1
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Wang W, Bhushan GL, Paz S, Stauft CB, Selvaraj P, Goguet E, Bishop-Lilly KA, Subramanian R, Vassell R, Lusvarghi S, Cong Y, Agan B, Richard SA, Epsi NJ, Fries A, Fung CK, Conte MA, Holbrook MR, Wang TT, Burgess TH, Mitre E, Pollett SD, Katzelnick LC, Weiss CD. Antigenic cartography using hamster sera identifies SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 evasion seen in human XBB.1.5 booster sera. bioRxiv 2024:2024.04.05.588359. [PMID: 38712124 PMCID: PMC11071293 DOI: 10.1101/2024.04.05.588359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
Antigenic assessments of SARS-CoV-2 variants inform decisions to update COVID-19 vaccines. Primary infection sera are often used for assessments, but such sera are rare due to population immunity from SARS-CoV-2 infections and COVID-19 vaccinations. Here, we show that neutralization titers and breadth of matched human and hamster pre-Omicron variant primary infection sera correlate well and generate similar antigenic maps. The hamster antigenic map shows modest antigenic drift among XBB sub-lineage variants, with JN.1 and BA.4/BA.5 variants within the XBB cluster, but with five to six-fold antigenic differences between these variants and XBB.1.5. Compared to sera following only ancestral or bivalent COVID-19 vaccinations, or with post-vaccination infections, XBB.1.5 booster sera had the broadest neutralization against XBB sub-lineage variants, although a five-fold titer difference was still observed between JN.1 and XBB.1.5 variants. These findings suggest that antibody coverage of antigenically divergent JN.1 could be improved with a matched vaccine antigen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wang
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Gitanjali L. Bhushan
- Viral Epidemiology and Immunity Unit, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie Paz
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Prabhu Selvaraj
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Emilie Goguet
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Kimberly A. Bishop-Lilly
- Biological Defense Research Directorate, Naval Medical Research Command, Fort Detrick, Maryland, USA
| | - Rahul Subramanian
- Office of Data Science and Emerging Technologies, Office of Science Management and Operations, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Russell Vassell
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Sabrina Lusvarghi
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Yu Cong
- Integrated Research Facility, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Ft. Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Brian Agan
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Stephanie A. Richard
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Nusrat J. Epsi
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Anthony Fries
- US Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine, Dayton, Ohio, USA
| | - Christian K. Fung
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Matthew A. Conte
- Viral Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Michael R. Holbrook
- Integrated Research Facility, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Ft. Detrick, Frederick, Maryland, USA
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Timothy H. Burgess
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Edward Mitre
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Simon D. Pollett
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Bethesda, Maryland, USA
- Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Leah C. Katzelnick
- Viral Epidemiology and Immunity Unit, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, Division of Intramural Research, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Carol D. Weiss
- Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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Kachko A, Selvaraj P, Liu S, Kim J, Rotstein D, Stauft CB, Chabot S, Rajasagi N, Zhao Y, Wang T, Major M. Vaccine-associated respiratory pathology correlates with viral clearance and protective immunity after immunization with self-amplifying RNA expressing the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 in mouse models. Vaccine 2024; 42:608-619. [PMID: 38142216 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity and protective immunity of in vitro transcribed Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV TC-83 strain) self-amplifying RNA (saRNA) encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein in wild type (S-WT) and stabilized pre-fusion conformations (S-PP). Immunization with S-WT and S-PP saRNA induced specific neutralizing antibody responses in both K18-Tg hACE2 (K18) and BALB/c mice, as assessed using SARS-CoV-2 pseudotyped viruses. Protective immunity was assessed in challenge experiments. Two immunizations with S-WT and S-PP induced protective immunity, evidenced by lower mortality, lower weight loss and more than one log10 lower subgenomic virus RNA titers in the upper and lower respiratory tracts in both K18 and BALB/c mice. Histopathologic examination of lungs post-challenge showed that immunization with S-WT and S-PP resulted in a higher degree of immune cell infiltration and inflammatory changes, compared with control mice, characterized by high levels of T- and B-cell infiltration. No substantial differences were found in the presence and localization of eosinophils, macrophages, neutrophils, and natural killer cells. CD4 and CD8 T-cell depletion post immunization resulted in reduced lung inflammation post challenge but also prolonged virus clearance. These data indicate that immunization with saRNA encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S protein induces immune responses that are protective following challenge, that virus clearance is associated with pulmonary changes caused by T-cell and B-cell infiltration in the lungs, but that this T and B-cell infiltration plays an important role in viral clearance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alla Kachko
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Jaekwan Kim
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - David Rotstein
- Division of Food Compliance, Center for Veterinary Medicine, Food and Drug Administration, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Sylvie Chabot
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Naveen Rajasagi
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Yangqing Zhao
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Tony Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Marian Major
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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3
