Preclinical Immunological Evaluation of an Intradermally Administered Heterologous Vaccine Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Abstract The recent emergence of new variants in the COVID-19 pandemic has led to new requirements for vaccines, with a focus on the capacity of vaccines to elicit high levels of neutralizing antibodies with specific recognition of S antigen variants based on the characterized vaccines licensed for use. A new strategy involving a heterologous vaccine composed of one or two doses of inactivated vaccine and a boost with the S1 protein with mutations (K-S) administered via the intradermal route was designed in this work and was found to improve immune efficacy by increasing neutralizing antibody titers and promoting specific T cell responses against 5 variants of the RBD peptide. A viral challenge test with the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant confirmed that the both schedules of “1+1” and “2+1” administration ensured a clinical protective effect against this strain. All of these results not only suggested the feasibility of our strategy for protecting against new variants but also provided a technical pathway to enhance the anamnestic immune response in the immunized population.

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Control of SARS-CoV-2 infection after Spike DNA or Spike DNA+Protein co-immunization in rhesus macaques

10.1101/2021.06.11.448032 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Margherita Rosati ◽

Mahesh Agarwal ◽

Xintao Hu ◽

Santhi Devasundaram ◽

Dimitris Stellas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Protective Efficacy ◽

Rhesus Macaques ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Anatomical Site ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Cellular Immune Responses ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Cellular Immune

The speed of development, versatility and efficacy of mRNA-based vaccines have been amply demonstrated in the case of SARS-CoV-2. DNA vaccines represent an important alternative since they induce both humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models and in human trials. We tested the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of DNA-based vaccine regimens expressing different prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 Spike antigens upon intramuscular injection followed by electroporation in rhesus macaques. Different Spike DNA vaccine regimens induced antibodies that potently neutralized SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and elicited robust T cell responses. The DNA-only vaccine regimens were compared to a regimen that included co-immunization of Spike DNA and protein in the same anatomical site, the latter of which showed significant higher antibody responses. All vaccine regimens led to control of SARS-CoV-2 intranasal/intratracheal challenge and absence of virus dissemination to the lower respiratory tract. Vaccine-induced binding and neutralizing antibody titers and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis inversely correlated with transient virus levels in the nasal mucosa. Importantly, the Spike DNA+Protein co-immunization regimen induced the highest binding and neutralizing antibodies and showed the strongest control against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques.

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Glycan-masking spike antigen in NTD and RBD elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants

10.1101/2021.11.01.466834 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Wei-Shuo Lin ◽

I-Chen Chen ◽

Hui-Chen Chen ◽

Yi-Chien Lee ◽

Suh-Chin Wu

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Vaccine Antigen ◽

Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Neutralization Titer ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Folded Structure ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

The Impact

Glycan-masking the vaccine antigen by mutating the undesired antigenic sites with an additional N-linked glycosylation motif can refocus B-cell responses to desired/undesired epitopes, without affecting the antigen overall-folded structure. This study examine the impact of glycan-masking mutants of the N-terminal domain (NTD) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, and found that the antigenic design of the S protein increases the neutralizing antibody titers against the Wuhan-Hu-1 ancestral strain and the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2). Our results demonstrated that the use of glycan-masking Ad-S-R158N-Y160T in the NTD elicited a 2.8-fold, 6.5-fold, and 4.6-fold increase in the IC-50 NT titer against the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants, respectively. Glycan-masking of Ad-S-D428N in the RBD resulted in a 3.0-fold and 2.0-fold increase in the IC50 neutralization titer against the Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Beta (B.1.351) variants, respectively. The use of glycan-masking in Ad-S-R158N-Y160T and Ad-S-D428N antigen design may help develop universal COVID-19 vaccines against current and future emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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Adaptive immunity and neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern following vaccination in patients with cancer: The CAPTURE study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-916303/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Annika Fendler ◽

