central nervous system drives viral diversification. Nat Microbiol 2024:10.1038/s41564-024-01786-8. [PMID: 39179693 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-024-01786-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2024] [Indexed: 08/26/2024]
Abstract
Severe coronavirus disease 2019 and post-acute sequelae of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are associated with neurological complications that may be linked to direct infection of the central nervous system (CNS), but the selective pressures ruling neuroinvasion are poorly defined. Here we assessed SARS-CoV-2 evolution in the lung versus CNS of infected mice. Higher levels of viral divergence were observed in the CNS than the lung after intranasal challenge with a high frequency of mutations in the spike furin cleavage site (FCS). Deletion of the FCS significantly attenuated virulence after intranasal challenge, with lower viral titres and decreased morbidity compared with the wild-type virus. Intracranial inoculation of the FCS-deleted virus, however, was sufficient to restore virulence. After intracranial inoculation, both viruses established infection in the lung, but dissemination from the CNS to the lung required the intact FCS. Cumulatively, these data suggest a critical role for the FCS in determining SARS-CoV-2 tropism and compartmentalization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Class
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lacy M Simons
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Ramon Lorenzo-Redondo
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jazmin Galván Achi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Laura Cooper
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Egon A Ozer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sarah E Lutz
- Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Lijun Rong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Judd F Hultquist
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
- Center for Pathogen Genomics and Microbial Evolution, Havey Institute for Global Health, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Justin M Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
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3
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Yang D, Wang X, Yang X, Qi S, Zhao F, Guo D, Li C, Zhu Q, Xing X, Cao Y, Sun D. Construction and immune effect evaluation of the S protein heptad repeat-based nanoparticle vaccine against porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. Virology 2024; 596:110113. [PMID: 38801794 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), a highly virulent enteropathogenic coronavirus, is a significant threat to the pig industry. High frequency mutations in the PEDV genome have limited the effectiveness of current vaccines in providing immune protection. Developing efficient vaccines that can quickly adapt to mutant strains is a challenging but crucial task. In this study, we chose the pivotal protein heptad repeat (HR) responsible for coronavirus entry into host cells, as the vaccine antigen. HR-Fer nanoparticles prepared using ferritin were evaluated them as PEDV vaccine candidates. Nanoparticle vaccines elicited stronger neutralizing antibody responses in mice compared to monomer vaccines. Additionally, HR protein delivered via nanoparticles increased antigen uptake by antigen-presenting cells in vitro by 2.75-fold. The collective results suggest that HR can be used as antigens for vaccines, and the HR vaccine based on ferritin nanoparticles significantly enhances immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Yang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Xinglin Wang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Xu Yang
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Shanshan Qi
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Feiyu Zhao
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Donghua Guo
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Chunqiu Li
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Qinghe Zhu
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Xiaoxu Xing
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China
| | - Yang Cao
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China.
| | - Dongbo Sun
- College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, No. 5 Xinfeng Road, Sartu District, Daqing, 163319, China.
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4
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Leekha A, Saeedi A, Sefat KMSR, Kumar M, Martinez-Paniagua M, Damian A, Kulkarni R, Reichel K, Rezvan A, Masoumi S, Liu X, Cooper LJN, Sebastian M, Sands CM, Das VE, Patel NB, Hurst B, Varadarajan N. Multi-antigen intranasal vaccine protects against challenge with sarbecoviruses and prevents transmission in hamsters. Nat Commun 2024; 15:6193. [PMID: 39043645 PMCID: PMC11266618 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-50133-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Immunization programs against SARS-CoV-2 with commercial intramuscular vaccines prevent disease but are less efficient in preventing infections. Mucosal vaccines can provide improved protection against transmission, ideally for different variants of concern (VOCs) and related sarbecoviruses. Here, we report a multi-antigen, intranasal vaccine, NanoSTING-SN (NanoSTING-Spike-Nucleocapsid), eliminates virus replication in both the lungs and the nostrils upon challenge with the pathogenic SARS-CoV-2 Delta VOC. We further demonstrate that NanoSTING-SN prevents transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron VOC (BA.5) to vaccine-naïve hamsters. To evaluate protection against other sarbecoviruses, we immunized mice with NanoSTING-SN. We showed that immunization affords protection against SARS-CoV, leading to protection from weight loss and 100% survival in mice. In non-human primates, animals immunized with NanoSTING-SN show durable serum IgG responses (6 months) and nasal wash IgA responses cross-reactive to SARS-CoV-2 (XBB1.5), SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV antigens. These observations have two implications: (1) mucosal multi-antigen vaccines present a pathway to reducing transmission of respiratory viruses, and (2) eliciting immunity against multiple antigens can be advantageous in engineering pan-sarbecovirus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Leekha
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Arash Saeedi
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - K M Samiur Rahman Sefat
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Monish Kumar
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Melisa Martinez-Paniagua
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Adrian Damian
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Rohan Kulkarni
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Kate Reichel
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Ali Rezvan
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Shalaleh Masoumi
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Xinli Liu
- Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | | | | | | | - Vallabh E Das
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Nimesh B Patel
- College of Optometry, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Brett Hurst
- Institute of Antiviral Research, Utah State University, UT, Logan, USA
| | - Navin Varadarajan
- William A. Brookshire Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX, USA.
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5
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Chung YR, Awakoaiye B, Dangi T, Irani N, Fourati S, Penaloza-MacMaster P. An attenuated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus vector enhances tumor control in mice partly via IFN-I. J Clin Invest 2024; 134:e178945. [PMID: 38861331 PMCID: PMC11290963 DOI: 10.1172/jci178945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral vectors are being used for the treatment of cancer. Yet, their efficacy varies among tumors and their use poses challenges in immunosuppressed patients, underscoring the need for alternatives. We report striking antitumoral effects by a nonlytic viral vector based on attenuated lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (r3LCMV). We show in multiple tumor models that injection of tumor-bearing mice with this vector results in improved tumor control and survival. Importantly, r3LCMV improved tumor control in immunodeficient Rag1-/- mice and MyD88-/- mice, suggesting that multiple pathways contributed to the antitumoral effects. The antitumoral effects of r3LCMV were also observed when this vector was administered several weeks before tumor challenges, suggesting the induction of trained immunity. Single-cell RNA sequencing analyses, antibody blockade experiments, and knockout models revealed a critical role for host-intrinsic IFN-I in the antitumoral efficacy of r3LCMV vectors. Collectively, these data demonstrate potent antitumoral effects by r3LCMV vectors and unveil multiple mechanisms underlying their antitumoral efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young Rock Chung
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, and
| | - Bakare Awakoaiye
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, and
| | - Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, and
| | - Nahid Irani
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, and
| | - Slim Fourati
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine and Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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6
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Brudenell EL, Pohare MB, Zafred D, Phipps J, Hornsby HR, Darby JF, Dai J, Liggett E, Cain KM, Barran PE, de Silva TI, Sayers JR. Efficient overexpression and purification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nucleocapsid proteins in Escherichia coli. Biochem J 2024; 481:669-682. [PMID: 38713013 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20240019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The fundamental biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein (Ncap), its use in diagnostic assays and its potential application as a vaccine component have received considerable attention since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic in late 2019. Here we report the scalable expression and purification of soluble, immunologically active, SARS-CoV-2 Ncap in Escherichia coli. Codon-optimised synthetic genes encoding the original Ncap sequence and four common variants with an N-terminal 6His affinity tag (sequence MHHHHHHG) were cloned into an inducible expression vector carrying a regulated bacteriophage T5 synthetic promoter controlled by lac operator binding sites. The constructs were used to express Ncap proteins and protocols developed which allow efficient production of purified Ncap with yields of over 200 mg per litre of culture media. These proteins were deployed in ELISA assays to allow comparison of their responses to human sera. Our results suggest that there was no detectable difference between the 6His-tagged and untagged original Ncap proteins but there may be a slight loss of sensitivity of sera to other Ncap isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L Brudenell
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Manoj B Pohare
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Domen Zafred
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Janine Phipps
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Hailey R Hornsby
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - John F Darby
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Junxiao Dai
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Ellen Liggett
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Kathleen M Cain
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Perdita E Barran
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Thushan I de Silva
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Jon R Sayers
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
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7
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Mendoza-Ramírez NJ, García-Cordero J, Shrivastava G, Cedillo-Barrón L. The Key to Increase Immunogenicity of Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines Lies in the Inclusion of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein. J Immunol Res 2024; 2024:9313267. [PMID: 38939745 PMCID: PMC11208798 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9313267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is one of the most effective prophylactic public health interventions for the prevention of infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Considering the ongoing need for new COVID-19 vaccines, it is crucial to modify our approach and incorporate more conserved regions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to effectively address emerging viral variants. The nucleocapsid protein is a structural protein of SARS-CoV-2 that is involved in replication and immune responses. Furthermore, this protein offers significant advantages owing to the minimal accumulation of mutations over time and the inclusion of key T-cell epitopes critical for SARS-CoV-2 immunity. A novel strategy that may be suitable for the new generation of vaccines against COVID-19 is to use a combination of antigens, including the spike and nucleocapsid proteins, to elicit robust humoral and potent cellular immune responses, along with long-lasting immunity. The strategic use of multiple antigens aims to enhance vaccine efficacy and broaden protection against viruses, including their variants. The immune response against the nucleocapsid protein from other coronavirus is long-lasting, and it can persist up to 11 years post-infection. Thus, the incorporation of nucleocapsids (N) into vaccine design adds an important dimension to vaccination efforts and holds promise for bolstering the ability to combat COVID-19 effectively. In this review, we summarize the preclinical studies that evaluated the use of the nucleocapsid protein as antigen. This study discusses the use of nucleocapsid alone and its combination with spike protein or other proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noe Juvenal Mendoza-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Julio García-Cordero
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Gaurav Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector ResearchNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Leticia Cedillo-Barrón
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
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8
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Lobaina Y, Chen R, Suzarte E, Ai P, Musacchio A, Lan Y, Chinea G, Tan C, Silva R, Guillen G, Yang K, Li W, Perera Y, Hermida L. A Nasal Vaccine Candidate, Containing Three Antigenic Regions from SARS-CoV-2, to Induce a Broader Response. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:588. [PMID: 38932317 PMCID: PMC11209543 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12060588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/25/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024] Open
Abstract
A chimeric protein, formed by two fragments of the conserved nucleocapsid (N) and S2 proteins from SARS-CoV-2, was obtained as a recombinant construct in Escherichia coli. The N fragment belongs to the C-terminal domain whereas the S2 fragment spans the fibre structure in the post-fusion conformation of the spike protein. The resultant protein, named S2NDH, was able to form spherical particles of 10 nm, which forms aggregates upon mixture with the CpG ODN-39M. Both preparations were recognized by positive COVID-19 human sera. The S2NDH + ODN-39M formulation administered by the intranasal route resulted highly immunogenic in Balb/c mice. It induced cross-reactive anti-N humoral immunity in both sera and bronchoalveolar fluids, under a Th1 pattern. The cell-mediated immunity (CMI) was also broad, with positive response even against the N protein of SARS-CoV-1. However, neither neutralizing antibodies (NAb) nor CMI against the S2 region were obtained. As alternative, the RBD protein was included in the formulation as inducer of NAb. Upon evaluation in mice by the intranasal route, a clear adjuvant effect was detected for the S2NDH + ODN-39M preparation over RBD. High levels of NAb were induced against SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV-1. The bivalent formulation S2NDH + ODN-39M + RBD, administered by the intranasal route, constitutes an attractive proposal as booster vaccine of sarbecovirus scope.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadira Lobaina
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Edith Suzarte
- Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (G.C.); (G.G.)
| | - Panchao Ai
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Alexis Musacchio
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (G.C.); (G.G.)
| | - Yaqin Lan
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Glay Chinea
- Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (G.C.); (G.G.)
| | - Changyuan Tan
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Ricardo Silva
- Science and Innovation Directorate, BioCubaFarma, Independence Avenue, No. 8126, Corner 100 Street, Havana 10800, Cuba;
| | - Gerardo Guillen
- Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (G.C.); (G.G.)
| | - Ke Yang
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Wen Li
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Yasser Perera
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (G.C.); (G.G.)