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Lusvarghi S, Stauft CB, Vassell R, Williams B, Baha H, Wang W, Neerukonda SN, Wang T, Weiss CD. Effects of N-glycan modifications on spike expression, virus infectivity, and neutralization sensitivity in ancestral compared to Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variants. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011788. [PMID: 37943965 PMCID: PMC10662749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 11/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein has 22 potential N-linked glycosylation sites per monomer that are highly conserved among diverse variants, but how individual glycans affect virus entry and neutralization of Omicron variants has not been extensively characterized. Here we compared the effects of specific glycan deletions or modifications in the Omicron BA.1 and D614G spikes on spike expression, processing, and incorporation into pseudoviruses, as well as on virus infectivity and neutralization by therapeutic antibodies. We found that loss of potential glycans at spike residues N717 and N801 each conferred a loss of pseudovirus infectivity for Omicron but not for D614G or Delta variants. This decrease in infectivity correlated with decreased spike processing and incorporation into Omicron pseudoviruses. Oligomannose-enriched Omicron pseudoviruses generated in GnTI- cells or in the presence of kifunensine were non-infectious, whereas D614G or Delta pseudoviruses generated under similar conditions remained infectious. Similarly, growth of live (authentic) SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of kifunensine resulted in a greater reduction of titers for the BA.1.1 variant than Delta or D614G variants relative to their respective, untreated controls. Finally, we found that loss of some N-glycans, including N343 and N234, increased the maximum percent neutralization by the class 3 S309 monoclonal antibody against D614G but not BA.1 variants, while these glycan deletions altered the neutralization potency of the class 1 COV2-2196 and Etesevimab monoclonal antibodies without affecting maximum percent neutralization. The maximum neutralization by some antibodies also varied with the glycan composition, with oligomannose-enriched pseudoviruses conferring the highest percent neutralization. These results highlight differences in the interactions between glycans and residues among SARS-CoV-2 variants that can affect spike expression, virus infectivity, and susceptibility of variants to antibody neutralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Lusvarghi
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Russell Vassell
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Brittany Williams
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Haseebullah Baha
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Wei Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Sabari Nath Neerukonda
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Tony Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
| | - Carol D. Weiss
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring Maryland, United States of America
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4
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Stauft CB, Selvaraj P, D'Agnillo F, Meseda CA, Liu S, Pedro CL, Sangare K, Lien CZ, Weir JP, Starost MF, Wang TT. Intranasal or airborne transmission-mediated delivery of an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 protects Syrian hamsters against new variants. Nat Commun 2023; 14:3393. [PMID: 37296125 PMCID: PMC10250859 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39090-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Detection of secretory antibodies in the airway is highly desirable when evaluating mucosal protection by vaccines against a respiratory virus, such as the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). We show that intranasal delivery of an attenuated SARS-CoV-2 (Nsp1-K164A/H165A) induces both mucosal and systemic IgA and IgG in male Syrian hamsters. Interestingly, either direct intranasal immunization or airborne transmission-mediated delivery of Nsp1-K164A/H165A in Syrian hamsters offers protection against heterologous challenge with variants of concern (VOCs) including Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2.12.1 and BA.5. Vaccinated animals show significant reduction in both tissue viral loads and lung inflammation. Similarly attenuated viruses bearing BA.1 and BA.5 spike boost variant-specific neutralizing antibodies in male mice that were first vaccinated with modified vaccinia virus Ankara vectors (MVA) expressing full-length WA1/2020 Spike protein. Together, these results demonstrate that our attenuated virus may be a promising nasal vaccine candidate for boosting mucosal immunity against future SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Felice D'Agnillo
- Laboratory of Biochemistry and Vascular Biology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Clement A Meseda
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Cyntia L Pedro
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Kotou Sangare
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Z Lien
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Jerry P Weir
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Matthew F Starost
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike, MD, USA
| | - Tony T Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA.
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5
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Stauft CB, Sangare K, Wang TT. Differences in New Variant of Concern Replication at Physiological Temperatures In Vitro. J Infect Dis 2023; 227:202-205. [PMID: 35759271 PMCID: PMC9384407 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Using multiple cell types and isolates of Delta and Omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2, we report differences in virus production, replication, and infectivity in vitro. Ancestral and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variant exhibit reduced virus production and replication at 34°C compared to 37°C while Omicron replication is balanced between temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluations and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Kotou Sangare
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluations and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Tony T Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluations and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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6
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Dean AQ, Stauft CB, Twomey JD, Tan J, Varani L, Wang TT, Zhang B. Comparative Assessment of the Binding and Neutralisation Activity of Bispecific Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Antib Ther 2023; 6:49-58. [PMID: 36683765 PMCID: PMC9847335 DOI: 10.1093/abt/tbac032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Neutralising antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 are a vital component in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, having the potential of both therapeutic and prophylactic applications. Bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 are particularly promising, given their ability to bind simultaneously to two distinct sites of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the viral spike protein. Such antibodies are complex molecules associated with multi-faceted mechanisms of action that require appropriate bioassays to ensure product quality and manufacturing consistency. Methods We developed procedures for biolayer interferometry (BLI) and a cell-based virus neutralisation assay, the focus reduction neutralisation test (FRNT). Using both assays, we tested a panel of five BsAbs against different spike variants (Ancestral, Delta and Omicron) to evaluate the use of these analytical methods in assessing binding and neutralisation activities of anti-SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics. Results We found comparable trends between BLI-derived binding affinity and FRNT-based virus neutralisation activity. Antibodies that displayed high binding affinity against a variant were often followed by potent neutralisation at lower concentrations, whereas those with low binding affinity also demonstrated reduced neutralisation activity. Conclusion The results support the utility of BLI and FRNT assays in measuring variant-specific binding and virus neutralisation activity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Q Dean
- Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Charles B Stauft
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Viral Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD 20993, USA
| | - Julianne D Twomey
- Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Joshua Tan
- Antibody Biology Unit, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD 20852, USA
| | - Luca Varani
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, University of Switzerland, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Tony T Wang
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Viral Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD 20993, USA
| | - Baolin Zhang
- Office of Biotechnology Products, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
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7
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Liu S, Stauft CB, Selvaraj P, Chandrasekaran P, D’Agnillo F, Chou CK, Wu WW, Lien CZ, Meseda CA, Pedro CL, Starost MF, Weir JP, Wang TT. Intranasal delivery of a rationally attenuated SARS-CoV-2 is immunogenic and protective in Syrian hamsters. Nat Commun 2022; 13:6792. [PMID: 36357440 PMCID: PMC9648440 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-34571-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Few live attenuated severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are in pre-clinical or clinical development. We seek to attenuate SARS-CoV-2 (isolate WA1/2020) by removing the polybasic insert within the spike protein and the open reading frames (ORFs) 6-8, and by introducing mutations that abolish non-structural protein 1 (Nsp1)-mediated toxicity. The derived virus (WA1-ΔPRRA-ΔORF6-8-Nsp1K164A/H165A) replicates to 100- to 1000-fold-lower titers than the ancestral virus and induces little lung pathology in both K18-human ACE2 (hACE2) transgenic mice and Syrian hamsters. Immunofluorescence and transcriptomic analyses of infected hamsters confirm that three-pronged genetic modifications attenuate the proinflammatory pathways more than the removal of the polybasic cleavage site alone. Finally, intranasal administration of just 100 PFU of the WA1-ΔPRRA-ΔORF6-8-Nsp1K164A/H165A elicits robust antibody responses in Syrian hamsters and protects against SARS-CoV-2-induced weight loss and pneumonia. As a proof-of-concept study, we demonstrate that live but sufficiently attenuated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines may be attainable by rational design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufeng Liu
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Prabha Chandrasekaran
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, National Institutes of Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, USA
| | - Felice D’Agnillo
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Laboratory of Biochemistry and Vascular Biology, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Chao-Kai Chou
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Facility for Biotechnology Resources, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Wells W. Wu
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Facility for Biotechnology Resources, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Christopher Z. Lien
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Clement A. Meseda
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Cyntia L. Pedro
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Matthew F. Starost
- grid.94365.3d0000 0001 2297 5165Division of Veterinary Resources, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike, USA
| | - Jerry P. Weir
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
| | - Tony T. Wang
- grid.417587.80000 0001 2243 3366Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD USA
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8
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Stauft CB, Selvaraj P, Lien CZ, Starost MF, Wang TT. Long-term immunity in convalescent Syrian hamsters provides protection against new-variant SARS-CoV-2 infection of the lower but not upper respiratory tract. J Med Virol 2022; 94:2833-2836. [PMID: 35128693 PMCID: PMC9088693 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27641] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2021] [Revised: 01/28/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
COVID-19 vaccines provide high levels of protection against severe disease and hospitalization due to severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Vaccination may be less effective in preventing shedding of infectious viruses from otherwise immune patients. In this study, we describe breakthrough infections and shedding of infectious viruses in convalescent hamsters without significant replication in the lower respiratory tract following reinfection by Alpha and Delta variants despite high levels of circulating antibodies in sera. Using convalescent hamsters with long-term immunity (up to 1 year) following infection by ancestral SARS-CoV-2, we can model aspects of recurring COVID-19 in the context of preexisting immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Stauft
- Division of Viral ProductsCenter for Biologics Evaluations and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMarylandUSA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral ProductsCenter for Biologics Evaluations and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMarylandUSA
| | - Christopher Z. Lien
- Division of Viral ProductsCenter for Biologics Evaluations and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMarylandUSA
| | - Matthew F. Starost
- Division of Veterinary ResourcesDiagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of HealthBethesdaMarylandUSA
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Division of Viral ProductsCenter for Biologics Evaluations and Research, Food and Drug AdministrationSilver SpringMarylandUSA
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9
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Stauft CB, Phillips AT, Wang TT, Olson KE. Identification of salivary gland escape barriers to western equine encephalitis virus in the natural vector, Culex tarsalis. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262967. [PMID: 35298486 PMCID: PMC8929657 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Herein we describe a previously uninvestigated salivary gland escape barrier (SEB) in Culex tarsalis mosquitoes infected with two different strains of Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV). The WEEV strains were originally isolated either from mosquitoes (IMP181) or a human patient (McMillan). Both IMP181 and McMillan viruses were fully able to infect the salivary glands of Culex tarsalis after intrathoracic injection as determined by expression of mCherry fluorescent protein. IMP181, however, was better adapted to transmission as measured by virus titer in saliva as well as transmission rates in infected mosquitoes. We used chimeric recombinant WEEV strains to show that inclusion of IMP181-derived structural genes partially circumvents the SEB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Stauft
