tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
PLoS Pathog
. 2021 Sep 7;17(9):e1009897.
doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009897. Online ahead of print.
Novel virus-like nanoparticle vaccine effectively protects animal model from SARS-CoV-2 infection
Qibin Geng[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Wanbo Tai[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Victoria K Baxter[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Juan Shi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yushun Wan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xiujuan Zhang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie A Montgomery[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sharon A Taft-Benz[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Elizabeth J Anderson[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Audrey C Knight[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kenneth H Dinnon 3rd[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Sarah R Leist[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ralph S Baric[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], Jian Shang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sung-Wook Hong[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Aleksandra Drelich[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Chien-Te K Tseng[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Marc Jenkins[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Mark Heise[SUP] 5 7 10 [/SUP], Lanying Du[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fang Li[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
The key to battling the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential aftermath is to develop a variety of vaccines that are efficacious and safe, elicit lasting immunity, and cover a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Recombinant viral receptor-binding domains (RBDs) are safe vaccine candidates but often have limited efficacy due to the lack of virus-like immunogen display pattern. Here we have developed a novel virus-like nanoparticle (VLP) vaccine that displays 120 copies of SARS-CoV-2 RBD on its surface. This VLP-RBD vaccine mimics virus-based vaccines in immunogen display, which boosts its efficacy, while maintaining the safety of protein-based subunit vaccines. Compared to the RBD vaccine, the VLP-RBD vaccine induced five times more neutralizing antibodies in mice that efficiently blocked SARS-CoV-2 from attaching to its host receptor and potently neutralized the cell entry of variant SARS-CoV-2 strains, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-1-related bat coronavirus. These neutralizing immune responses induced by the VLP-RBD vaccine did not wane during the two-month study period. Furthermore, the VLP-RBD vaccine effectively protected mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge, dramatically reducing the development of clinical signs and pathological changes in immunized mice. The VLP-RBD vaccine provides one potentially effective solution to controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2.
. 2021 Sep 7;17(9):e1009897.
doi: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009897. Online ahead of print.
Novel virus-like nanoparticle vaccine effectively protects animal model from SARS-CoV-2 infection
Qibin Geng[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Wanbo Tai[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Victoria K Baxter[SUP] 4 5 [/SUP], Juan Shi[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Yushun Wan[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Xiujuan Zhang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephanie A Montgomery[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Sharon A Taft-Benz[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Elizabeth J Anderson[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Audrey C Knight[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Kenneth H Dinnon 3rd[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Sarah R Leist[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Ralph S Baric[SUP] 5 6 7 [/SUP], Jian Shang[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Sung-Wook Hong[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Aleksandra Drelich[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Chien-Te K Tseng[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Marc Jenkins[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Mark Heise[SUP] 5 7 10 [/SUP], Lanying Du[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Fang Li[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 34492082
- DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009897
Abstract
The key to battling the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential aftermath is to develop a variety of vaccines that are efficacious and safe, elicit lasting immunity, and cover a range of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Recombinant viral receptor-binding domains (RBDs) are safe vaccine candidates but often have limited efficacy due to the lack of virus-like immunogen display pattern. Here we have developed a novel virus-like nanoparticle (VLP) vaccine that displays 120 copies of SARS-CoV-2 RBD on its surface. This VLP-RBD vaccine mimics virus-based vaccines in immunogen display, which boosts its efficacy, while maintaining the safety of protein-based subunit vaccines. Compared to the RBD vaccine, the VLP-RBD vaccine induced five times more neutralizing antibodies in mice that efficiently blocked SARS-CoV-2 from attaching to its host receptor and potently neutralized the cell entry of variant SARS-CoV-2 strains, SARS-CoV-1, and SARS-CoV-1-related bat coronavirus. These neutralizing immune responses induced by the VLP-RBD vaccine did not wane during the two-month study period. Furthermore, the VLP-RBD vaccine effectively protected mice from SARS-CoV-2 challenge, dramatically reducing the development of clinical signs and pathological changes in immunized mice. The VLP-RBD vaccine provides one potentially effective solution to controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2.