| | - Lisset Hermida
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (A.M.); (Y.L.); (C.T.); (K.Y.); (W.L.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- Science and Innovation Directorate, BioCubaFarma, Independence Avenue, No. 8126, Corner 100 Street, Havana 10800, Cuba;
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Huang Y, Chen J, Chen S, Huang C, Li B, Li J, Jin Z, Zhang Q, Pan P, Du W, Liu L, Liu Z. Molecular characterization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1415885. [PMID: 38846351 PMCID: PMC11153676 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1415885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly prevalent and potent infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Until now, the world is still endeavoring to develop new ways to diagnose and treat COVID-19. At present, the clinical prevention and treatment of COVID-19 mainly targets the spike protein on the surface of SRAS-CoV-2. However, with the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of concern (VOC), targeting the spike protein therapy shows a high degree of limitation. The Nucleocapsid Protein (N protein) of SARS-CoV-2 is highly conserved in virus evolution and is involved in the key process of viral infection and assembly. It is the most expressed viral structural protein after SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and has high immunogenicity. Therefore, N protein as the key factor of virus infection and replication in basic research and clinical application has great potential research value. This article reviews the research progress on the structure and biological function of SARS-CoV-2 N protein, the diagnosis and drug research of targeting N protein, in order to promote researchers' further understanding of SARS-CoV-2 N protein, and lay a theoretical foundation for the possible outbreak of new and sudden coronavirus infectious diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Junkai Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Congcong Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhixiong Jin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Qiwei Zhang
- Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pan Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weixing Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhixin Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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10
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Bykonia EN, Kleymenov DA, Gushchin VA, Siniavin AE, Mazunina EP, Kozlova SR, Zolotar AN, Usachev EV, Kuznetsova NA, Shidlovskaya EV, Pochtovyi AA, Kustova DD, Ivanov IA, Dmitriev SE, Ivanov RA, Logunov DY, Gintsburg AL. Major Role of S-Glycoprotein in Providing Immunogenicity and Protective Immunity in mRNA Lipid Nanoparticle Vaccines Based on SARS-CoV-2 Structural Proteins. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:379. [PMID: 38675761 PMCID: PMC11053793 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12040379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 variants have evolved over time in recent years, demonstrating immune evasion of vaccine-induced neutralizing antibodies directed against the original S protein. Updated S-targeted vaccines provide a high level of protection against circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2, but this protection declines over time due to ongoing virus evolution. To achieve a broader protection, novel vaccine candidates involving additional antigens with low mutation rates are currently needed. Based on our recently studied mRNA lipid nanoparticle (mRNA-LNP) platform, we have generated mRNA-LNP encoding SARS-CoV-2 structural proteins M, N, S from different virus variants and studied their immunogenicity separately or in combination in vivo. As a result, all mRNA-LNP vaccine compositions encoding the S and N proteins induced excellent titers of RBD- and N-specific binding antibodies. The T cell responses were mainly specific CD4+ T cell lymphocytes producing IL-2 and TNF-alpha. mRNA-LNP encoding the M protein did not show a high immunogenicity. High neutralizing activity was detected in the sera of mice vaccinated with mRNA-LNP encoding S protein (alone or in combinations) against closely related strains, but was undetectable or significantly lower against an evolutionarily distant variant. Our data showed that the addition of mRNAs encoding S and M antigens to mRNA-N in the vaccine composition enhanced the immunogenicity of mRNA-N and induced a more robust immune response to the N protein. Based on our results, we suggested that the S protein plays a key role in enhancing the immune response to the N protein when they are both encoded in the mRNA-LNP vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evgeniia N. Bykonia
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Denis A. Kleymenov
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Vladimir A. Gushchin
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Department of Virology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I M Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Andrei E. Siniavin
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Elena P. Mazunina
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Sofia R. Kozlova
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Anastasia N. Zolotar
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Evgeny V. Usachev
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Nadezhda A. Kuznetsova
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Elena V. Shidlovskaya
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Andrei A. Pochtovyi
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Department of Virology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Department of Medical Genetics, Federal State Autonomous Educational Institution of Higher Education I M Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Sechenov University), Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Daria D. Kustova
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Department of Virology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
| | - Igor A. Ivanov
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 117997, Russia
| | - Sergey E. Dmitriev
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Belozersky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119234, Russia
- Faculty of Bioengineering and Bioinformatics, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Roman A. Ivanov
- Translational Medicine Research Center, Sirius University of Science and Technology, Sochi 354340, Russia;
| | - Denis Y. Logunov
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
| | - Alexander L. Gintsburg
- Federal State Budget Institution “National Research Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology Named after Honorary Academician N. F. Gamaleya” of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, Moscow 123098, Russia; (D.A.K.); (A.E.S.); (E.P.M.); (S.R.K.); (A.N.Z.); (E.V.U.); (N.A.K.); (E.V.S.); (A.A.P.); (D.D.K.); (I.A.I.); (S.E.D.); (D.Y.L.); (A.L.G.)
- Infectiology Department, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
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11
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Lobaina Y, Chen R, Suzarte E, Ai P, Huerta V, Musacchio A, Silva R, Tan C, Martín A, Lazo L, Guillén-Nieto G, Yang K, Perera Y, Hermida L. The Nucleocapsid Protein of SARS-CoV-2, Combined with ODN-39M, Is a Potential Component for an Intranasal Bivalent Vaccine with Broader Functionality. Viruses 2024; 16:418. [PMID: 38543783 PMCID: PMC10976088 DOI: 10.3390/v16030418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Despite the rapid development of vaccines against COVID-19, they have important limitations, such as safety issues, the scope of their efficacy, and the induction of mucosal immunity. The present study proposes a potential component for a new generation of vaccines. The recombinant nucleocapsid (N) protein from the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant was combined with the ODN-39M, a synthetic 39 mer unmethylated cytosine-phosphate-guanine oligodeoxynucleotide (CpG ODN), used as an adjuvant. The evaluation of its immunogenicity in Balb/C mice revealed that only administration by intranasal route induced a systemic cross-reactive, cell-mediated immunity (CMI). In turn, this combination was able to induce anti-N IgA in the lungs, which, along with the specific IgG in sera and CMI in the spleen, was cross-reactive against the nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-1. Furthermore, the nasal administration of the N + ODN-39M preparation, combined with RBD Delta protein, enhanced the local and systemic immune response against RBD, with a neutralizing capacity. Results make the N + ODN-39M preparation a suitable component for a future intranasal vaccine with broader functionality against Sarbecoviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadira Lobaina
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Edith Suzarte
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Panchao Ai
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Vivian Huerta
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Alexis Musacchio
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Ricardo Silva
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- BCF: R&D Section, Representative Office BCF in China, Jingtai Tower, No. 24 Jianguomen Wai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, China
| | - Changyuan Tan
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Alejandro Martín
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Laura Lazo
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Gerardo Guillén-Nieto
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Ke Yang
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
| | - Yasser Perera
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- R&D Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- CIGB: Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Havana 10600, Cuba; (E.S.); (A.M.); (L.L.); (G.G.-N.)
| | - Lisset Hermida
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China; (Y.L.); (R.C.); (P.A.); (V.H.); (A.M.); (R.S.); (C.T.)
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co., Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou 425000, China
- BCF: R&D Section, Representative Office BCF in China, Jingtai Tower, No. 24 Jianguomen Wai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, China
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12
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Clever S, Limpinsel L, Meyer zu Natrup C, Schünemann LM, Beythien G, Rosiak M, Hülskötter K, Gregor KM, Tuchel T, Kalodimou G, Freudenstein A, Kumar S, Baumgärtner W, Sutter G, Tscherne A, Volz A. Single MVA-SARS-2-ST/N Vaccination Rapidly Protects K18-hACE2 Mice against a Lethal SARS-CoV-2 Challenge Infection. Viruses 2024; 16:417. [PMID: 38543782 PMCID: PMC10974247 DOI: 10.3390/v16030417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2024] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
The sudden emergence of SARS-CoV-2 demonstrates the need for new vaccines that rapidly protect in the case of an emergency. In this study, we developed a recombinant MVA vaccine co-expressing SARS-CoV-2 prefusion-stabilized spike protein (ST) and SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein (N, MVA-SARS-2-ST/N) as an approach to further improve vaccine-induced immunogenicity and efficacy. Single MVA-SARS-2-ST/N vaccination in K18-hACE2 mice induced robust protection against lethal respiratory SARS-CoV-2 challenge infection 28 days later. The protective outcome of MVA-SARS-2-ST/N vaccination correlated with the activation of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies (nABs) and substantial amounts of SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells especially in the lung of MVA-SARS-2-ST/N-vaccinated mice. Emergency vaccination with MVA-SARS-2-ST/N just 2 days before lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge infection resulted in a delayed onset of clinical disease outcome in these mice and increased titers of nAB or SARS-CoV-2-specific T cells in the spleen and lung. These data highlight the potential of a multivalent COVID-19 vaccine co-expressing S- and N-protein, which further contributes to the development of rapidly protective vaccination strategies against emerging pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Clever
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (S.C.); (C.M.z.N.); (L.-M.S.)
| | - Leonard Limpinsel
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Christian Meyer zu Natrup
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (S.C.); (C.M.z.N.); (L.-M.S.)
| | - Lisa-Marie Schünemann
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (S.C.); (C.M.z.N.); (L.-M.S.)
| | - Georg Beythien
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (G.B.); (M.R.); (K.H.); (K.M.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Malgorzata Rosiak
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (G.B.); (M.R.); (K.H.); (K.M.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Kirsten Hülskötter
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (G.B.); (M.R.); (K.H.); (K.M.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Katharina Manuela Gregor
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (G.B.); (M.R.); (K.H.); (K.M.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Tamara Tuchel
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (S.C.); (C.M.z.N.); (L.-M.S.)
| | - Georgia Kalodimou
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Astrid Freudenstein
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Satendra Kumar
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Wolfgang Baumgärtner
- Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (G.B.); (M.R.); (K.H.); (K.M.G.); (W.B.)
| | - Gerd Sutter
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Alina Tscherne
- Division of Virology, Department of Veterinary Sciences, LMU Munich, 85764 Oberschleißheim, Germany; (L.L.); (G.K.); (A.F.); (S.K.); (G.S.); (A.T.)
| | - Asisa Volz
- Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hanover, Germany; (S.C.); (C.M.z.N.); (L.-M.S.)