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Aaron T. Phillips
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Kenneth E. Olson
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
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10
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Liu S, Huynh T, Stauft CB, Wang TT, Luan B. Structure-Function Analysis of Resistance to Bamlanivimab by SARS-CoV-2 Variants Kappa, Delta, and Lambda. J Chem Inf Model 2021; 61:5133-5140. [PMID: 34648284 PMCID: PMC8524965 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The newly emerging Kappa, Delta, and Lambda SARS-CoV-2 variants are worrisome, characterized with the double mutations E484Q/L452R, T478K/L452R, and F490S/L452Q, respectively, in their receptor binding domains (RBDs) of the spike proteins. As revealed in crystal structures, most of these residues (e.g., 452 and 484 in RBDs) are not in direct contact with interfacial residues in the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). This suggests that albeit there are some possibly nonlocal effects, these mutations might not significantly affect RBD's binding with ACE2, which is an important step for viral entry into host cells. Thus, without knowing the molecular mechanism, these successful mutations (from the point of view of SARS-CoV-2) may be hypothesized to evade human antibodies. Using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, here, we show that the E484Q/L452R mutations significantly reduce the binding affinity between the RBD of the Kappa variant and the antibody LY-CoV555 (also named as Bamlanivimab), which was efficacious for neutralizing the wild-type SARS-CoV-2. To verify simulation results, we further carried out experiments with both pseudovirions- and live virus-based neutralization assays and demonstrated that LY-CoV555 completely lost neutralizing activity against the L452R/E484Q mutant. Similarly, we show that mutations in the Delta and Lambda variants can also destabilize the RBD's binding with LY-CoV555. With the revealed molecular mechanism on how these variants evade LY-CoV555, we expect that more specific therapeutic antibodies can be accordingly designed and/or a precise mixing of antibodies can be achieved as a cocktail treatment for patients infected with these variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shufeng Liu
- Division
of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
| | - Tien Huynh
- Computational
Biological Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson
Research, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Division
of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Division
of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland 20993, United States
| | - Binquan Luan
- Computational
Biological Center, IBM Thomas J. Watson
Research, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598, United States
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11
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Tang J, Lee Y, Ravichandran S, Grubbs G, Huang C, Stauft CB, Wang T, Golding B, Golding H, Khurana S. Epitope diversity of SARS-CoV-2 hyperimmune intravenous human immunoglobulins and neutralization of variants of concern. iScience 2021; 24:103006. [PMID: 34430803 PMCID: PMC8378063 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2021] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hyperimmune immunoglobulin (hCoV-2IG) generated from SARS-CoV-2 convalescent plasma (CP) are under evaluation in clinical trials. Here we explored the antibody epitope repertoire, and virus neutralizing capacity of six hCoV-2IG batches as well as nine CP against SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants of concern (VOCs). Epitope-mapping by gene-fragment phage display library spanning the SARS-CoV-2 spike demonstrated broad recognition of multiple antigenic sites spanning the entire spike that was higher for hCoV-2IG than CP, with predominant binding to the fusion peptide. In the pseudovirus neutralization assay and in the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 PRNT assay, hCoV-2IG lots showed higher titers against the WA-1 strain compared with CP. Neutralization of VOCs were reduced to different extent by hCoV-2IG lots but were higher than CP. Significant reduction of hCoV-2IG binding was observed to RBD-E484K followed by RBD-N501Y (but not RBD-K417N). This study suggests that post-exposure treatment with hCoV-2IG could be preferable to CP. SARS-CoV-2 hCoV-2IG demonstrate highly diverse antibody epitope profile SARS-CoV-2 hCoV-2IG lots neutralized SARS-CoV-2 variants better than CP Significant reduction of hCoV-2IG binding to RBD-E484K compared with unmutated RBD Higher hCoV-2IG dose would be required for SARS-CoV-2 variant infected patients
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Affiliation(s)
- Juanjie Tang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Youri Lee
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Supriya Ravichandran
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Gabrielle Grubbs
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Chang Huang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Tony Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Basil Golding
- Division of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Tissues and Therapeutic Proteins, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administrationa (FDA), 10903 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Hana Golding
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
| | - Surender Khurana
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, MD 20993, USA
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12
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Stauft CB, Tegenge M, Khurana S, Lee Y, Selvaraj P, Golding H, Wang T, Golding B. Pharmacokinetics and Efficacy of Human Hyperimmune Intravenous Immunoglobulin Treatment of SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Adult Syrian Hamsters. Clin Infect Dis 2021; 75:e459-e465. [PMID: 34554235 PMCID: PMC8499979 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Following the failure of antibody therapies in treating COVID-19 hospitalized patients we investigated the impact of viral replication on the pharmacokinetics (PK) and efficacy of a hyperimmune SARS-CoV-2 Immune Globulin (CoVIG) product in treatment of SARS-CoV-2 infection using the adult Syrian hamster model. Methods The CoVIG was manufactured from plasma donors who had recovered from COVID-19. The dose used (400 mg/kg) was based on the dose given in clinical trials to hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Hamsters were given a single dose of CoVIG two days after challenge with the SARS-CoV-2 virus (isolate NY/PV08410/2020), followed by sampling of blood, nasal, tracheal and lung tissues at different time points. The blood samples were assayed for anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike binding and used to calculate PK parameters. Nasal washes, trachea, and lung samples were assayed for viral replication by PCR (sgRNA). Results CoVIG-treated hamsters showed a reduction in viral replication in the lower respiratory tract, but minimally in the upper respiratory tract, following challenge with SARS-CoV-2. Challenge with SARS-CoV-2 resulted in altered PK parameters proportionate to viral replication, resulting in decreased area under the curve (AUC), accelerated clearance and shorter half-life of CoVIG. Conclusions These data indicate that in the presence of actively replicating SARS-CoV-2 virus, PK parameters are altered and should trigger an adjustment in dosing of CoVIG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Million Tegenge