Scott Shepherd ◽

Lewis Au ◽

Katalin Wilkinson ◽

Mary Wu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cancer Patients ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Hematological Malignancies ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Patients With Cancer ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Solid Malignancies ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Cancer Types ◽

Anti Cd20

Abstract CAPTURE (NCT03226886) is a prospective cohort study of COVID-19 immunity in patients with cancer. Here we evaluated 585 patients following administration of two doses of BNT162b2 or AZD1222 vaccines, administered 12 weeks apart. Seroconversion rates after two doses were 85% and 59% in patients with solid and hematological malignancies, respectively. A lower proportion of patients had detectable neutralizing antibody titers (NAbT) against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) vs wild-type (WT). Patients with hematological malignancies were more likely to have undetectable NAbT and had lower median NAbT vs solid cancers against both WT and VOCs. In comparison with individuals without cancer, patients with haematological, but not solid, malignancies had reduced NAb responses. Seroconversion showed poor concordance with NAbT against VOCs. Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection boosted NAb response including against VOCs, and anti-CD20 treatment was associated with undetectable NAbT. Vaccine-induced T-cell responses were detected in 80% of patients, and were comparable between vaccines or cancer types. Our results have implications for the management of cancer patients during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

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Glycan Masking of Epitopes in the NTD and RBD of the Spike Protein Elicits Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies Against SARS-CoV-2 Variants

Frontiers in Immunology ◽

10.3389/fimmu.2021.795741 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 12 ◽

Author(s):

Wei-Shuo Lin ◽

I-Chen Chen ◽

Hui-Chen Chen ◽

Yi-Chien Lee ◽

Suh-Chin Wu

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Vaccine Antigen ◽

Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Neutralization Titer ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Folded Structure ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

The Impact

Glycan-masking the vaccine antigen by mutating the undesired antigenic sites with an additional N-linked glycosylation motif can refocus B-cell responses to desired epitopes, without affecting the antigen’s overall-folded structure. This study examined the impact of glycan-masking mutants of the N-terminal domain (NTD) and receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2, and found that the antigenic design of the S protein increases the neutralizing antibody titers against the Wuhan-Hu-1 ancestral strain and the recently emerged SARS-CoV-2 variants Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2). Our results demonstrated that the use of glycan-masking Ad-S-R158N/Y160T in the NTD elicited a 2.8-fold, 6.5-fold, and 4.6-fold increase in the IC-50 NT titer against the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351) and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants, respectively. Glycan-masking of Ad-S-D428N in the RBD resulted in a 3.0-fold and 2.0-fold increase in the IC-50 neutralization titer against the Alpha (B.1.1.7) and Beta (B.1.351) variants, respectively. The use of glycan-masking in Ad-S-R158N/Y160T and Ad-S-D428N antigen design may help develop universal COVID-19 vaccines against current and future emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

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Antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection and boosted by vaccination neutralize an emerging variant and SARS-CoV-1

10.1101/2021.02.05.21251182 ◽

2021 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Leonidas Stamatatos ◽

Julie Czartoski ◽

Yu-Hsin Wan ◽

Leah J. Homad ◽

Vanessa Rubin ◽

...

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Immune Response ◽

Monoclonal Antibodies ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Fold Increase ◽

Cd4 T Cell ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Previous Infection ◽

Antibody Titers

AbstractThe emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants raises concerns about their resistance to neutralizing antibodies elicited from previous infection, or from vaccination. Here we examined whether sera and monoclonal antibodies from convalescent donors, prior to and following a single immunization with the Pfizer or Moderna mRNA vaccines, neutralize the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain and a variant, B.1.351 from South Africa. Pre-vaccination sera weakly neutralized Wuhan-Hu-1 and sporadically neutralized B.1.351. Immunization with either vaccine generated anamnestic B and CD4+ T cell responses and a 1000-fold increase in neutralizing antibody titers against both strains and SARS-CoV-1. Neutralization was likely due to anti-RBD and anti-S2 antibodies. Our study highlights the importance of vaccination of both uninfected and of previously infected subjects, as the elicited immune response will neutralize distinct viral strains.