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Sanchez S, Dangi T, Awakoaiye B, Irani N, Fourati S, Richner J, Penaloza-MacMaster P. Time-dependent enhancement of mRNA vaccines by 4-1BB costimulation. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.01.582992. [PMID: 38496467 PMCID: PMC10942304 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.01.582992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
mRNA vaccines have demonstrated efficacy against COVID-19. However, concerns regarding waning immunity and breakthrough infections have motivated the development of next-generation vaccines with enhanced efficacy. In this study, we investigated the impact of 4-1BB costimulation on immune responses elicited by mRNA vaccines in mice. We first vaccinated mice with an mRNA vaccine encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen like the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines, followed by administration of 4-1BB costimulatory antibodies at various times post-vaccination. Administering 4-1BB costimulatory antibodies during the priming phase did not enhance immune responses. However, administering 4-1BB costimulatory antibodies after 96 hours elicited a significant improvement in CD8 T cell responses, leading to enhanced protection against breakthrough infections. A similar improvement in immune responses was observed with multiple mRNA vaccines, including vaccines against common cold coronavirus, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and arenavirus. These findings demonstrate a time-dependent effect by 4-1BB costimulation and provide insights for developing improved mRNA vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Sanchez
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Bakare Awakoaiye
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Nahid Irani
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Slim Fourati
- Department of Medicine, Division of Allergy and Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine and Center for Human Immunobiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Justin Richner
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
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14
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Pushpakumara PD, Jeewandara C, Bary F, Madushanka D, Perera L, Aberathna IS, Nimasha T, Jayamali J, Ranasinghe T, Kuruppu H, Danasekara S, Wijewickrama A, Ogg GS, Malavige GN. Identification of differences in the magnitude and specificity of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antibody responses in naturally infected and vaccinated individuals. Clin Exp Immunol 2024; 215:268-278. [PMID: 37313783 PMCID: PMC10876109 DOI: 10.1093/cei/uxad066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
As there are limited data on B-cell epitopes for the nucleocapsid protein in SARS-CoV-2, we sought to identify the immunodominant regions within the N protein, recognized by patients with varying severity of natural infection with the Wuhan strain (WT), delta, omicron, and in those who received the Sinopharm vaccines, which is an inactivated, whole virus vaccine. Using overlapping peptides representing the N protein, with an in-house ELISA, we mapped the immunodominant regions within the N protein, in seronegative (n = 30), WT infected (n = 30), delta infected (n = 30), omicron infected + vaccinated (n = 20) and Sinopharm (BBIBP-CorV) vaccinees (n = 30). We then investigated the sensitivity and specificity of these immunodominant regions and analyzed their conservation with other SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, seasonal human coronaviruses, and bat Sarbecoviruses. We identified four immunodominant regions aa 29-52, aa 155-178, aa 274-297, and aa 365-388, which were highly conserved within SARS-CoV-2 and the bat coronaviruses. The magnitude of responses to these regions varied based on the infecting SARS-CoV-2 variants, >80% of individuals gave responses above the positive cut-off threshold to many of the four regions, with some differences with individuals who were infected with different VoCs. These regions were found to be 100% specific, as none of the seronegative individuals gave any responses. As these regions were highly specific with high sensitivity, they have a potential to be used to develop diagnostic assays and to be used in development of vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pradeep Darshana Pushpakumara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Chandima Jeewandara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Farha Bary
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Deshan Madushanka
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Lahiru Perera
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Inoka Sepali Aberathna
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Thashmi Nimasha
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Jeewantha Jayamali
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Thushali Ranasinghe
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Heshan Kuruppu
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | - Saubhagya Danasekara
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
| | | | - Graham S Ogg
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gathsaurie Neelika Malavige
- Allergy Immunology and Cell Biology Unit, Department of Immunology and Molecular Medicine, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Nugegoda, Sri Lanka
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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15
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Jackson HK, Long HM, Yam‐Puc JC, Palmulli R, Haigh TA, Gerber PP, Lee JS, Matheson NJ, Young L, Trowsdale J, Lo M, Taylor GS, Thaventhiran JE, Edgar JR. Bioengineered small extracellular vesicles deliver multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigenic fragments and drive a broad immunological response. J Extracell Vesicles 2024; 13:e12412. [PMID: 38339765 PMCID: PMC10858312 DOI: 10.1002/jev2.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the clear risk that zoonotic viruses pose to global health and economies. The scientific community responded by developing several efficacious vaccines which were expedited by the global need for vaccines. The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infections highlights the need for additional vaccine modalities to provide stronger, long-lived protective immunity. Here we report the design and preclinical testing of small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) as a multi-subunit vaccine. Cell lines were engineered to produce sEVs containing either the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain, or an antigenic region from SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid, or both in combination, and we tested their ability to evoke immune responses in vitro and in vivo. B cells incubated with bioengineered sEVs were potent activators of antigen-specific T cell clones. Mice immunised with sEVs containing both sRBD and Nucleocapsid antigens generated sRBD-specific IgGs, nucleocapsid-specific IgGs, which neutralised SARS-CoV-2 infection. sEV-based vaccines allow multiple antigens to be delivered simultaneously resulting in potent, broad immunity, and provide a quick, cheap, and reliable method to test vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah K. Jackson
- Department of PathologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Exosis, Inc. Palm BeachPalm BeachFloridaUSA
| | - Heather M. Long
- Institute of Immunology and ImmunotherapyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | | | | | - Tracey A. Haigh
- Institute of Immunology and ImmunotherapyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | - Pehuén Pereyra Gerber
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID)University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Jin S. Lee
- Department of PathologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
| | - Nicholas J. Matheson
- Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID)University of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Department of MedicineUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- NHS Blood and TransplantCambridgeUK
| | | | | | - Mathew Lo
- Exosis, Inc. Palm BeachPalm BeachFloridaUSA
| | - Graham S. Taylor
- Institute of Immunology and ImmunotherapyUniversity of BirminghamBirminghamUK
| | | | - James R. Edgar
- Department of PathologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
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16
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Yu R, Zhang L, Zhou P, Zhang Z, Liu X, Wang Y, Guo H, Pan L, Liu X. Evaluation of the immunoprotective effects of porcine deltacoronavirus subunit vaccines. Virology 2024; 590:109955. [PMID: 38070302 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.109955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Porcine deltacoronavirus (PDCoV), a new porcine enteric coronavirus, has seriously endangered the pig breeding industry and caused great economic losses. However, a PDCoV vaccine is not commercially available. Therefore, new and efficient PDCoV vaccines must be developed without delay. In this study, we used the ExpiCHO eukaryotic expression system to express and purify the following 3 structural proteins of PDCoV: S, N and M. Subsequently, the level of humoral and cellular immunity induced by the S protein (immunization with the S protein alone) and a protein mixture (immunization with a mixture of S, N and M proteins) were evaluated in mice and piglets, respectively, and the performances of the 2 immunizations in a challenge protection test were assessed in piglets. The results showed that both the S protein and the protein mixture induced the production of high levels of specific IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies and effectively neutralized PDCoV-infected LLC-PK cells in vitro. Furthermore, compared with the S protein, the N and M proteins in the protein mixture promoted the expression of CD8+ T cells and IFN-γ, induced a stronger cellular immune response, and effectively protected 4/5 of the piglets from PDCoV infection. In conclusion, the results of this study showed that the N and M proteins play important roles in inducing an immunoprotective response. Using N and M antigens as effective antigenic components in the development of PDCoV vaccines in the future will effectively increase the immune efficacy of the vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiming Yu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Pigs, China
| | - Liping Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Pigs, China
| | - Peng Zhou
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Zhongwang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Xiaoqing Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yonglu Wang
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Huichen Guo
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Li Pan
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China.
| | - Xinsheng Liu
- State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Lanzhou Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou, China; National Center of Technology Innovation for Pigs, China.
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17
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Rak A, Isakova-Sivak I, Rudenko L. Overview of Nucleocapsid-Targeting Vaccines against COVID-19. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1810. [PMID: 38140214 PMCID: PMC10747980 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11121810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which emerged in late 2019, is a highly variable causative agent of COVID-19, a contagious respiratory disease with potentially severe complications. Vaccination is considered the most effective measure to prevent the spread and complications of this infection. Spike (S) protein-based vaccines were very successful in preventing COVID-19 caused by the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain; however, their efficacy was significantly reduced when coronavirus variants antigenically different from the original strain emerged in circulation. This is due to the high variability of this major viral antigen caused by escape from the immunity caused by the infection or vaccination with spike-targeting vaccines. The nucleocapsid protein (N) is a much more conserved SARS-CoV-2 antigen than the spike protein and has therefore attracted the attention of scientists as a promising target for broad-spectrum vaccine development. Here, we summarized the current data on various N-based COVID-19 vaccines that have been tested in animal challenge models or clinical trials. Despite the high conservatism of the N protein, escape mutations gradually occurring in the N sequence can affect its protective properties. During the three years of the pandemic, at least 12 mutations have arisen in the N sequence, affecting more than 40 known immunogenic T-cell epitopes, so the antigenicity of the N protein of recent SARS-CoV-2 variants may be altered. This fact should be taken into account as a limitation in the development of cross-reactive vaccines based on N-protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Rak
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, St. Petersburg 197022, Russia; (I.I.-S.); (L.R.)
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18
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Yu H, Guan F, Miller H, Lei J, Liu C. The role of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein in antiviral immunity and vaccine development. Emerg Microbes Infect 2023; 12:e2164219. [PMID: 36583642 PMCID: PMC9980416 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2022.2164219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has caused enormous health risks and global economic disruption. This disease is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein is a structural protein involved in viral replication and assembly. There is accumulating evidence indicating that the nucleocapsid protein is multi-functional, playing a key role in the pathogenesis of COVID-19 and antiviral immunity against SARS-CoV-2. Here, we summarize its potential application in the prevention of COVID-19, which is based on its role in inflammation, cell death, antiviral innate immunity, and antiviral adaptive immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyun Yu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Fei Guan
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Heather Miller
- Laboratory of Intracellular Parasites, Rocky Mountain Laboratories, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Hamilton, MT, USA
| | - Jiahui Lei
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China
| | - Chaohong Liu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, People’s Republic of China, Chaohong Liu
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19
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van Bergen J, Camps MG, Pardieck IN, Veerkamp D, Leung WY, Leijs AA, Myeni SK, Kikkert M, Arens R, Zondag GC, Ossendorp F. Multiantigen pan-sarbecovirus DNA vaccines generate protective T cell immune responses. JCI Insight 2023; 8:e172488. [PMID: 37707962 PMCID: PMC10721273 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.172488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is the third zoonotic coronavirus to cause a major outbreak in humans in recent years, and many more SARS-like coronaviruses with pandemic potential are circulating in several animal species. Vaccines inducing T cell immunity against broadly conserved viral antigens may protect against hospitalization and death caused by outbreaks of such viruses. We report the design and preclinical testing of 2 T cell-based pan-sarbecovirus vaccines, based on conserved regions within viral proteins of sarbecovirus isolates of human and other carrier animals, like bats and pangolins. One vaccine (CoVAX_ORF1ab) encoded antigens derived from nonstructural proteins, and the other (CoVAX_MNS) encoded antigens from structural proteins. Both multiantigen DNA vaccines contained a large set of antigens shared across sarbecoviruses and were rich in predicted and experimentally validated human T cell epitopes. In mice, the multiantigen vaccines generated both CD8+ and CD4+ T cell responses to shared epitopes. Upon encounter of full-length spike antigen, CoVAX_MNS-induced CD4+ T cells were responsible for accelerated CD8+ T cell and IgG Ab responses specific to the incoming spike, irrespective of its sarbecovirus origin. Finally, both vaccines elicited partial protection against a lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge in human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-transgenic mice. These results support clinical testing of these universal sarbecovirus vaccines for pandemic preparedness.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcel G.M. Camps
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Iris N. Pardieck
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Dominique Veerkamp
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Wing Yan Leung
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, Netherlands
- Synvolux BV, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Anouk A. Leijs
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Sebenzile K. Myeni
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Marjolein Kikkert
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ramon Arens
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Gerben C. Zondag
- Immunetune BV, Leiden, Netherlands
- Synvolux BV, Leiden, Netherlands
| | - Ferry Ossendorp
- Department of Immunology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, Netherlands
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20
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Yang H, Xie Y, Lu S, Sun Y, Wang K, Li S, Wang J, Liao G, Li C. Independent Protection and Influence of the Spike-Specific Antibody Response of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein (N) in Whole-Virion Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1681. [PMID: 38006013 PMCID: PMC10675215 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11111681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Of all of the components in SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccines, nucleocapsid protein (N) is the most abundant and highly conserved protein. However, the function of N in these vaccines, especially its influence on the targeted spike protein's response, remains unknown. In this study, the immunization of mice with the N protein alone was shown to reduce the viral load, alleviating pulmonary pathological lesions after challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In addition, co-immunization and pre-immunization with N were found to induce higher S-specific antibody titers rather than compromise them. Remarkably, the same trend was also observed when N was administered as the booster dose after whole inactivated virus vaccination. N-specific IFN-γ-secreting T cell response was detected in all groups and exhibited a certain relationship with S-specific IgG antibody improvements. Together, these data indicate that N has an independent role in vaccine-induced protection and improves the S-specific antibody response to inactivated vaccines, revealing that an interplay mechanism may exist in the immune responses to complex virus components.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huijie Yang
- Divsion of Respiratory Virus Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China; (H.Y.); (K.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Ying Xie
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650108, China; (Y.X.); (S.L.); (G.L.)
| | - Shuaiyao Lu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650108, China; (Y.X.); (S.L.); (G.L.)
| | - Yufang Sun
- Graduate School, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou 511495, China
| | - Kaiqin Wang
- Divsion of Respiratory Virus Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China; (H.Y.); (K.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Shuyan Li
- Divsion of Respiratory Virus Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China; (H.Y.); (K.W.); (S.L.)
| | - Junzhi Wang
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, NMPA Key Laboratory for Quality Research and Evaluation of Biological Products, Beijing 102629, China;
| | - Guoyang Liao
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650108, China; (Y.X.); (S.L.); (G.L.)
| | - Changgui Li
- Divsion of Respiratory Virus Vaccines, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing 102629, China; (H.Y.); (K.W.); (S.L.)