- Division of Clinical Evaluation and Pharmacology/Toxicology, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Surender Khurana
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Youri Lee
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Hana Golding
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Tony Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccines Research and Review, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Basil Golding
- Division of Plasma Protein Therapeutics, Office of Tissues and Advanced Therapies, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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13
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Nuñez IA, Lien CZ, Selvaraj P, Stauft CB, Liu S, Starost MF, Wang TT. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 Infection of Syrian Hamster Does Not Cause More Severe Disease, and Naturally Acquired Immunity Confers Protection. mSphere 2021; 6:e0050721. [PMID: 34133199 PMCID: PMC8265669 DOI: 10.1128/msphere.00507-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have revealed the emergence of multiple severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC), including the lineage B.1.1.7 that is rapidly replacing old variants. The B.1.1.7 variant has been linked to increased morbidity rates, transmissibility, and potentially mortality. To assess viral fitness in vivo and to address whether the B.1.1.7 variant is capable of immune escape, we conducted infection and reinfection studies in naive and convalescent Syrian hamsters (>10 months old). Nasal wash samples from hamsters infected by a B.1.1.7 variant exhibited slightly higher viral RNA levels but lower infectious titers than those from B.1 (G614) variant-infected hamsters, and the two variants induced comparable lung pathologies in hamsters. Despite a sporadic and transient low-level infection in the nasal cavity, convalescent hamsters that had recovered from a previous USA-WA1 isolate (D614) infection displayed no observable clinical signs or lung pathology following B.1.1.7 rechallenge. Altogether, our study did not find that the B.1.1.7 variant significantly differs from the B.1 variant in pathogenicity in Syrian hamsters and that a heterologous natural infection-induced immunity confers protection against a secondary challenge by the B1.1.7 variant. IMPORTANCE The rapid emergence of several variants of concern of SARS-CoV-2 calls for evaluations of viral fitness and pathogenicity in animal models in order to understand the mechanism of enhanced transmission and the possible increases in morbidity and mortality rates. Here, we demonstrated that immunity naturally acquired through a prior infection with the first-wave variant does confer nearly complete protection against the B.1.1.7 variant in Syrian hamsters upon reexposure. Strikingly, although the B.1.1.7 variant appears to replicate to a higher level in the nose than the ancestral B.1 variant, it does not induce more severe lung pathology in hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivette A. Nuñez
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Christopher Z. Lien
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
| | - Matthew F. Starost
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA
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14
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Nuñez IA, Lien CZ, Selvaraj P, Stauft CB, Liu S, Starost MF, Wang TT. SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 infection of Syrian hamster does not cause more severe disease and is protected by naturally acquired immunity. bioRxiv 2021:2021.04.02.438186. [PMID: 33821266 PMCID: PMC8020966 DOI: 10.1101/2021.04.02.438186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Epidemiological studies have revealed the emergence of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC), including the lineage B.1.1.7 that is rapidly replacing old variants. The B.1.1.7 variant has been linked to increased morbidity rates, transmissibility, and potentially mortality (1). To assess viral fitness in vivo and to address whether the B.1.1.7 variant is capable of immune escape, we conducted infection and re-infection studies in naïve and convalescent Syrian hamsters (>10 months old). Hamsters infected by either a B.1.1.7 variant or a B.1 (G614) variant exhibited comparable viral loads and pathology. Convalescent hamsters that were previously infected by the original D614 variant were protected from disease following B.1.1.7 challenge with no observable clinical signs or lung pathology. Altogether, our study did not find that the B.1.1.7 variant significantly differs from the B.1 variant in pathogenicity in hamsters and that natural infection-induced immunity confers protection against a secondary challenge by the B1.1.7 variant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivette A. Nuñez
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
| | - Christopher Z. Lien
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
| | - Charles B. Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
| | - Matthew F. Starost
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike, USA
| | - Tony T. Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, 20993
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15
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Stauft CB, Lien CZ, Selvaraj P, Liu S, Wang TT. The G614 pandemic SARS-CoV-2 variant is not more pathogenic than the original D614 form in adult Syrian hamsters. Virology 2021; 556:96-100. [PMID: 33556653 PMCID: PMC7830243 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic tracking of variant frequencies among viruses circulating in the global pandemic has revealed the emergence and dominance of a D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. To address whether pandemic SARS-CoV-2 G614 variant has evolved to become more pathogenic, we infected adult hamsters (>10 months old) with two natural SARS-CoV-2 variants carrying either D614 or G614 spike protein to mimic infection of the adult/elderly human population. Hamsters infected by the two variants exhibited comparable viral loads and pathology in lung tissues as well as similar amounts of virus shed in nasal washes. Altogether, our study does not find that naturally circulating D614 and G614 SARS-CoV-2 variants differ significantly in pathogenicity in hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Stauft
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Z Lien
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD, USA
| | - Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD, USA
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD, USA
| | - Tony T Wang
- Laboratory of Vector-Borne Diseases, Division of Viral Products, Office of Vaccine Research and Review, Food and Drug Administration, White Oak, MD, USA.
