A universal SARS-CoV DNA vaccine inducing highly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies and T cells.
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Appelberg S, Ahlén G, Yan J, Nikouyan N, Weber S, Larsson O, Höglund U, Aleman S, Weber F, Perlhamre E, Apro J, Gidlund E, Tuvesson O, Salati S, Cadossi M, Tegel H, Hober S, Frelin L, Mirazimi A, Sällberg M
EMBO Mol Med - (-) e15821 [2022-08-19; online 2022-08-19]
New variants in the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic are more contagious (Alpha/Delta), evade neutralizing antibodies (Beta), or both (Omicron). This poses a challenge in vaccine development according to WHO. We designed a more universal SARS-CoV-2 DNA vaccine containing receptor-binding domain loops from the huCoV-19/WH01, the Alpha, and the Beta variants, combined with the membrane and nucleoproteins. The vaccine induced spike antibodies crossreactive between huCoV-19/WH01, Beta, and Delta spike proteins that neutralized huCoV-19/WH01, Beta, Delta, and Omicron virus in vitro. The vaccine primed nucleoprotein-specific T cells, unlike spike-specific T cells, recognized Bat-CoV sequences. The vaccine protected mice carrying the human ACE2 receptor against lethal infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant. Interestingly, priming of cross-reactive nucleoprotein-specific T cells alone was 60% protective, verifying observations from humans that T cells protect against lethal disease. This SARS-CoV vaccine induces a uniquely broad and functional immunity that adds to currently used vaccines.
PubMed 35986481
DOI 10.15252/emmm.202215821
Crossref 10.15252/emmm.202215821