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21
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Bean DJ, Monroe J, Liang YM, Borberg E, Senussi Y, Swank Z, Chalise S, Walt D, Weinberg J, Sagar M. Heterotypic responses against nsp12/nsp13 from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection associates with lower subsequent endemic coronavirus incidence. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.10.23.563621. [PMID: 37961343 PMCID: PMC10634759 DOI: 10.1101/2023.10.23.563621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Immune responses from prior SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 vaccination do not prevent re-infections and may not protect against future novel coronaviruses (CoVs). We examined the incidence of and immune differences against human endemic CoVs (eCoV) as a proxy for response against future emerging CoVs. Assessment was among those with known SARS-CoV-2 infection, COVID-19 vaccination but no documented SARS-CoV-2 infection, or neither exposure. Retrospective cohort analyses suggest that prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not COVID-19 vaccination alone, protects against subsequent symptomatic eCoV infection. CD8+ T cell responses to the non-structural eCoV proteins, nsp12 and nsp13, were significantly higher in individuals with previous SARS-CoV-2 infection as compared to the other groups. The three groups had similar cellular responses against the eCoV spike and nucleocapsid, and those with prior spike exposure had lower eCoV-directed neutralizing antibodies. Incorporation of non-structural viral antigens in a future pan-CoV vaccine may improve protection against future heterologous CoV infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Bean
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Janet Monroe
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Yan Mei Liang
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
| | - Ella Borberg
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Yasmeen Senussi
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Zoe Swank
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Sujata Chalise
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - David Walt
- Department of Pathology, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
- Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering, Harvard University, Boston, MA
| | - Janice Weinberg
- Department of Biostatistics, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA
| | - Manish Sagar
- Department of Virology, Immunology and Microbiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
- Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA
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22
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Cao J, Gu H, Zhang X, Yun H, Li J, Si CY, Zhang J, Wang H. Intranasal inoculation of female BALB/c mice with replication-deficient human adenovirus type 5 expressing SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein aggravates lung pathology upon re-encountering the antigen. Virus Res 2023; 335:199201. [PMID: 37595663 PMCID: PMC10470087 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2023.199201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
Preclinical studies indicate that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N)-based vaccines, along with other viral protein(s), confer protection in various animal models against infection by SARS-CoV-2 ancestral virus and variants of concern. However, the optimal vaccination procedure and the role of N-specific host adaptive immune responses remain elusive. Here, we report that intranasal inoculation with replication-deficient human adenovirus type 5 expressing SARS-CoV-2 N protein (Ad5-N) conferred no protection in the lung of female BALB/c mice upon re-encountering the antigen, either by 10-fold Ad5-N re-exposure or sublethal infection of mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2. By contrast, this procedure led to aggravated lung pathology with more necroptotic CD3+ T cells and Ly6G+ granulocytes, which was associated with the accumulation of IFN-γ-expressing antigen-experienced CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. These findings pre-caution the clinical application of this vaccination procedure. Furthermore, our data suggest that excessive host adaptive immune responses against N protein contributes to COVID-19 pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junxia Cao
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hongjing Gu
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China
| | - Xueting Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Hongfang Yun
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jiarong Li
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; University of South China, Hengyang Medical School, Hengyang 421001, China
| | - Chuan-Yimu Si
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Jiyan Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Beijing 100850, China; University of South China, Hengyang Medical School, Hengyang 421001, China; Anhui Medical University, Hefei 230032, China; Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing 100071, China.
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23
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Wellington D, Yin Z, Yu Z, Heilig R, Davis S, Fischer R, Felce SL, Antoun E, Hublitz P, Beveridge R, Dong D, Liu G, Yao X, Peng Y, Kessler BM, Dong T. SARS-CoV-2 mutations affect antigen processing by the proteasome to alter CD8 + T cell responses. Heliyon 2023; 9:e20076. [PMID: 37842619 PMCID: PMC10570596 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e20076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Mutations within viral epitopes can result in escape from T cells, but the contribution of mutations in flanking regions of epitopes in SARS-CoV-2 has not been investigated. Focusing on two SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein CD8+ epitopes, we investigated the contribution of these flanking mutations to proteasomal processing and T cell activation. We found decreased NP9-17-B*27:05 CD8+ T cell responses to the NP-Q7K mutation, likely due to a lack of efficient epitope production by the proteasome, suggesting immune escape caused by this mutation. In contrast, NP-P6L and NP-D103 N/Y mutations flanking the NP9-17-B*27:05 and NP105-113-B*07:02 epitopes, respectively, increased CD8+ T cell responses associated with enhanced epitope production by the proteasome. Our results provide evidence that SARS-CoV-2 mutations outside the epitope could have a significant impact on proteasomal processing, either contributing to T cell escape or enhancement that may be exploited for future vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dannielle Wellington
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Zixi Yin
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Zhanru Yu
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Raphael Heilig
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Simon Davis
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Roman Fischer
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Suet Ling Felce
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Elie Antoun
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Philip Hublitz
- Genome Engineering Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Ryan Beveridge
- Virus Screening Facility, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Danning Dong
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Guihai Liu
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Xuan Yao
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Yanchun Peng
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
| | - Benedikt M. Kessler
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- Target Discovery Institute, Centre for Medicines Discovery, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
| | - Tao Dong
- Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Oxford Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 7FZ, UK
- MRC Human Immunology Unit, MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Radcliffe Department of Medicine, Oxford University, Oxford, OX3 9DS, UK
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24
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Lao T, Avalos I, Rodríguez EM, Zamora Y, Rodriguez A, Ramón A, Alvarez Y, Cabrales A, Andújar I, González LJ, Puente P, García C, Gómez L, Valdés R, Estrada MP, Carpio Y. Production and characterization of a chimeric antigen, based on nucleocapsid of SARS-CoV-2 fused to the extracellular domain of human CD154 in HEK-293 cells as a vaccine candidate against COVID-19. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0288006. [PMID: 37751460 PMCID: PMC10522030 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0288006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite that more than one hundred vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been developed and that some of them were evaluated in clinical trials, the latest results revealed that these vaccines still face great challenges. Among the components of the virus, the N-protein constitutes an attractive target for a subunit vaccine because it is the most abundant, highly conserved and immunogenic protein. In the present work, a chimeric protein (N-CD protein) was constructed by the fusion of the N-protein to the extracellular domain of human CD154 as the molecular adjuvant. HEK-293 cells were transduced with lentiviral vector bearing the N-CD gene and polyclonal cell populations were obtained. The N-CD protein was purified from cell culture supernatant and further characterized by several techniques. Immunogenicity studies in mice and non-human primates showed the N-CD protein induced high IgG titers in both models after two doses. Moreover, overall health monitoring of non-human primates demonstrated that animals were healthy during 228 days after first immunization. Data obtained support further investigation in order to develop this chimeric protein as vaccine candidate against COVID-19 and other coronavirus diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thailin Lao
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ileanet Avalos
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Elsa María Rodríguez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Yasser Zamora
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Alianet Rodriguez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ailyn Ramón
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Yanitza Alvarez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ania Cabrales
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Systems Biology, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ivan Andújar
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Systems Biology, Havana, Cuba
| | | | - Pedro Puente
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal housing, Havana, Cuba
| | - Cristina García
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Production Division, Havana, Cuba
| | - Leonardo Gómez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Production Division, Havana, Cuba
| | - Rodolfo Valdés
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Production Division, Havana, Cuba
| | - Mario Pablo Estrada
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
| | - Yamila Carpio
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana, Cuba
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25
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Richner J, Class J, Simons L, Lorenzo-Redondo R, Cooper L, Dangi T, Penaloza-MacMaster P, Ozer E, Rong L, Hultquist J. SARS-CoV-2 Bottlenecks and Tissue-Specific Adaptation in the Central Nervous System. RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3220157. [PMID: 37790412 PMCID: PMC10543031 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3220157/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
Severe COVID-19 and post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection are associated with neurological complications that may be linked to direct infection of the central nervous system (CNS), but the selective pressures ruling neuroinvasion are poorly defined. Here, we assessed SARS-CoV-2 evolution in the lung versus CNS of infected mice. Higher levels of viral diversity were observed in the CNS than the lung after intranasal challenge with a high frequency of mutations in the Spike furin cleavage site (FCS). Deletion of the FCS significantly attenuated virulence after intranasal challenge, with lower viral titers and decreased morbidity compared to the wild-type virus. Intracranial inoculation of the FCS-deleted virus, however, was sufficient to restore virulence. After intracranial inoculation, both viruses established infection in the lung, but this required reversion of the FCS deletion. Cumulatively, these data suggest a critical role for the FCS in determining SARS-CoV-2 tropism and compartmentalization with possible implications for the treatment of neuroinvasive COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lijun Rong
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
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26
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Song W, Fang Z, Ma F, Li J, Huang Z, Zhang Y, Li J, Chen K. The role of SARS-CoV-2 N protein in diagnosis and vaccination in the context of emerging variants: present status and prospects. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1217567. [PMID: 37675423 PMCID: PMC10478715 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1217567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite many countries rapidly revising their strategies to prevent contagions, the number of people infected with Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to surge. The emergent variants that can evade the immune response significantly affect the effectiveness of mainstream vaccines and diagnostic products based on the original spike protein. Therefore, it is essential to focus on the highly conserved nature of the nucleocapsid protein as a potential target in the field of vaccines and diagnostics. In this regard, our review initially discusses the structure, function, and mechanism of action of N protein. Based on this discussion, we summarize the relevant research on the in-depth development and application of diagnostic methods and vaccines based on N protein, such as serology and nucleic acid detection. Such valuable information can aid in designing more efficient diagnostic and vaccine tools that could help end the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wanchen Song
- School of Medical Technology and Information Engineering, Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhongbiao Fang
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Feike Ma
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiaxuan Li
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Zhiwei Huang
- School of Laboratory Medicine and Life Sciences, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Yanjun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Detection and Etiological Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jianhua Li
- Key Laboratory of Public Health Detection and Etiological Research of Zhejiang Province, Department of Microbiology, Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Keda Chen
- Shulan International Medical College, Zhejiang Shuren University, Hangzhou, China
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27
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Williams DM, Hornsby HR, Shehata OM, Brown R, Gallis M, Meardon N, Newman TAH, Plowright M, Zafred D, Shun-Shion ASM, Hodder AJ, Bliss D, Metcalfe A, Edgar JR, Gordon DE, Sayers JR, Nicklin MJ, Carroll M, Collini PJ, Brown S, de Silva TI, Peden AA. Establishing SARS-CoV-2 membrane protein-specific antibodies as a valuable serological target via high-content microscopy. iScience 2023; 26:107056. [PMID: 37346049 PMCID: PMC10246304 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Revised: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The prevalence and strength of serological responses mounted toward SARS-CoV-2 proteins other than nucleocapsid (N) and spike (S), which may be of use as additional serological markers, remains underexplored. Using high-content microscopy to assess antibody responses against full-length StrepTagged SARS-CoV-2 proteins, we found that 85% (166/196) of unvaccinated individuals with RT-PCR confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infections and 74% (31/42) of individuals infected after being vaccinated developed detectable IgG against the structural protein M, which is higher than previous estimates. Compared with N antibodies, M IgG displayed a shallower time-dependent decay and greater specificity. Sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence was enhanced when N and M IgG detection was combined. These findings indicate that screening for M seroconversion may be a good approach for detecting additional vaccine breakthrough infections and highlight the potential to use HCM as a rapidly deployable method to identify the most immunogenic targets of newly emergent pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M Williams
