biostudies-literatureUnknown9(32)Cui LCurrently available vaccines against COVID-19 showed high efficacy against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 but progressively lower efficacy against new variants. In response to emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains, we propose chimeric DNA vaccines encoding the spike antigen, including a combination of selected key mutations from different variants of concern. We developed two DNA vaccines, pVAX-S1-TM-D614G and pVAX-S1-TM-INDUK (INDUK), encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike subunit in fusion with the transmembrane region that allows protein trimerization as predicted by <i>in silico</i> analysis. pVAX-S1-TM-D614G included the dominant D614G substitution, while the chimeric vaccine INDUK contained additional selected mutations from the Delta (E484Q and L452R) and Alpha (N501Y and A570D) variants. ConsidACS omega34624-34635https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC11325517biostudies-literatureEnhancing Immune Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Aged Mice with INDUK: A Chimeric DNA Vaccine Encoding the Spike S1-TM Subunits.PMC11325517Renzi SPozzi DPesce LMarchini CCui LQuagliarini ECardarelli FWang JBartozzi BXiao SOrlando FAmici AProvinciali MGiacconi RGaleazzi RMalavolta MCaracciolo GGiorgini GfalseEnhancing Immune Responses against SARS-CoV-2 Variants in Aged Mice with INDUK: A Chimeric DNA Vaccine Encoding the Spike S1-TM Subunits.Currently available vaccines against COVID-19 showed high efficacy against the original strain of SARS-CoV-2 but progressively lower efficacy against new variants. In response to emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains, we propose chimeric DNA vaccines encoding the spike antigen, including a combination of selected key mutations from different variants of concern. We developed two DNA vaccines, pVAX-S1-TM-D614G and pVAX-S1-TM-INDUK (INDUK), encoding the SARS-CoV-2 S1 spike subunit in fusion with the transmembrane region that allows protein trimerization as predicted by <i>in silico</i> analysis. pVAX-S1-TM-D614G included the dominant D614G substitution, while the chimeric vaccine INDUK contained additional selected mutations from the Delta (E484Q and L452R) and Alpha (N501Y and A570D) variants. Consid2024-01-01T00:00:00Z2024 Aug2026-06-03T00:39:57.447Z2025-04-19T13:51:55.688ZS-EPMC113255173915711810.1021/acsomega.4c03285