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16
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Selvaraj P, Lien CZ, Liu S, Stauft CB, Nunez IA, Hernandez M, Nimako E, Ortega MA, Starost MF, Dennis JU, Wang TT. SARS-CoV-2 infection induces protective immunity and limits transmission in Syrian hamsters. Life Sci Alliance 2021; 4:e202000886. [PMID: 33574037 PMCID: PMC7893819 DOI: 10.26508/lsa.202000886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Revised: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A critical question in understanding the immunity to SARS-COV-2 is whether recovered patients are protected against re-challenge and transmission upon second exposure. We developed a Syrian hamster model in which intranasal inoculation of just 100 TCID50 virus caused viral pneumonia. Aged hamsters developed more severe disease and even succumbed to SARS-CoV-2 infection, representing the first lethal model using genetically unmodified laboratory animals. After initial viral clearance, the hamsters were re-challenged with 105 TCID50 SARS-CoV-2 and displayed more than 4 log reduction in median viral loads in both nasal washes and lungs in comparison to primary infections. Most importantly, re-challenged hamsters were unable to transmit virus to naïve hamsters, and this was accompanied by the presence of neutralizing antibodies. Altogether, these results show that SARS-CoV-2 infection induces protective immunity that not only prevents re-exposure but also limits transmission in hamsters. These findings may help guide public health policies and vaccine development and aid evaluation of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhuanand Selvaraj
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Christopher Z Lien
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Shufeng Liu
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Charles B Stauft
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Ivette A Nunez
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Mario Hernandez
- Division of Veterinary Services, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Eric Nimako
- Division of Veterinary Services, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Mario A Ortega
- Division of Veterinary Services, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Matthew F Starost
- Division of Veterinary Resources, Diagnostic and Research Services Branch, National Institutes of Health, Rockville Pike, MD, USA
| | - John U Dennis
- Division of Veterinary Services, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
| | - Tony T Wang
- Division of Viral Products, Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, MD, USA
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17
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Watanabe SM, Ehrlich LS, Strickland M, Li X, Soloveva V, Goff AJ, Stauft CB, Bhaduri-McIntosh S, Tjandra N, Carter C. Selective Targeting of Virus Replication by Proton Pump Inhibitors. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4003. [PMID: 32132561 PMCID: PMC7055211 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60544-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2019] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Two proton pump inhibitors, tenatoprazole and esomeprazole, were previously shown to inhibit HIV-1 egress by blocking the interaction between Tsg101, a member of the ESCRT-I complex, and ubiquitin. Here, we deepen our understanding of prazole budding inhibition by studying a range of viruses in the presence of tenatoprazole. Furthermore, we investigate the relationship between the chemistry of prodrug activation and HIV-1 inhibition for diverse prazoles currently on the market. We report that tenatoprazole is capable of inhibiting the replication of members of the enveloped filo, alpha, and herpes virus families but not the flavivirus group and not the non-enveloped poliovirus. Another key finding is that prazole prodrugs must be activated inside the cell, while their rate of activation in vitro correlated to their efficacy in cells. Our study lays the groundwork for future efforts to repurpose prazole-based compounds as antivirals that are both broad-spectrum and selective in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan M Watanabe
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5222, USA
| | - Lorna S Ehrlich
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5222, USA
| | - Madeleine Strickland
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Xiaofan Li
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Veronica Soloveva
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, 21702-5011, USA
| | - Arthur J Goff
- U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Frederick, MD, 21702-5011, USA
| | - Charles B Stauft
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5222, USA
| | - Sumita Bhaduri-McIntosh
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases and Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32610, USA
| | - Nico Tjandra
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Carol Carter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794-5222, USA.
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18
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Mueller S, Stauft CB, Kalkeri R, Koidei F, Kushnir A, Tasker S, Coleman JR. A codon-pair deoptimized live-attenuated vaccine against respiratory syncytial virus is immunogenic and efficacious in non-human primates. Vaccine 2020; 38:2943-2948. [PMID: 32107060 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.02.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2019] [Revised: 01/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Despite a critical need for a respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine and decades of development efforts, a vaccine to protect infants, elderly, and other at-risk populations from RSV infection remains elusive. We have previously generated a new, live-attenuated vaccine candidate against RSV using rational, computer-aided gene design and chemical synthesis through a process termed viral gene "deoptimization." In this study, we assessed the attenuation, immunogenicity, and efficacy of this synthetic, live-attenuated RSV vaccine candidate, RSV-MinL4.0, in African Green Monkeys. RSV-MinL4.0 was produced under good-manufacturing-practice (GMP) in Vero cells. Vaccination with RSV-MinL4.0 resulted in minimal virus shedding after vaccination, generation of robust humoral and cellular immune responses (despite the presence of baseline RSV neutralizing antibodies in one animal) that were comparable to a wildtype infection, and protection from virus shedding post-challenge with wildtype RSV. These findings demonstrate the promise of RSV-MinL4.0 as a live-attenuated vaccine which will undergo clinical trials to test its ability to safely and effectively protect pediatric and elderly populations from infection with RSV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Raj Kalkeri
- Southern Research, Inc., Frederick, MD, United States.
| | | | - Anna Kushnir
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, NY, United States.
| | - Sybil Tasker
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, NY, United States.