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Hailey R Hornsby
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Ola M Shehata
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Rebecca Brown
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Marta Gallis
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Naomi Meardon
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
- South Yorkshire Regional Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Thomas A H Newman
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
- South Yorkshire Regional Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Megan Plowright
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
- South Yorkshire Regional Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Domen Zafred
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Amber S M Shun-Shion
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Anthony J Hodder
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Deepa Bliss
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Andrew Metcalfe
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - James R Edgar
- Department of Pathology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QP, UK
| | - David E Gordon
- Department of Pathology, Emory University, Whitehead Building, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jon R Sayers
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Martin J Nicklin
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
| | - Miles Carroll
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, UK
| | - Paul J Collini
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
- South Yorkshire Regional Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Stephen Brown
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
| | - Thushan I de Silva
- Department of Infection, Immunity and Cardiovascular Diseases, University of Sheffield Medical School, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, UK
- South Yorkshire Regional Department of Infection and Tropical Medicine, Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK
| | - Andrew A Peden
- School of Bioscience, University of Sheffield, Western Bank, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK
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28
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López-Muñoz AD, Santos JJS, Yewdell JW. Cell surface nucleocapsid protein expression: A betacoronavirus immunomodulatory strategy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2304087120. [PMID: 37399385 PMCID: PMC10334784 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2304087120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
We recently reported that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein is abundantly expressed on the surface of both infected and neighboring uninfected cells, where it enables activation of Fc receptor-bearing immune cells with anti-N antibodies (Abs) and inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis by binding chemokines (CHKs). Here, we extend these findings to N from the common cold human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43, which is also robustly expressed on the surface of infected and noninfected cells by binding heparan sulfate/heparin (HS/H). HCoV-OC43 N binds with high affinity to the same set of 11 human CHKs as SARS-CoV-2 N, but also to a nonoverlapping set of six cytokines. As with SARS-CoV-2 N, HCoV-OC43 N inhibits CXCL12β-mediated leukocyte migration in chemotaxis assays, as do all highly pathogenic and common cold HCoV N proteins. Together, our findings indicate that cell surface HCoV N plays important evolutionarily conserved roles in manipulating host innate immunity and as a target for adaptive immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Domingo López-Muñoz
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Jefferson J. S. Santos
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
| | - Jonathan W. Yewdell
- Cellular Biology Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD20892
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29
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Chaudhary A, Madhavan R, Babji S, Raju R, Syed C, Kumar A, Saravanan P, Sharon Nikitha O, Leander Xavier JV, David Chelladurai JS, Deborah AA, George A, Kang G, Rose W. Characterization of immune responses to two and three doses of the adenoviral vectored vaccine ChAdOx1 nCov-19 and the whole virion inactivated vaccine BBV152 in a mix-and-match study in India. Vaccine 2023:S0264-410X(23)00744-2. [PMID: 37357073 PMCID: PMC10289125 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
Infections with SARS-CoV-2 variants and declining immunity after primary vaccination, encouraged the use of booster doses. Some countries changed their immunization programmes to boost with vaccines different from the ones in their original schedule, based on results from immunogenicity and effectiveness studies. This study reports immunological analysis of samples collected in a phase 4 randomized trial, where participants who had previously received two primary doses of ChAdOx1 nCov-19 (ChAd) or inactivated BBV152 vaccine were randomized to receive either ChAd or BBV152 booster and further categorized as: Group 1 (two primary doses of ChAd - ChAd booster), Group 2 (two primary doses of ChAd - BBV152 booster), Group 3 (two primary doses of BBV152 - ChAd booster), and Group 4 (two primary doses of BBV152 - BBV152 booster). SARS-CoV-2 specific cellular and humoral responses at day 0 (pre-boost samples 12-36 weeks after the second primary dose), and at day 28 post booster, were measured in a subset of participants (ChAd recipients, n = 37 and BBV152 recipients, n = 36). Additionally, on day180 post-booster humoral responses were assessed for the entire cohort (N = 378). Primary vaccination with 2 doses of BBV152 generated higher memory-B cells (median% 0.41 vs 0.35) and cytokine producing CD8-Tcells (median% 0.09 vs 0.04) while lower anti-spike IgG levels (medianAU/ml: 12,433 vs 27,074) as compared to ChAd. Irrespective of the primary vaccine received, ChAd boosted individuals generated higher memory-B cell frequencies and anti-spike IgG levels as compared to BBV152 booster. The percentage ACE-2 inhibition against Omicron and its sub-variants was higher in Group 3 (median > 60 %) as compared to other groups (median < 25 %). At day180 post booster the hierarchy of the antibody amounts was Group 1 ∼ Group 2 ∼ Group 3 > Group 4. Sustained humoral and robust cellular immune response to SARS-CoV-2 can be obtained with ChAd booster irrespective of the primary vaccination regimen. The trial is registered with ISRTCN (CTRI/2021/08/035648).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Chaudhary
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Ramya Madhavan
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Sudhir Babji
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Reshma Raju
- Department of Paediatrics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Chanduni Syed
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Ajith Kumar
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Poornima Saravanan
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | | | | | | | | | - Anna George
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Gagandeep Kang
- The Wellcome Trust Research Laboratory, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India
| | - Winsley Rose
- Department of Paediatrics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
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30
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Lobaina Y, Chen R, Suzarte E, Ai P, Huerta V, Tan C, Alvarez-Lajonchere L, Liling Y, Musacchio A, Silva R, Guillén G, Zaixue J, Yang K, Perera Y, Hermida L. Broad humoral immunity generated in mice by a formulation composed of two antigens from the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2. Arch Virol 2023; 168:190. [PMID: 37351679 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-023-05812-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Due to the rapid development of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the real threat of new coronavirus zoonosis events, the development of a preventive vaccine with a broader scope of functionality is highly desirable. Previously, we reported the functionality of a nasal formulation containing the nucleocapsid protein and the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein of the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 combined with the ODN-39M adjuvant. This combination induced cross-reactive immunity in mucosal and systemic compartments at the sarbecovirus level. In the present study, we explored the magnitude of the immunity generated in BALB/c mice by the same formulation with alum added as an additional adjuvant, to enhance the humoral immunity against the two antigens. Animals were immunized with three doses of the bivalent formulation, administered by subcutaneous route. Humoral immunity was tested by ELISA, and the neutralizing capacity of the resulting antibodies (Abs) was evaluated using a surrogate test and a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) pseudovirus-based assay. Cell-mediated immunity was also investigated using an IFN-γ ELISpot assay. High levels of antibodies against both antigens (N and RBD) were obtained upon immunization. Anti-RBD Abs with neutralizing capacity reacted with the RBD of three SARS-CoV-2 variants tested, including Omicron. Abs recognizing the nucleocapsid proteins of SARS-CoV-1 and the SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron variants were also detected. Taken together, these results suggest that this bivalent formulation could be an attractive component of a pancorona vaccine able to broaden the scope of humoral immunity against both antigens. This will be particularly important for the reinforcement of immunity in previously vaccinated and/or infected populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadira Lobaina
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Research Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
| | - Rong Chen
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Edith Suzarte
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Panchao Ai
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Vivian Huerta
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Changyuan Tan
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, Hunan, China
| | - Liz Alvarez-Lajonchere
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Yang Liling
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Dongguan Ninth People's Hospital, No. 88, Shaditang, Guancheng District, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Alexis Musacchio
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ricardo Silva
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China
- Scientific Department, Representative Office of BioCubaFarma in China, Jingtai Tower, No. 24 Jianguomen Wai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100022, China
| | - Gerardo Guillén
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba
| | - Jiang Zaixue
- Guangdong Eighth People's Hospital, No. 68 South, Shilong Xihu 3rd Road, Shilong Town, Dongguan, Guangdong, China
| | - Ke Yang
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China.
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, Hunan, China.
| | - Yasser Perera
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China.
- Biomedical Research Department, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), 10600, Havana, Cuba.
- Research Department, Yongzhou Zhong Gu Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Yangjiaqiao Street, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China.
| | - Lisset Hermida
- Research Department, China-Cuba Biotechnology Joint Innovation Center (CCBJIC), Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, 425000, Hunan, China.
- Scientific Department, Representative Office of BioCubaFarma in China, Jingtai Tower, No. 24 Jianguomen Wai Street, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100022, China.
- Yongzhou Development and Construction Investment Co. Ltd. (YDCI), Changfeng Industry Park, Yongzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone, No. 1 Liebao Road, Lengshuitan District, Yongzhou, Hunan, China.
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Primard C, Monchâtre-Leroy E, Del Campo J, Valsesia S, Nikly E, Chevandier M, Boué F, Servat A, Wasniewski M, Picard-Meyer E, Courant T, Collin N, Salguero FJ, Le Vert A, Guyon-Gellin D, Nicolas F. OVX033, a nucleocapsid-based vaccine candidate, provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants in a hamster challenge model. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1188605. [PMID: 37409116 PMCID: PMC10319154 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Spike-based COVID-19 vaccines induce potent neutralizing antibodies but their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants decreases. OVX033 is a recombinant protein composed of the full-length nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 genetically fused to oligoDOM®, a self-assembling domain which improves antigen immunogenicity. OVX033 including N as an antigenic target is proposed as new vaccine candidate providing broad-spectrum protection against sarbecoviruses. OVX033 demonstrated its ability to trigger cross-reactive T cell responses and cross-protection against three variants of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1 Europe, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron B.1.1.529) in a hamster challenge model, as evidenced by lower weight loss, lower lung viral loads, and reduced lung histopathological lesions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Franck Boué
- ANSES, Laboratory for Rabies and Wildlife, Malzéville, France
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Cacciottolo M, Nice JB, Li Y, LeClaire MJ, Twaddle R, Mora CL, Adachi SY, Chin ER, Young M, Angeles J, Elliott K, Sun M. Exosome-Based Multivalent Vaccine: Achieving Potent Immunization, Broadened Reactivity, and Strong T-Cell Responses with Nanograms of Proteins. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0050323. [PMID: 37093009 PMCID: PMC10269692 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00503-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently approved vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have focused solely on the spike protein to provide immunity. The first vaccines were developed rapidly using spike mRNA delivered by lipid nanoparticles but required ultralow-temperature storage and have had limited immunity against variations in spike. Subsequently, protein-based vaccines were developed, which offer broader immunity but require significant time for development and the use of an adjuvant to boost the immune response. Here, exosomes were used to deliver a bivalent protein-based vaccine in which two independent viral proteins were used. Exosomes were engineered to express either SARS-CoV-2 delta spike (Stealth X-Spike [STX-S]) or the more conserved nucleocapsid (Stealth X-Nucleocapsid [STX-N]) protein on the surface. When administered as a single product (STX-S or STX-N) or in combination (STX-S+N), both STX-S and STX-N induced strong immunization with the production of potent humoral and cellular immune responses. Interestingly, these results were obtained with the administration of only nanograms of protein and without an adjuvant. In two independent animal models (mouse and rabbit), the administration of nanograms of the STX-S+N vaccine resulted in increased antibody production, potent neutralizing antibodies with cross-reactivity to other variants of spike, and strong T-cell responses. Importantly, no competition of immune responses was observed, allowing the delivery of nucleocapsid with spike to offer improved SARS-CoV-2 immunity. These data show that the StealthX exosome platform has the enormous potential to revolutionize vaccinology by combining the advantages of mRNA and recombinant protein vaccines into a superior, rapidly generated, low-dose vaccine resulting in potent, broader immunity. IMPORTANCE The pandemic emergency has brought to light the need for a new generation of rapidly developed vaccines that induce longer-lasting, potent, and broader immune responses. While the mRNA vaccines played a critical role during the emergency in reducing SARS-CoV-2 hospitalization rates and deaths, more efficient approaches are needed. A multivalent, protein-based vaccine delivered by exosomes could meet this urgent need due to the high speed of development, manufacturability, and the ability to produce a strong antibody response, with neutralizing antibodies and a strong T-cell response able to broadly combat viral infection with a minimum number of injections.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Justin B Nice
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Yujia Li
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Ryan Twaddle
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | - Ciana L. Mora
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jenna Angeles
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Minghao Sun
- Capricor Therapeutics, Inc., San Diego, California, USA
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Mambelli F, Marinho FV, Andrade JM, de Araujo ACVSC, Abuna RPF, Fabri VMR, Santos BPO, da Silva JS, de Magalhães MTQ, Homan EJ, Leite LCC, Dias GB, Heck N, Mendes DAGB, Mansur DS, Báfica A, Oliveira SC. Recombinant Bacillus Calmette-Guérin Expressing SARS-CoV-2 Chimeric Protein Protects K18-hACE2 Mice against Viral Challenge. JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY (BALTIMORE, MD. : 1950) 2023; 210:1925-1937. [PMID: 37098890 PMCID: PMC10247535 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200731] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 04/27/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 has accounted for more than 6 million deaths worldwide. Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG), the existing tuberculosis vaccine, is known to induce heterologous effects over other infections due to trained immunity and has been proposed to be a potential strategy against SARS-CoV-2 infection. In this report, we constructed a recombinant BCG (rBCG) expressing domains of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid and spike proteins (termed rBCG-ChD6), recognized as major candidates for vaccine development. We investigated whether rBCG-ChD6 immunization followed by a boost with the recombinant nucleocapsid and spike chimera (rChimera), together with alum, provided protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in K18-hACE2 mice. A single dose of rBCG-ChD6 boosted with rChimera associated with alum elicited the highest anti-Chimera total IgG and IgG2c Ab titers with neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan strain when compared with control groups. Importantly, following SARS-CoV-2 challenge, this vaccination regimen induced IFN-γ and IL-6 production in spleen cells and reduced viral load in the lungs. In addition, no viable virus was detected in mice immunized with rBCG-ChD6 boosted with rChimera, which was associated with decreased lung pathology when compared with BCG WT-rChimera/alum or rChimera/alum control groups. Overall, our study demonstrates the potential of a prime-boost immunization system based on an rBCG expressing a chimeric protein derived from SARS-CoV-2 to protect mice against viral challenge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fábio Mambelli
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fábio V. Marinho
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juvana M. Andrade
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana C. V. S. C. de Araujo
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Department of Genetics, Ecology and Evolution, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rodrigo P. F. Abuna
- Platform of Bi-Institutional Research in Translational Medicine, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-Fiocruz, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Victor M. R. Fabri
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Bruno P. O. Santos
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - João S. da Silva
- Platform of Bi-Institutional Research in Translational Medicine, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation-Fiocruz, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Mariana T. Q. de Magalhães
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - E. Jane Homan
- ioGenetics LLC, Madison, Wisconsin, United States of America
| | | | - Greicy B.M. Dias
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Nicoli Heck
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Daniel A. G. B. Mendes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Daniel S. Mansur
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - André Báfica
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Santa Catarina, Brazil
| | - Sergio C. Oliveira
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Visvabharathy L, Hanson BA, Orban ZS, Lim PH, Palacio NM, Jimenez M, Clark JR, Graham EL, Liotta EM, Tachas G, Penaloza-MacMaster P, Koralnik IJ. Neuro-PASC is characterized by enhanced CD4+ and diminished CD8+ T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1155770. [PMID: 37313412 PMCID: PMC10258318 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1155770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Many people with long COVID symptoms suffer from debilitating neurologic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (Neuro-PASC). Although symptoms of Neuro-PASC are widely documented, it is still unclear whether PASC symptoms impact virus-specific immune responses. Therefore, we examined T cell and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein to identify activation signatures distinguishing Neuro-PASC patients from healthy COVID convalescents. Results We report that Neuro-PASC patients exhibit distinct immunological signatures composed of elevated CD4+ T cell responses and diminished CD8+ memory T cell activation toward the C-terminal region of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid protein when examined both functionally and using TCR sequencing. CD8+ T cell production of IL-6 correlated with increased plasma IL-6 levels as well as heightened severity of neurologic symptoms, including pain. Elevated plasma immunoregulatory and reduced pro-inflammatory and antiviral response signatures were evident in Neuro-PASC patients compared with COVID convalescent controls without lasting symptoms, correlating with worse neurocognitive dysfunction. Discussion We conclude that these data provide new insight into the impact of virus-specific cellular immunity on the pathogenesis of long COVID and pave the way for the rational design of predictive biomarkers and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lavanya Visvabharathy
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Barbara A. Hanson
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Zachary S. Orban
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Patrick H. Lim
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Nicole M. Palacio
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Millenia Jimenez
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Jeffrey R. Clark
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Edith L. Graham
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Eric M. Liotta
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - George Tachas
- Drug Discovery & Patents, Antisense Therapeutics Ltd., Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Igor J. Koralnik
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, United States
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Lorenzo MM, Marín-López A, Chiem K, Jimenez-Cabello L, Ullah I, Utrilla-Trigo S, Calvo-Pinilla E, Lorenzo G, Moreno S, Ye C, Park JG, Matía A, Brun A, Sánchez-Puig JM, Nogales A, Mothes W, Uchil PD, Kumar P, Ortego J, Fikrig E, Martinez-Sobrido L, Blasco R. Vaccinia Virus Strain MVA Expressing a Prefusion-Stabilized SARS-CoV-2 Spike Glycoprotein Induces Robust Protection and Prevents Brain Infection in Mouse and Hamster Models. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:1006. [PMID: 37243110 PMCID: PMC10220993 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11051006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the importance of swift responses and the necessity of dependable technologies for vaccine development. Our team previously developed a fast cloning system for the modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vaccine platform. In this study, we reported on the construction and preclinical testing of a recombinant MVA vaccine obtained using this system. We obtained recombinant MVA expressing the unmodified full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein containing the D614G amino-acid substitution (MVA-Sdg) and a version expressing a modified S protein containing amino-acid substitutions designed to stabilize the protein a in a pre-fusion conformation (MVA-Spf). S protein expressed by MVA-Sdg was found to be expressed and was correctly processed and transported to the cell surface, where it efficiently produced cell-cell fusion. Version Spf, however, was not proteolytically processed, and despite being transported to the plasma membrane, it failed to induce cell-cell fusion. We assessed both vaccine candidates in prime-boost regimens in the susceptible transgenic K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (K18-hACE2) in mice and in golden Syrian hamsters. Robust immunity and protection from disease was induced with either vaccine in both animal models. Remarkably, the MVA-Spf vaccine candidate produced higher levels of antibodies, a stronger T cell response, and a higher degree of protection from challenge. In addition, the level of SARS-CoV-2 in the brain of MVA-Spf inoculated mice was decreased to undetectable levels. Those results add to our current experience and range of vaccine vectors and technologies for developing a safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- María M. Lorenzo
- Departamento de Biotecnología, INIA CSIC, Carretera La Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.L.); (S.M.); (A.M.); (J.M.S.-P.)
| | - Alejandro Marín-López
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; (A.M.-L.); (I.U.); (E.F.)
| | - Kevin Chiem
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (K.C.); (C.Y.); (J.-G.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Luis Jimenez-Cabello
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Irfan Ullah
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; (A.M.-L.); (I.U.); (E.F.)
| | - Sergio Utrilla-Trigo
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Eva Calvo-Pinilla
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Gema Lorenzo
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Sandra Moreno
- Departamento de Biotecnología, INIA CSIC, Carretera La Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.L.); (S.M.); (A.M.); (J.M.S.-P.)
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (K.C.); (C.Y.); (J.-G.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Jun-Gyu Park
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (K.C.); (C.Y.); (J.-G.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Alejandro Matía
- Departamento de Biotecnología, INIA CSIC, Carretera La Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.L.); (S.M.); (A.M.); (J.M.S.-P.)
| | - Alejandro Brun
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Juana M. Sánchez-Puig
- Departamento de Biotecnología, INIA CSIC, Carretera La Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.L.); (S.M.); (A.M.); (J.M.S.-P.)
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Walther Mothes
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (W.M.); (P.D.U.)
| | - Pradeep D. Uchil
- Department of Microbial Pathogenesis, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06510, USA; (W.M.); (P.D.U.)
| | - Priti Kumar
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (K.C.); (C.Y.); (J.-G.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Javier Ortego
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal, INIA CSIC, Carretera Valdeolmos a El Casar, Valdeolmos, E-28130 Madrid, Spain; (L.J.-C.); (S.U.-T.); (E.C.-P.); (G.L.); (A.B.); (A.N.); (J.O.)
| | - Erol Fikrig
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06519, USA; (A.M.-L.); (I.U.); (E.F.)
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX 78227, USA; (K.C.); (C.Y.); (J.-G.P.); (P.K.)
| | - Rafael Blasco
- Departamento de Biotecnología, INIA CSIC, Carretera La Coruña km 7.5, E-28040 Madrid, Spain; (M.M.L.); (S.M.); (A.M.); (J.M.S.-P.)
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Zhang L, Yang J, Deng M, Xu C, Lai C, Deng X, Wang Y, Zhou Q, Liu Y, Wan L, Li P, Fang J, Hou J, Lai X, Ma F, Li N, Li G, Kong W, Zhang W, Li J, Cao M, Feng L, Chen Z, Chen L, Ji T. Blood unconjugated bilirubin and tacrolimus are negative predictors of specific cellular immunity in kidney transplant recipients after SAR-CoV-2 inactivated vaccination. Sci Rep 2023; 13:7263. [PMID: 37142713 PMCID: PMC10158706 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29669-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 05/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 vaccines is poor in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs). The factors related to poor immunogenicity to vaccination in KTRs are not well defined. Here, observational study demonstrated no severe adverse effects were observed in KTRs and healthy participants (HPs) after first or second dose of SARS-CoV-2 inactivated vaccine. Different from HPs with excellent immunity against SARS-CoV-2, IgG antibodies against S1 subunit of spike protein, receptor-binding domain, and nucleocapsid protein were not effectively induced in a majority of KTRs after the second dose of inactivated vaccine. Specific T cell immunity response was detectable in 40% KTRs after the second dose of inactivated vaccine. KTRs who developed specific T cell immunity were more likely to be female, and have lower levels of total bilirubin, unconjugated bilirubin, and blood tacrolimus concentrations. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found that blood unconjugated bilirubin and tacrolimus concentration were significantly negatively associated with SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell immunity response in KTRs. Altogether, these data suggest compared to humoral immunity, SARS-CoV-2 specific T cell immunity response are more likely to be induced in KTRs after administration of inactivated vaccine. Reduction of unconjugated bilirubin and tacrolimus concentration might benefit specific cellular immunity response in KTRs following vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Zhang
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
- Department of Organ Transplantation, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, 510630, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiaqing Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China
| | - Min Deng
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Chuanhui Xu
- Neurosurgery Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Changchun Lai
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, Maoming People's Hospital, Maoming, 525000, People's Republic of China
| | - Xuanying Deng
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Wang
- Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital, Guangzhou, 510317, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiang Zhou
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Yichu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China
| | - Li Wan
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Pingchao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiali Fang
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Jingcai Hou
- Organ Transplant Department, Zhongshan City People's Hospital, Zhongshan, 528403, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingqiang Lai
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Feifei Ma
- Obstetrical Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Li
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Guanghui Li
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiya Kong
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiting Zhang
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiali Li
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Mibu Cao
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China
| | - Liqiang Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratories of Respiratory Diseases, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Bioland Laboratory (GRMH-GDL), Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China
| | - Zheng Chen
- Kidney Transplant Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China.
| | - Ling Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Health, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510120, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health (GIBH), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510530, People's Republic of China.
- State Key Laboratories of Respiratory Diseases, Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Joint Laboratory of Infectious Respiratory Disease, Guangzhou Institutes of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China.
| | - Tianxing Ji
- Clinical Laboratory Medicine Department, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China.
