Common cold embecovirus imprinting primes broadly neutralizing antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 S2.

ABSTRACT: The S2 subunit of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike is highly conserved across coronavirus strains and therefore is a potential pan-coronavirus vaccine target. However, antibodies targeting this region are typically non-neutralizing. We report herein that S2-targeting antibodies from patients who recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection bound only closely related sarbecovirus subgenus strains and, like most known S2 antibodies, none of these were neutralizing. In contrast, first-exposure, severe acutely infected COVID-19 patients predominantly induced back-boosted antibody-secreting cells imprinted against past common cold coronavirus strain OC43 that were cross-reactive to as many as five subgenera of betacoronavirus strains and gave rise to antibodies that

SUBMITTER: Changrob S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12768131 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature