SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines induce persistent human germinal centre responses.

ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 mRNA-based vaccines are about 95% effective in preventing COVID-19^1-5. The dynamics of antibody-secreting plasmablasts and germinal centre B cells induced by these vaccines in humans remain unclear. Here we examined antigen-specific B cell responses in peripheral blood (n = 41) and draining lymph nodes in 14 individuals who had received 2 doses of BNT162b2, an mRNA-based vaccine that encodes the full-length SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) gene¹. Circulating IgG- and IgA-secreting plasmablasts that target the S protein peaked one week after the second immunization and then declined, becoming undetectable three weeks later. These plasmablast responses preceded maximal levels of serum anti-S binding and neutralizing antibodies to an early circulating SARS-CoV-2 strain as

SUBMITTER: Turner JS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8935394 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature