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Mosqueda J, Hernández-Silva DJ, Vega-López MA, Vega-Rojas LJ, Beltrán R, Velasco-Elizondo A, Ramírez-Estudillo MDC, Fragoso-Saavedra M, Pérez-Almeida C, Hernández J, Melgoza-González EA, Hinojosa-Trujillo D, Mercado-Uriostegui MÁ, Mejía-López AS, Rivera-Ballesteros C, García-Gasca T. Evaluation of the humoral and mucosal immune response of a multiepitope vaccine against COVID-19 in pigs. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1276950. [PMID: 38179057 PMCID: PMC10765521 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1276950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction This study evaluated the immune response to a multiepitope recombinant chimeric protein (CHIVAX) containing B- and T-cell epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 spike's receptor binding domain (RBD) in a translational porcine model for pre-clinical studies. Methods We generated a multiepitope recombinant protein engineered to include six coding conserved epitopes from the RBD domain of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein. Pigs were divided into groups and immunized with different doses of the protein, with serum samples collected over time to determine antibody responses by indirect ELISA and antibody titration. Peptide recognition was also analyzed by Western blotting. A surrogate neutralization assay with recombinant ACE2 and RBDs was performed. Intranasal doses of the immunogen were also prepared and tested on Vietnamese minipigs. Results When the immunogen was administered subcutaneously, it induced specific IgG antibodies in pigs, and higher doses correlated with higher antibody levels. Antibodies from immunized pigs recognized individual peptides in the multiepitope vaccine and inhibited RBD-ACE2 binding for five variants of concern (VOC). Comparative antigen delivery methods showed that both, subcutaneous and combined subcutaneous/intranasal approaches, induced specific IgG and IgA antibodies, with the subcutaneous approach having superior neutralizing activity. CHIVAX elicited systemic immunity, evidenced by specific IgG antibodies in the serum, and local mucosal immunity, indicated by IgA antibodies in saliva, nasal, and bronchoalveolar lavage secretions. Importantly, these antibodies demonstrated neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Discussion The elicited antibodies recognized individual epitopes on the chimeric protein and demonstrated the capacity to block RBD-ACE2 binding of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 strain and four VOCs. The findings provide proof of concept for using multiepitope recombinant antigens and a combined immunization protocol to induce a neutralizing immune response against SARS-CoV-2 in the pig translational model for preclinical studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Mosqueda
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Diego Josimar Hernández-Silva
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Marco Antonio Vega-López
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV) del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Laboratorio de Inmunobiología de las Mucosas, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Lineth J. Vega-Rojas
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Rolando Beltrán
- Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Andrés Velasco-Elizondo
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - María del Carmen Ramírez-Estudillo
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV) del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Laboratorio de Inmunobiología de las Mucosas, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Mario Fragoso-Saavedra
- Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados (CINVESTAV) del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Departamento de Infectómica y Patogénesis Molecular, Laboratorio de Inmunobiología de las Mucosas, Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Chyntia Pérez-Almeida
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Jesús Hernández
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Edgar A. Melgoza-González
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Diana Hinojosa-Trujillo
- Laboratorio de Inmunología, Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C, Hermosillo, Mexico
| | - Miguel Ángel Mercado-Uriostegui
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Alma Susana Mejía-López
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Carlos Rivera-Ballesteros
- Immunology and Vaccines Laboratory, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro, Carretera a Chichimequillas, Santiago de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
| | - Teresa García-Gasca
- Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro, Querétaro, Mexico
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