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Control of SARS-CoV-2 infection after Spike DNA or Spike DNA+Protein co-immunization in rhesus macaques

PLoS Pathogens ◽

10.1371/journal.ppat.1009701 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (9) ◽

pp. e1009701

Author(s):

Margherita Rosati ◽

Mahesh Agarwal ◽

Xintao Hu ◽

Santhi Devasundaram ◽

Dimitris Stellas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Protective Efficacy ◽

Rhesus Macaques ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Anatomical Site ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Cellular Immune Responses ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Cellular Immune

The speed of development, versatility and efficacy of mRNA-based vaccines have been amply demonstrated in the case of SARS-CoV-2. DNA vaccines represent an important alternative since they induce both humoral and cellular immune responses in animal models and in human trials. We tested the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of DNA-based vaccine regimens expressing different prefusion-stabilized Wuhan-Hu-1 SARS-CoV-2 Spike antigens upon intramuscular injection followed by electroporation in rhesus macaques. Different Spike DNA vaccine regimens induced antibodies that potently neutralized SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and elicited robust T cell responses. The antibodies recognized and potently neutralized a panel of different Spike variants including Alpha, Delta, Epsilon, Eta and A.23.1, but to a lesser extent Beta and Gamma. The DNA-only vaccine regimens were compared to a regimen that included co-immunization of Spike DNA and protein in the same anatomical site, the latter of which showed significant higher antibody responses. All vaccine regimens led to control of SARS-CoV-2 intranasal/intratracheal challenge and absence of virus dissemination to the lower respiratory tract. Vaccine-induced binding and neutralizing antibody titers and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis inversely correlated with transient virus levels in the nasal mucosa. Importantly, the Spike DNA+Protein co-immunization regimen induced the highest binding and neutralizing antibodies and showed the strongest control against SARS-CoV-2 challenge in rhesus macaques.

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HIV mRNA Vaccines—Progress and Future Paths

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9020134 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 134

Author(s):

Zekun Mu ◽

Barton F. Haynes ◽

Derek W. Cain

Keyword(s):

T Cell ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Vaccination Strategy ◽

T Cell Responses ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Cytotoxic T Cell ◽

Therapeutic Vaccines ◽

Cell Responses ◽

Broadly Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Cytotoxic T Cell Responses

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic introduced the world to a new type of vaccine based on mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Instead of delivering antigenic proteins directly, an mRNA-based vaccine relies on the host’s cells to manufacture protein immunogens which, in turn, are targets for antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses. mRNA-based vaccines have been the subject of research for over three decades as a platform to protect against or treat a variety of cancers, amyloidosis and infectious diseases. In this review, we discuss mRNA-based approaches for the generation of prophylactic and therapeutic vaccines to HIV. We examine the special immunological hurdles for a vaccine to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies and effective T cell responses to HIV. Lastly, we outline an mRNA-based HIV vaccination strategy based on the immunobiology of broadly neutralizing antibody development.

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Titers of Neutralizing Antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 Are Independent of Symptoms of Non-Severe COVID-19 in Young Adults

Viruses ◽

10.3390/v13020284 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 284

Author(s):

Hulda R. Jonsdottir ◽

Michel Bielecki ◽

Denise Siegrist ◽

Thomas W. Buehrer ◽

Roland Züst ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Young Adults ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Severe Disease ◽

Humoral Response ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Neutralization Assay ◽

Asymptomatic Infection ◽

Homogeneous Population ◽

Humoral Immune ◽

Antibody Titers

Neutralizing antibodies are an important part of the humoral immune response to SARS-CoV-2. It is currently unclear to what extent such antibodies are produced after non-severe disease or asymptomatic infection. We studied a cluster of SARS-CoV-2 infections among a homogeneous population of 332 predominantly male Swiss soldiers and determined the neutralizing antibody response with a serum neutralization assay using a recombinant SARS-CoV-2-GFP. All patients with non-severe COVID-19 showed a swift humoral response within two weeks after the onset of symptoms, which remained stable for the duration of the study. One month after the outbreak, titers in COVID-19 convalescents did not differ from the titers of asymptomatically infected individuals. Furthermore, symptoms of COVID-19 did not correlate with neutralizing antibody titers. Therefore, we conclude that asymptomatic infection can induce the same humoral immunity as non-severe COVID-19 in young adults.