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Bonam SR, Hu H. Next-Generation Vaccines Against COVID-19 Variants: Beyond the Spike Protein. ZOONOSES (BURLINGTON, MASS.) 2023; 3:10.15212/zoonoses-2023-0003. [PMID: 38031548 PMCID: PMC10686570 DOI: 10.15212/zoonoses-2023-0003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines are among the most effective medical countermeasures against infectious diseases. The current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has spurred the scientific strategies to fight against the disease. Since 2020, a great number of vaccines based on different platforms have been in development in response to the pandemic, among which mRNA, adenoviral vector, and subunit vaccines have been clinically approved for use in humans. These first-generation COVID-19 vaccines largely target the viral spike (S) protein and aim for eliciting potent neutralizing antibodies. With the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the highly transmissible Omicron strains, the S-based vaccine strategies have been faced constant challenges due to strong immune escape by the variants. The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) is one of the viral proteins that induces strong T-cell immunity and is more conserved across different SARS-CoV-2 variants. Inclusion of N in the development of COVID-19 vaccines has been reported. Here, we briefly reviewed and discussed COVID-19 disease, current S-based vaccine strategies, and focused on the immunobiology of N protein in SARS-CoV-2 host immunity, as well as the next-generation vaccine strategies involving N protein, to combat current and emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srinivasa Reddy Bonam
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 77555
| | - Haitao Hu
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 77555
- Institute for Human Infections and Immunity, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 77555
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, USA 77555
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Mendoza-Ramírez NJ, García-Cordero J, Martínez-Frías SP, Roa-Velázquez D, Luria-Pérez R, Bustos-Arriaga J, Hernández-Lopez J, Cabello-Gutiérrez C, Zúñiga-Ramos JA, Morales-Ríos E, Pérez-Tapia SM, Espinosa-Cantellano M, Cedillo-Barrón L. Combination of Recombinant Proteins S1/N and RBD/N as Potential Vaccine Candidates. Vaccines (Basel) 2023; 11:vaccines11040864. [PMID: 37112776 PMCID: PMC10142685 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines11040864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/30/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite all successful efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the need to evaluate alternative antigens to produce next-generation vaccines is imperative to target emerging variants. Thus, the second generation of COVID-19 vaccines employ more than one antigen from severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to induce an effective and lasting immune response. Here, we analyzed the combination of two SARS-CoV-2 viral antigens that could elicit a more durable immune response in both T- and B-cells. The nucleocapsid (N) protein, Spike protein S1 domain, and receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike surface glycoproteins were expressed and purified in a mammalian expression system, taking into consideration the posttranscriptional modifications and structural characteristics. The immunogenicity of these combined proteins was evaluated in a murine model. Immunization combining S1 or RBD with the N protein induced higher levels of IgG antibodies, increased the percentage of neutralization, and elevated the production of cytokines TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-2 compared to the administration of a single antigen. Furthermore, sera from immunized mice recognized alpha and beta variants of SARS-CoV-2, which supports ongoing clinical results on partial protection in vaccinated populations, despite mutations. This study identifies potential antigens for second-generation COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Julio García-Cordero
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Cinvestav, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | | | - Daniela Roa-Velázquez
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Cinvestav, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Rosendo Luria-Pérez
- Unidad de Investigación en Enfermedades Oncológicas, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, Mexico City 06720, Mexico
| | - José Bustos-Arriaga
- Unidad de Biomedicina, Facultad de Estudios Superiores-Iztacala, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. De los Barrios # 1, Col. Los Reyes Iztacala, Tlalnepantla 54090, Mexico
| | - Jesús Hernández-Lopez
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo A. C (CIAD) Carretera a la Victoria km 0.6, Hermosillo Sonora 83304, Mexico
| | - Carlos Cabello-Gutiérrez
- Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas (INER), Departamento de Investigación en Virología y Micología, Calzada de Tlalpan 4502, Belisario Domínguez, Tlalpan 14080, Mexico
| | - Joaquín Alejandro Zúñiga-Ramos
- Instituto Nacional de Enfermedades Respiratorias Ismael Cosío Villegas y Tecnologico de Monterrey, Escuela de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, Monterrey 64849, Mexico
| | - Edgar Morales-Ríos
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Cinvestav, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Sonia Mayra Pérez-Tapia
- Unidad de Desarrollo e Investigación en Bioterapéuticos (UDIBI), Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City 11340, Mexico
| | - Martha Espinosa-Cantellano
- Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Cinvestav, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, México City 07360, Mexico
| | - Leticia Cedillo-Barrón
- Departamento de Biomedicina Molecular, Cinvestav, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
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39
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Tada T, Peng JY, Dcosta BM, Landau NR. Single-epitope T cell-based vaccine protects against SARS-CoV-2 infection in a preclinical animal model. JCI Insight 2023; 8:167306. [PMID: 37036004 PMCID: PMC10132166 DOI: 10.1172/jci.insight.167306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Currently authorized COVID-19 vaccines induce humoral and cellular responses to epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, though the relative roles of antibodies and T cells in protection are not well understood. To understand the role of vaccine-elicited T cell responses in protection, we established a T cell-only vaccine using a DC-targeted lentiviral vector expressing single CD8+ T cell epitopes of the viral nucleocapsid, spike, and ORF1. Immunization of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2-transgenic mice with ex vivo lentiviral vector-transduced DCs or by direct injection of the vector induced the proliferation of functional antigen-specific CD8+ T cells, resulting in a 3-log decrease in virus load upon live virus challenge that was effective against the ancestral virus and Omicron variants. The Pfizer/BNT162b2 vaccine was also protective in mice, but the antibodies elicited did not cross-react on the Omicron variants, suggesting that the protection was mediated by T cells. The studies suggest that the T cell response plays an important role in vaccine protection. The findings suggest that the incorporation of additional T cell epitopes into current vaccines would increase their effectiveness and broaden protection.
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40
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Dangi T, Sanchez S, Lew MH, Awakoaiye B, Visvabharathy L, Richner JM, Koralnik IJ, Penaloza-MacMaster P. Pre-existing immunity modulates responses to mRNA boosters. Cell Rep 2023; 42:112167. [PMID: 36857186 PMCID: PMC9928730 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.112167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
mRNA vaccines are effective in preventing severe COVID-19, but breakthrough infections, emerging variants, and waning immunity warrant the use of boosters. Although mRNA boosters are being implemented, the extent to which pre-existing immunity influences the efficacy of boosters remains unclear. In a cohort of individuals primed with the mRNA-1273 or BNT162b2 vaccines, we report that lower antibody levels before boost are associated with higher fold-increase in antibody levels after boost, suggesting that pre-existing antibody modulates the immunogenicity of mRNA vaccines. Our studies in mice show that pre-existing antibodies accelerate the clearance of vaccine antigen via Fc-dependent mechanisms, limiting the amount of antigen available to prime B cell responses after mRNA boosters. These data demonstrate a "tug of war" between pre-existing antibody responses and de novo B cell responses following mRNA vaccination, and they suggest that transient downmodulation of antibody effector function may improve the efficacy of mRNA boosters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Sarah Sanchez
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Min Han Lew
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Bakare Awakoaiye
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Lavanya Visvabharathy
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Justin M Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60612, USA
| | - Igor J Koralnik
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology-Immunology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA.
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41
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Wussow F, Kha M, Kim T, Ly M, Yll-Pico M, Kar S, Lewis MG, Chiuppesi F, Diamond DJ. Synthetic multiantigen MVA vaccine COH04S1 and variant-specific derivatives protect Syrian hamsters from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:41. [PMID: 36928589 PMCID: PMC10018591 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00640-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 02/28/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants continue to disrupt COVID-19 vaccine efficacy through multiple immune mechanisms including neutralizing antibody evasion. We developed COH04S1, a synthetic modified vaccinia Ankara vector that co-expresses Wuhan-Hu-1-based spike and nucleocapsid antigens. COH04S1 demonstrated efficacy against ancestral virus and Beta and Delta variants in animal models and was safe and immunogenic in a Phase 1 clinical trial. Here, we report efficacy of COH04S1 and analogous Omicron BA.1- and Beta-specific vaccines to protect Syrian hamsters from Omicron subvariants. Despite eliciting strain-specific antibody responses, all three vaccines protect hamsters from weight loss, lower respiratory tract infection, and lung pathology following challenge with Omicron BA.1 or BA.2.12.1. While the BA.1-specifc vaccine affords consistently improved efficacy compared to COH04S1 to protect against homologous challenge with BA.1, all three vaccines confer similar protection against heterologous challenge with BA.2.12.1. These results demonstrate efficacy of COH04S1 and variant-specific derivatives to confer cross-protective immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Wussow
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
| | - Mindy Kha
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Taehyun Kim
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Minh Ly
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Marcal Yll-Pico
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | | | | | - Flavia Chiuppesi
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA
| | - Don J Diamond
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA, 91010, USA.
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42
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López-Muñoz AD, Santos JJ, Yewdell JW. Cell Surface Nucleocapsid Protein Expression: A Betacoronavirus Immunomodulatory Strategy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.02.24.529952. [PMID: 36993159 PMCID: PMC10054960 DOI: 10.1101/2023.02.24.529952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported that SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid (N) protein is abundantly expressed on the surface of both infected and neighboring uninfected cells, where it enables activation of Fc receptor-bearing immune cells with anti-N antibodies (Abs) and inhibits leukocyte chemotaxis by binding chemokines (CHKs). Here, we extend these findings to N from the seasonal human coronavirus (HCoV)-OC43, which is also robustly expressed on the surface of infected and non-infected cells by binding heparan-sulfate/heparin (HS/H). HCoV-OC43 N binds with high affinity to the same set of 11 human CHKs as SARS-CoV-2 N, but also to a non-overlapping set of 6 cytokines (CKs). As with SARS-CoV-2 N, HCoV-OC43 N inhibits CXCL12β-mediated leukocyte migration in chemotaxis assays, as do all highly pathogenic and endemic HCoV N proteins. Together, our findings indicate that cell surface HCoV N plays important evolutionary conserved roles in manipulating host innate immunity and as a target for adaptive immunity.
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43
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Offersgaard A, Duarte Hernandez CR, Feng S, Marichal-Gallardo P, Holmbeck K, Pihl AF, Fernandez-Antunez C, Alzua GP, Hartmann KT, Pham LV, Zhou Y, Gammeltoft KA, Fahnøe U, Schneider UV, Pedersen GK, Jensen HE, Christensen JP, Ramirez S, Bukh J, Gottwein JM. An inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induced cross-neutralizing persisting antibodies and protected against challenge in small animals. iScience 2023; 26:105949. [PMID: 36644321 PMCID: PMC9829433 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.105949] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccines have relieved the public health burden of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and globally inactivated vaccines are most widely used. However, poor vaccination accessibility and waning immunity maintain the pandemic, driving emergence of variants. We developed an inactivated SARS-CoV-2 (I-SARS-CoV-2) vaccine based on a viral isolate with the Spike mutation D614G, produced in Vero cells in a scalable bioreactor, inactivated with β-propiolactone, purified by membrane-based steric exclusion chromatography, and adjuvanted with MF59-like adjuvant AddaVax. I-SARS-CoV-2 and a derived split vaccine induced persisting neutralizing antibodies in mice; moreover, lyophilized antigen was immunogenic. Following homologous challenge, I-SARS-CoV-2 immunized hamsters were protected against disease and lung pathology. In contrast with reports for widely used vaccines, hamster plasma similarly neutralized the homologous and the Delta (B.1.617.2) variant viruses, whereas the Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant was neutralized less efficiently. Applied bioprocessing approaches offer advantages regarding scalability and production, potentially benefitting worldwide vaccine coverage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Offersgaard
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carlos Rene Duarte Hernandez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Shan Feng
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Pavel Marichal-Gallardo
- Bioprocess Engineering, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Kenn Holmbeck
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Anne Finne Pihl
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Carlota Fernandez-Antunez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Garazi Peña Alzua
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Katrine Top Hartmann
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Long V. Pham
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Yuyong Zhou
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Karen Anbro Gammeltoft
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Ulrik Fahnøe
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Uffe Vest Schneider
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark
| | | | - Henrik Elvang Jensen
- Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 1870 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Jan Pravsgaard Christensen
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Santseharay Ramirez
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Jens Bukh
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark
| | - Judith Margarete Gottwein
- Copenhagen Hepatitis C Program (CO-HEP), Department of Infectious Diseases, Copenhagen University Hospital–Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark,CO-HEP, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark,Corresponding author
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44
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Maghsood F, Ghorbani A, Yadegari H, Golsaz-Shirazi F, Amiri MM, Shokri F. SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid: Biological functions and implication for disease diagnosis and vaccine design. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2431. [PMID: 36790816 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is transmitted by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and has affected millions of people all around the world, leading to more than 6.5 million deaths. The nucleocapsid (N) phosphoprotein plays important roles in modulating viral replication and transcription, virus-infected cell cycle progression, apoptosis, and regulation of host innate immunity. As an immunodominant protein, N protein induces strong humoral and cellular immune responses in COVID-19 patients, making it a key marker for studying N-specific B cell and T cell responses and the development of diagnostic serological assays and efficient vaccines. In this review, we focus on the structural and functional features and the kinetic and epitope mapping of B cell and T cell responses against SARS-CoV-2 N protein to extend our understanding on the development of sensitive and specific diagnostic immunological tests and effective vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faezeh Maghsood
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ghorbani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamidreza Yadegari
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Golsaz-Shirazi
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Amiri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Fazel Shokri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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45
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Villadiego J, García-Arriaza J, Ramírez-Lorca R, García-Swinburn R, Cabello-Rivera D, Rosales-Nieves AE, Álvarez-Vergara MI, Cala-Fernández F, García-Roldán E, López-Ogáyar JL, Zamora C, Astorgano D, Albericio G, Pérez P, Muñoz-Cabello AM, Pascual A, Esteban M, López-Barneo J, Toledo-Aral JJ. Full protection from SARS-CoV-2 brain infection and damage in susceptible transgenic mice conferred by MVA-CoV2-S vaccine candidate. Nat Neurosci 2023; 26:226-238. [PMID: 36624276 DOI: 10.1038/s41593-022-01242-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 have been shown to be safe and effective but their protective efficacy against infection in the brain is yet unclear. Here, in the susceptible transgenic K18-hACE2 mouse model of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), we report a spatiotemporal description of SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication through the brain. SARS-CoV-2 brain replication occurs primarily in neurons, leading to neuronal loss, signs of glial activation and vascular damage in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2. One or two doses of a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein (MVA-CoV2-S) conferred full protection against SARS-CoV-2 cerebral infection, preventing virus replication in all areas of the brain and its associated damage. This protection was maintained even after SARS-CoV-2 reinfection. These findings further support the use of MVA-CoV2-S as a promising vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Villadiego
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Juan García-Arriaza
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Reposo Ramírez-Lorca
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Roberto García-Swinburn
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Daniel Cabello-Rivera
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alicia E Rosales-Nieves
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - María I Álvarez-Vergara
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Fernando Cala-Fernández
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Ernesto García-Roldán
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Juan L López-Ogáyar
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Carmen Zamora
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - David Astorgano
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Guillermo Albericio
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Patricia Pérez
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana M Muñoz-Cabello
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alberto Pascual
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Mariano Esteban
- Departamento de Biología Molecular y Celular, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - José López-Barneo
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan José Toledo-Aral
- Instituto de Biomedicina de Sevilla, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío/Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas/Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
- Departamento de Fisiología Médica y Biofísica, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain.
