Project description:During V(D)J recombination antibody diversity is enhanced by non-templated junctional modifications that generate immensely diverse heavy chain (HC) and light chain (LC) complementarity-determining 3 antigen-contact regions (CDR3s). We previously developed a mouse model that generates diverse antibody repertoires by rearranging a single human VH1-2 and Vk1-33, associated with highly diverse CDR3s generated by V(D)J recombination with mouse Ds and/or Js. Immunization of this model with SARS-CoV-2 D614G spike elicited an antibody that potently neutralized SARS-CoV-2 variants through Omicron BA.2.754. Here, we report a next generation mouse model in which a single VH1-2 rearranges to human D3-3 and JH6, generating diverse HC-CDR3s much longer on average than those of our prior model. Omicron BA.4/.5 spike ferritin nanoparticle-immunization of the new model elicited four highly-related humanized antibodies that potently neutralize downstream Omicron sub-variants. All four antibodies had 12 AA HC-CDR3s with two aromatic amino acids that engage an epitope comprising a hydrophobic patch opened-up by early omicron lineage mutations and conserved in subsequent variants. Immunization of our prior, shorter CDR3-based model, elicited slightly less potent neutralizing antibodies that bound the same Omicron epitope, and were similar in all other aspects to those from the long, fully-human CDR3 model. One tested antibody from each set reduced lung viral titers in a mouse-adapted BQ1.1 challenge. The antibodies we describe are highly related to, but more potent than, recently described antibodies from omicron-infected humans. These studies validate the utility of single human VH- and Vk-rearranging mice for discovering humanized antibodies that neutralize emerging pathogens.
Project description:Mucosal immunity plays a pivotal role in providing comprehensive protection against upper-airway infections and effectively limiting the shedding and transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Despite its critical importance, there remains a notable absence of nasal spray vaccines endorsed for global use by the World Health Organization. This could be due to the inability of current intranasal vaccines to induce strong mucosal and systemic responses in humans, thus urgently entailing a next-generation of intranasal COVID-19 vaccines with novel and safe technologies. In this study, we prepared a two-component intranasal vaccine that combines adenovirus vectors with a self-assembled subunit protein. Specifically, the adenovirus vector expresses the spike protein of XBB.1.5 variant (Ad5XBB.1.5), and were mixed with the recombinant protein that developed derived from the receptor binding domain (RBD) of XBB.1.5 (RBDXBB.1.5-HR). Combination of Ad5XBB.1.5 and RBDXBB.1.5-HR elicited superior humoral and cellular immunity against XBB.1.5-included variants compared with the individual components. Importantly, the STING signaling pathway was found to be crucial for the adjuvant effect of the adenovirus vector. In addition, to increase the broad-spectrum neutralizing capacities, a trimeric protein derived from the BA.5 variant (RBDBA.5-HR) was incorporated to formulate a three-component vaccine (Ad5XBB.1.5+RBDXBB.1.5-HR+RBDBA.5-HR), indicating the utilization of a combination of an adenovirus-vectored and subunit protein vaccines has the potential to serve as a next-generation intranasal vaccine platform. Of note, intranasally delivery of two-component vaccine provided protective immunity against live Omicron XBB.1.16 virus challenge in mice. Furthermore, the combination of adenovirus and subunit protein vaccine demonstrates excellent tolerability and safety in human subjects, and is able to induce enhanced mucosal immunity as well as high levels of sera neutralizing antibody in all participants. These findings underscore its suitability for clinical application in the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 variants encompassing XBB lineages.
Project description:To date five variants of concern (VOC) of SARS-CoV-2 have emerged that show increased immune evasion. While their evolving escape from humoral immune responses has been analyzed in detail, adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to human innate immune processes like autophagy are less understood. Here we demonstrate that currently predominant mutation T9I in the structural envelope (E) protein conveys increased resistance against autophagy of recent Omicron VOCs (BA.1, BA5 and XBB.5) compared to earlier SARS-CoV-2 variants. Rare omicron isolates that do not carry E T9I are sensitive towards autophagy. Mechanistic analyses revealed that E I9 inhibits autophagic turnover more efficiently than E T9 due to increased recruitment to autophagosomes and enhanced interaction with early autophagosome markers. Using pseudotyping assays we revealed that mutation T9I in E reduces release efficiency, but protects incoming virion from autophagy. In line, introduction of E T9I into recombinant 2020 SARS-CoV-2 increases its resistance against autophagy, but also attenuates replication. Our data thus reveal autophagy as a fundamental driver of SARS-CoV-2 evolution and improved autophagy escape may have contributed to the success of the Omicron variant.