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Durability of Response to a Third BNT162b2 Vaccine in Adults ≥60 Years

10.1101/2021.12.25.21268336 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Noa Eliakim Raz ◽

Amos Stemmer ◽

Yaara Leibovici-Weissman ◽

Asaf Ness ◽

Muhammad Awwad ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Adverse Events ◽

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Multivariable Analysis ◽

Vaccine Dose ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Clinical Frailty Scale ◽

Younger Adults ◽

The Third ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Level 2

BACKGROUND Age and frailty are strong predictors of COVID-19 mortality. After the second BNT162b2 dose, immunity wanes faster in older (≥65 years) versus younger adults. The durability of response after the third vaccine is unclear. METHODS This prospective cohort study included healthcare workers/family members ≥60 years who received a third BNT162b2 dose. Blood samples were drawn immediately before (T0), 10-19 (T1), and 74-103 (T2) days after the third dose. Antispike IgG titers were determined using a commercial assay, seropositivity was defined as ≥50 AU/mL. Neutralizing antibody titers were determined at T2. Adverse events, COVID-19 infections, and clinical frailty scale (CFS) levels were documented. RESULTS The analysis included 97 participants (median age, 70 years [IQR, 66-74], 61% women, 58% CFS level 2). IgG titers, which increased significantly from T0 to T1 (medians, 440 AU/mL [IQR, 294-923] and 25,429 [14,203-36,114] AU/mL, respectively; P<0.001), decreased significantly by T2, but all remained seropositive (median, 8,306 AU/mL [IQR, 4595-14,701], P<0.001 vs T1). In a multivariable analysis, only time from the first vaccine was significantly associated with lower IgG levels at T2 (P=0.004). At T2, 60 patients were evaluated for neutralizing antibodies; all were seropositive (median, 1,294 antibody titer [IQR, 848-2,072]). Neutralizing antibody and antispike IgG levels were correlated (R=0.6, P<0.001). No major adverse events or COVID-19 infections were reported. CONCLUSIONS Antispike IgG and neutralizing antibodies levels remain adequate 3 months after the third BNT162b2 vaccine in healthy adults ≥60 years, although the decline in IgG is concerning. A third vaccine dose in this population should be top priority.

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Antibody titers measured by commercial assays are correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by international standards

10.1101/2021.07.16.21260618 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yu-An Kung ◽

Chung-Guei Huang ◽

Sheng-Yu Huang ◽

Kuan-Ting Liu ◽

Peng-Nien Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Neutralizing Antibodies ◽

Vaccine Development ◽

Geometric Mean ◽

Neutralizing Antibody ◽

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

International Standards ◽

World Health ◽

Serum Samples ◽

Antibody Titers ◽

Health Organization

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the importance of an international standard (IS) for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody titer detection, with the aim of calibrating different diagnostic techniques. In this study, IS was applied to calibrate neutralizing antibody titers (IU/mL) and binding antibody titers (BAU/mL) in response to SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Serum samples were collected from participants receiving the Moderna (n = 20) and Pfizer (n = 20) vaccines at three time points: pre-vaccination, after one dose, and after two doses. We obtained geometric mean titers of 1404.16 and 928.75 IU/mL for neutralizing antibodies after two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, respectively. These values provide an important baseline for vaccine development and the implementation of non-inferiority trials. We also compared three commercially available kits from Roche, Abbott, and MeDiPro for the detection of COVID-19 antibodies based on binding affinity to S1 and/or RBD. Our results demonstrated that antibody titers measured by commercial assays are highly correlated with neutralizing antibody titers calibrated by IS.

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