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19
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Wang Y, Stauft CB, Raviprakash K, Coleman JR, Mueller S. 2764. Generation of a Balanced, Tetravalent Dengue Vaccine Based on Contemporary Strains Using a Computational, Synthetic Biology-Based Platform. Open Forum Infect Dis 2019. [PMCID: PMC6810340 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofz360.2441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The WHO estimates that there may be 50 million cases of dengue virus (DENV) infection worldwide every year. There is no safe vaccine against DENV licensed in the United States. The development of a balanced and effective anti-DENV vaccine is vital to preventing morbidity and mortality. Codagenix used its proprietary SAVE (Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering) platform to generate and test a live attenuated, tetravalent vaccine against DENV. Methods Codagenix used SAVE to substitute under-represented human codons and codon-pairs into the E protein sequences of contemporary strains of DENV1-4, producing either a fully human-cell-deoptimized prM-E (E-Min), or a partially deoptimized prM-E (E-W/Min) to allow for balancing of the vaccine’s immunogenicity. Full genomes containing deoptimized E-Min and E-W/Min in the DENV2 backbone were transfected into cells to recover live-attenuated, human-cell-deoptimized vaccine strains. Mice were vaccinated with 106 FFU of each DENV vaccine (alone or together), boosted on day 21 and assessed for neutralizing antibodies by PRNT50 and survival after lethal challenge with mouse-adapted wild-type (WT) DENV. Cynomolgus macaques were immunized with a mixture of 106 FFU of each DENV vaccine strain. Two doses were administered on study day 1 and 57 and serum neutralizing antibodies were determined on day 57 and 85 by a microneutralization assay. Results SAVE deoptimized DENV viruses grew to wild-type (between 107 and 108 FFU/ml) levels at permissive temperatures (<37C). All vaccine strains generated neutralizing antibody levels comparable to WT. A tetravalent formulation containing all four E-Min strains protected mice from lethal challenge with DENV3. A tetravalent formulation of Codagenix DENV-E-W/Min vaccine elicited a robust and balanced neutralizing antibody response in non-human primates (NHPs) against all four DENV serotypes after a single dose. A second vaccine dose did not boost antibody titers significantly. Conclusion The ability to rationally balance the attenuation of multiple vaccine strains, thereby avoiding antibody-dependent enhancement, is a unique advantage of the Codagenix SAVE platform. Codagenix DENV vaccine viruses generated balanced, sterilizing immunity in NHPs after one dose. ![]()
Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, New York
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Stauft CB, Yang C, Coleman JR, Boltz D, Chin C, Kushnir A, Mueller S. Live-attenuated H1N1 influenza vaccine candidate displays potent efficacy in mice and ferrets. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0223784. [PMID: 31609986 PMCID: PMC6791556 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0223784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/29/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, influenza vaccine manufacturers need to produce 1-5 x 107 PFU of each vaccine strain to fill one dose of the current live-attenuated-influenza-vaccine (LAIV). To make a single dose of inactivated vaccine (15 ug of each hemagglutinin), the equivalent of 1010 PFU of each vaccine strains need to be grown. This high dose requirement is a major drawback for manufacturing as well as rapidly sourcing sufficient doses during a pandemic. Using our computer-aided vaccine platform Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE), we created a vaccine candidate against pandemic H1N1 A/CA/07/2009 (CodaVax-H1N1) with robust efficacy in mice and ferrets, and is protective at a much lower dose than the current LAIV. CodaVax-H1N1 is currently in Phase I/II clinical trials. The hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene segments of A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) (CA07) were "de-optimized" and a LAIV was generated ex silico using DNA synthesis. In DBA/2 mice, vaccination at a very low dose (100 or approximately 1 PFU) with CodaVax-H1N1 prevented disease after lethal challenge with wild-type H1N1. In BALB/c mice, as little as 103 PFU was protective against lethal challenge with mouse-adapted H1N1. In ferrets, CodaVax-H1N1 was more potent compared to currently licensed LAIV and still effective at a low dose of 103 PFU at preventing replication of challenge virus.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Chen Yang
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
| | | | - David Boltz
- Life Sciences Group, IIT Research Institute, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Chiahsuan Chin
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
| | - Anna Kushnir
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
| | - Steffen Mueller
- Codagenix, Inc., Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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21
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Stauft CB, Song Y, Gorbatsevych O, Pantoja P, Rodriguez IV, Futcher B, Sariol CA, Wimmer E. Extensive genomic recoding by codon-pair deoptimization selective for mammals is a flexible tool to generate attenuated vaccine candidates for dengue virus 2. Virology 2019; 537:237-245. [PMID: 31539771 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2019.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2019] [Revised: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The four serotypes of dengue virus (DENV) are the leading etiologic agent of disease caused by arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) in the world, with billions at risk of DENV infection spread by infected mosquitoes. DENV causes illness ranging from dengue fever (DF) to life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) and dengue shock syndrome (DSS). DENV proliferates well in two different host systems, an invertebrate mosquito vector and vertebrate primate host, which have a distinct difference in their preference of codon pairs (CP) for translation (different "codon pair bias"). Consequently, arboviruses must delicately balance the use of codon pairs between mammals and arthropods, which presents an Achilles' heel that we have exploited by specifically shifting the codon pair preference in the E and NS3 ORFs away from mammals while keeping the CPB favorable for mosquito ORFs. Here we report that recoding of the ORFs has led to variants that were over-attenuated in rhesus macaques although induction of protective antibodies in animals vaccinated with the smallest recoded ORF (E) was observed. The flexibility of our synthetic vaccine design (by decreasing the number of unfavorable CPs in the E ORF), allowed us to construct two new vaccine candidates (EhminA and EhminB) with intermediate attenuation in cell culture and neonatal mice, a result demonstrating proof of concept. New DENV vaccine candidates are being developed based on selective attenuation by dramatic recoding, with flexibility in balancing the attenuation and immunogenicity by marrying rational design and empirical modification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Stauft
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Yutong Song
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Oleksandr Gorbatsevych
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Petraleigh Pantoja
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Virology Laboratory, Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
| | - Idia V Rodriguez
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Virology Laboratory, Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
| | - Bruce Futcher
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
| | - Carlos A Sariol
- Unit of Comparative Medicine, Virology Laboratory, Caribbean Primate Research Center, University of Puerto Rico, San Juan, PR, USA.
| | - Eckard Wimmer
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY, USA.