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas, Madrid, Spain.
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46
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Salmonella-mediated oral delivery of multiple-target vaccine constructs with conserved and variable regions of SARS-CoV-2 protect against the Delta and Omicron variants in hamster. Microbes Infect 2023; 25:105101. [PMID: 36657635 PMCID: PMC9841750 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2023.105101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Since the emergence of the pandemic COVID19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the development of vaccines has been the prime strategy to control the disease transmission. Most of the developed vaccines target the spike protein, however, the emerging variants have alterations, particularly at the same region which may pose resistance to neutralizing antibodies. In this study, we explored the variable and conserved regions of SARS-CoV-2 as a potential inclusion in a multiple-target vaccine with the exploitation of Salmonella-based vector for oral mRNA vaccine against Delta and Omicron variants. Increased IgG and IgA levels imply the induction of humoral response and the CD4+, CD8+ and IFN-γ+ sub-population level exhibits cell-mediated immune responses. The degree of CD44+ cells indicates the induction of memory cells corresponding to long-term immune responses. Furthermore, we assessed the protective efficacy of the vaccines against the Delta and Omicron variants in the hamster model. The vaccine constructs induced neutralizing antibodies and protected the viral-challenged hamsters with significant decrease in lung viral load and reduced histopathological lesions. These results reinforce the use of the conserved and variable regions as potential antigen targets of SARS-CoV-2 as well as the exploitation of bacteria-mediated delivery for oral mRNA vaccine development.
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Rak A, Gorbunov N, Kostevich V, Sokolov A, Prokopenko P, Rudenko L, Isakova-Sivak I. Assessment of Immunogenic and Antigenic Properties of Recombinant Nucleocapsid Proteins of Five SARS-CoV-2 Variants in a Mouse Model. Viruses 2023; 15:230. [PMID: 36680269 PMCID: PMC9861333 DOI: 10.3390/v15010230] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 cases caused by new variants of highly mutable SARS-CoV-2 continue to be identified worldwide. Effective control of the spread of new variants can be achieved through targeting of conserved viral epitopes. In this regard, the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein, which is much more conserved than the evolutionarily influenced spike protein (S), is a suitable antigen. The recombinant N protein can be considered not only as a screening antigen but also as a basis for the development of next-generation COVID-19 vaccines, but little is known about induction of antibodies against the N protein via different SARS-CoV-2 variants. In addition, it is important to understand how antibodies produced against the antigen of one variant can react with the N proteins of other variants. Here, we used recombinant N proteins from five SARS-CoV-2 strains to investigate their immunogenicity and antigenicity in a mouse model and to obtain and characterize a panel of hybridoma-derived monoclonal anti-N antibodies. We also analyzed the variable epitopes of the N protein that are potentially involved in differential recognition of antiviral antibodies. These results will further deepen our knowledge of the cross-reactivity of the humoral immune response in COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Rak
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Nikolay Gorbunov
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Valeria Kostevich
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Alexey Sokolov
- Department of Molecular Genetics, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Polina Prokopenko
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
| | - Irina Isakova-Sivak
- Department of Virology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg 197022, Russia
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48
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Wen Y, Guo W, Min Y, Zhong K, Zhang X, Xing X, Tong Y, Pan Y, Hong W, Cai W, Yu L. Patient-derived monoclonal antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein N-terminal and C-terminal domains cross-react with their counterparts of SARS-CoV, but not other human betacoronaviruses. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1093709. [PMID: 36798118 PMCID: PMC9927002 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1093709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein plays a key role in multiple stages of the viral life cycle such as viral replication and assembly. This protein is more conserved than the Spike protein of the virus and can induce both humoral and cell-mediated immune responses, thereby becoming a target for clinical diagnosis and vaccine development. However, the immunogenic characteristics of this protein during natural infection are still not completely understood. Methods Patient-derived monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 N protein were generated from memory B cells in the PBMCs using the antigen-specific B cell approach. For epitope mapping of the isolated hmAbs, a panel of series-truncated N proteins were used , which covered the N-terminal domain (NTD, aa 46-174 ) and C-terminal domain (CTD, aa 245-364 ), as well as the flanking regions of NTD and CTD. NTD- or CTD-specific Abs in the plasma from COVID-19 patients were also tested by ELISA method. Cross-binding of hmAbs or plasma Abs in COVID-19 patients to other human β-CoV N proteins was determined using the capture ELISA. Results We isolated five N-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from memory B cells in the peripheral blood of two convalescent COVID-19 patients. Epitope mapping revealed that three of the patient-derived mAbs (N3, N5 and N31) targeted the C-terminal domain (CTD), whereas two of the mAbs (N83 and 3B7) targeted the N-terminal domain (NTD) of SARS-CoV-2 N protein. All five patient-derived mAbs were cross-reactive to the N protein of SARS-CoV but showed little to no cross-reactivity to the N proteins of other human beta coronaviruses (β-CoVs). We also tested 52 plasma samples collected from convalescent COVID-19 patients for Abs against the N proteins of human β-CoVs and found that 78.8% of plasma samples showed detectable Abs against the N proteins of SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV. No plasma sample had cross-reactive Abs to the N protein of MERS-CoV. Cross-reactive Abs to the N proteins of OC43 and HKU1 were detected in 36.5% (19/52) and 19.2% (10/52) of plasma samples, respectively. Discussion These results suggest that natural SARS-CoV-2 infection elicits cross-reactive Abs to the N protein of SARS-CoV and that the five patient-derived mAbs to SARS-CoV-2 N protein NTD and CTD cross-react with their counterparts of SARS-CoV, but not other human β-CoVs. Thus, these five patient-derived mAbs can potentially be used for developing the next generation of COVID-19 At-Home Test kits for rapid and specific screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yingfen Wen
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenjing Guo
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuyi Min
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kexin Zhong
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xulei Zhang
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaomin Xing
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuwei Tong
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuejun Pan
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Wenxin Hong
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weiping Cai
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Lei Yu
- Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
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49
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Hasanpourghadi M, Novikov M, Ambrose R, Chekaoui A, Newman D, Ding J, Giles-Davis W, Xiang Z, Zhou XY, Liu Q, Swagata K, Ertl HCJ. Heterologous chimpanzee adenovirus vector immunizations for SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid protect hamsters against COVID-19. Microbes Infect 2022; 25:105082. [PMID: 36539010 PMCID: PMC9758783 DOI: 10.1016/j.micinf.2022.105082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Available COVID-19 vaccine only provide protection for a limited time due in part to the rapid emergence of viral variants with spike protein mutations, necessitating the generation of new vaccines to combat SARS-CoV-2. Two serologically distinct replication-defective chimpanzee-origin adenovirus (Ad) vectors (AdC) called AdC6 and AdC7 expressing early SARS-CoV-2 isolate spike (S) or nucleocapsid (N) proteins, the latter expressed as a fusion protein within herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D (gD), were tested individually or as a mixture in a hamster COVID-19 SARS-CoV-2 challenge model. The S protein expressing AdC (AdC-S) vectors induced antibodies including those with neutralizing activity that in part cross-reacted with viral variants. Hamsters vaccinated with the AdC-S vectors were protected against serious disease and showed accelerated recovery upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Protection was enhanced if AdC-S vectors were given together with the AdC vaccines that expressed the gD N fusion protein (AdC-gDN). In contrast hamsters that just received the AdC-gDN vaccines showed only marginal lessening of symptoms compared to control animals. These results indicate that immune response to the N protein that is less variable than the S protein may potentiate and prolong protection achieved by the currently used S protein based genetic COVID-19 vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mikhail Novikov
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Robert Ambrose
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Arezki Chekaoui
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Dakota Newman
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Jianyi Ding
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | - Zhiquan Xiang
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Xiang Yang Zhou
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Qin Liu
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Kar Swagata
- Bioqual Inc., 9600 Medical Center Dr #101, Rockville, MD 20850
| | - Hildegund CJ. Ertl
- The Wistar Institute, 3601 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA,Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 215-898-3863
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50
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Dangi T, Sanchez S, Class J, Richner M, Visvabharathy L, Chung YR, Bentley K, Stanton RJ, Koralnik IJ, Richner JM, Penaloza-MacMaster P. Improved control of SARS-CoV-2 by treatment with a nucleocapsid-specific monoclonal antibody. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:162282. [PMID: 36219482 PMCID: PMC9711872 DOI: 10.1172/jci162282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike protein is the main antigen in all approved COVID-19 vaccines and is also the only target for monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapies. Immune responses to other viral antigens are generated after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but their contribution to the antiviral response remains unclear. Here, we interrogated whether nucleocapsid-specific antibodies can improve protection against SARS-CoV-2. We first immunized mice with a nucleocapsid-based vaccine and then transferred sera from these mice into naive mice, followed by challenge with SARS-CoV-2. We show that mice that received nucleocapsid-specific sera or a nucleocapsid-specific mAb exhibited enhanced control of SARS-CoV-2. Nucleocapsid-specific antibodies elicited NK-mediated, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) against infected cells. To our knowledge, these findings provide the first demonstration in the coronavirus literature that antibody responses specific to the nucleocapsid protein can improve viral clearance, providing a rationale for the clinical evaluation of nucleocapsid-based mAb therapies to treat COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanushree Dangi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sarah Sanchez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Jacob Class
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michelle Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Lavanya Visvabharathy
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Young Rock Chung
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Kirsten Bentley
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Stanton
- Division of Infection and Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom
| | - Igor J Koralnik
- Ken and Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Justin M Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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