Project description:Although mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines have demonstrated high efficacy, their widespread global use remains constrained by high production costs and cold-chain requirements. Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) is a highly attenuated and thermostable viral vector with low production costs, potent immunogenicity and strong potential for global distribution. Here, we compared head-to-head the long-term immunogenicity and protective efficacy of an MVA-based vaccine candidate with an approved mRNA vaccine in K18-hACE2 mice, both expressing the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron XBB.1.5 spike (S) protein. Mice received by intramuscular route homologous (mRNA/mRNA and MVA/MVA), heterologous (mRNA/MVA), or single-dose MVA regimens. SARS-CoV-2-specific humoral and cellular responses were evaluated at 10 days and 9 months post-boost, as well as antibody levels at intermediate time points, and protection was assessed following intranasal SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 challenge at 9 months post-vaccination. Binding IgG antibodies against the XBB.1.5 S protein remained high throughout the 9-month period in all vaccinated groups, whereas neutralizing antibody titers peaked early after boosting and progressively declined, converging across regimens over time. S-specific CD8⁺ T-cell responses were strongest in mRNA-containing regimens at day 10 post-boost and, although contracted over time, remain detectable at 9 months post-boost in all two-doses groups, with a trend toward enhanced persistence in the heterologous mRNA/MVA regimen. In contrast, S-specific CD4⁺ T-cell responses remained low across all groups. All two-dose regimens conferred robust protection against SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5 challenge, significantly reducing viral RNA levels and infectious titers in both the upper and lower respiratory tract. Transcriptomic analysis of lung tissue after virus challenge revealed that vaccinated animals exhibited reduced expression of genes associated with inflammatory myeloid responses, interferon signalling, and cellular stress compared with infected controls, consistent with attenuated pulmonary inflammation. Notably, mRNA and MVA platforms induced distinct yet convergent protective transcriptional signatures, characterized by a shared reduction of interferon‑driven inflammation alongside differential engagement of humoral versus innate/cellular effector pathways, characteristic of effective antiviral immunity. Overall, our findings demonstrate that MVA‑based vaccination induce durable and protective immunity comparable to mRNA vaccines and support its use as both an alternative and complementary platform to broaden and diversify vaccine‑induced immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 and other emerging respiratory viruses.
Project description:The COVID-19 pandemic was marked by successive waves of SARS-CoV-2 variants with distinct properties. The Omicron variant that emerged in late 2021 showed a major antigenic shift and rapidly spread worldwide. Since then, Omicron-derived variants have maintained their global dominance, for reasons that remain incompletely understood. We report that the original Omicron variant BA.1 evolved several traits that converged in facilitating viral spread. First, Omicron displayed an early replicative advantage over previous variants when grown in a reconstructed nasal epithelium model based on primary human cells. The increase in Omicron replication was more marked at the 33°C temperature characteristic of human nasal passages, resulting in a physiologically relevant advantage. Omicron also caused a decrease in epithelial integrity, as measured by transepithelial electrical resistance and caspase-3 activation. Furthermore, Omicron caused a more marked loss of motile cilia at 33°C than other variants, suggesting a capacity to impair mucociliary clearance. RNAseq analysis showed that Omicron induced a broad transcriptional downregulation of ciliary genes but only a limited upregulation of host innate defense genes at 33°C. The lower production of type I and type III interferons in epithelia infected by Omicron compared to those infected by the Delta variant, at 33°C as well as 37°C, confirmed the increased capacity of Omicron to evade the innate antiviral response. Thus, Omicron combined replication speed, motile cilia impairment, and limited induction of innate antiviral responses when propagated in reconstructed nasal epithelia at physiological temperature. Omicron has the capacity to propagate efficiently but stealthily in the upper respiratory tract, which likely contributed to the evolutionary success of this SARS-CoV-2 variant.