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Kaplan BS, Souza CK, Gauger PC, Stauft CB, Robert Coleman J, Mueller S, Vincent AL. Vaccination of pigs with a codon-pair bias de-optimized live attenuated influenza vaccine protects from homologous challenge. Vaccine 2018; 36:1101-1107. [PMID: 29366707 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2017] [Revised: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Influenza A virus (IAV) in swine constitutes a major economic burden for producers as well as a potential threat to public health. Whole inactivated virus vaccines (WIV) are the predominant countermeasure employed to control IAV in swine herds in the United States despite the superior protection, and diminished adverse effects, induced by live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV). A major hurdle for the development of LAIV exists in achieving the proper level of attenuation while maintaining immunogenicity. Using Synthetic Attenuated Virus Engineering (SAVE) to introduce codon-pair bias de-optimization (CPBD) into the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) gene segments of pandemic H1N1 IAV, a novel LAIV was produced and evaluated for attenuation, immunogenicity, and efficacy in pigs. The CPBD LAIV induced inappreciable pathology following intranasal administration yet induced robust serum and mucosal antibody titers. CPBD LAIV vaccinated pigs challenged with wild-type virus showed protection from disease and virus detection, highlighted by the absence of detectable virus titers in the nasal passages and lungs. These results demonstrate the efficacy of a LAIV designed by SAVE codon de-optimization in pigs, providing support for the continued development of CPBD LAIV for use in swine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bryan S Kaplan
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Carine K Souza
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Phillip C Gauger
- Dept. of Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Amy L Vincent
- Virus and Prion Research Unit, National Animal Disease Center, USDA-ARS, 1920 Dayton Ave, Ames, IA 50010, USA.
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Stauft CB, Shen SH, Song Y, Gorbatsevych O, Asare E, Futcher B, Mueller S, Payne A, Brecher M, Kramer L, Wimmer E. Extensive recoding of dengue virus type 2 specifically reduces replication in primate cells without gain-of-function in Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0198303. [PMID: 30192757 PMCID: PMC6128446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0198303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Accepted: 07/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV), an arthropod-borne ("arbovirus") virus, causes a range of human maladies ranging from self-limiting dengue fever to the life-threatening dengue shock syndrome and proliferates well in two different taxa of the Animal Kingdom, mosquitoes and primates. Mosquitoes and primates show taxonomic group-specific intolerance to certain codon pairs when expressing their genes by translation. This is called "codon pair bias". By necessity, dengue viruses evolved to delicately balance this fundamental difference in their open reading frames (ORFs). We have undone the evolutionarily conserved genomic balance in the DENV2 ORF sequence and specifically shifted the encoding preference away from primates. However, this recoding of DENV2 raised concerns of 'gain-of-function,' namely whether recoding could inadvertently increase fitness for replication in the arthropod vector. Using mosquito cell lines and two strains of Aedes aegypti we did not observe any increase in fitness in DENV2 variants codon pair deoptimized for humans. This ability to disrupt and control DENV2's host preference has great promise towards developing the next generation of synthetic vaccines not only for DENV but for other emerging arboviral pathogens such as chikungunya virus and Zika virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B. Stauft
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Codagenix, Incorporated, Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
| | - Sam H. Shen
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Yutong Song
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Oleksandr Gorbatsevych
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Emmanuel Asare
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Bruce Futcher
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
| | - Steffen Mueller
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Codagenix, Incorporated, Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
| | - Anne Payne
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, New York, United States of America
| | - Matthew Brecher
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, New York, United States of America
| | - Laura Kramer
- Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health, Slingerlands, New York, United States of America
- School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Rensselaer, New York, United States of America
| | - Eckard Wimmer
- Stony Brook University, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Stony Brook University School of Medicine, Stony Brook, New York, United States of America
- Codagenix, Incorporated, Farmingdale, New York, United States of America
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Phillips AT, Stauft CB, Aboellail TA, Toth AM, Jarvis DL, Powers AM, Olson KE. Bioluminescent imaging and histopathologic characterization of WEEV neuroinvasion in outbred CD-1 mice. PLoS One 2013; 8:e53462. [PMID: 23301074 PMCID: PMC3534643 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0053462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2012] [Accepted: 11/29/2012] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Western equine encephalitis virus (WEEV; Alphavirus) is a mosquito-borne virus that can cause severe encephalitis in humans and equids. Previous studies have shown that intranasal infection of outbred CD-1 mice with the WEEV McMillan (McM) strain result in high mortality within 4 days of infection. Here in vivo and ex vivo bioluminescence (BLM) imaging was applied on mice intranasally infected with a recombinant McM virus expressing firefly luciferase (FLUC) to track viral neuroinvasion by FLUC detection and determine any correlation between BLM and viral titer. Immunological markers of disease (MCP-1 and IP-10) were measured and compared to wild type virus infection. Histopathology was guided by corresponding BLM images, and showed that neuroinvasion occurred primarily through cranial nerves, mainly in the olfactory tract. Olfactory bulb neurons were initially infected with subsequent spread of the infection into different regions of the brain. WEEV distribution was confirmed by immunohistochemistry as having marked neuronal infection but very few infected glial cells. Axons displayed infection patterns consistent with viral dissemination along the neuronal axis. The trigeminal nerve served as an additional route of neuroinvasion showing significant FLUC expression within the brainstem. The recombinant virus WEEV.McM.FLUC had attenuated replication kinetics and induced a weaker immunological response than WEEV.McM but produced comparable pathologies. Immunohistochemistry staining for FLUC and WEEV antigen showed that transgene expression was present in all areas of the CNS where virus was observed. BLM provides a quantifiable measure of alphaviral neural disease progression and a method for evaluating antiviral strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron T Phillips
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America.
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