A SARS-CoV-2 ferritin nanoparticle vaccine elicits protective immune responses in nonhuman primates.

Abstract

The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants stresses the continued need for next-generation vaccines that confer broad protection against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We developed and evaluated an adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike ferritin nanoparticle (SpFN) vaccine in nonhuman primates. High-dose (50 μg) SpFN vaccine, given twice 28 days apart, induced a Th1-biased CD4 T cell helper response and elicited neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 wild-type and variants of concern, as well as against SARS-CoV-1. These potent humoral and cell-mediated immune responses translated into rapid elimination of replicating virus in the upper and lower airways and lung parenchyma of nonhuman primates following high-dose SARS-CoV-2 respiratory challenge. The immune response elicited by SpFN vaccination and resulting efficacy in nonhuman primates supports the utility of SpFN as a vaccine candidate for SARS-causing betacoronaviruses.

• Authors: M Gordon Joyce, Hannah A D King, Ines Elakhal-Naouar, Aslaa Ahmed, Kristina K Peachman, Camila Macedo Cincotta, Caroline Subra, Rita E Chen, Paul V Thomas, Wei-Hung Chen, Rajeshwer S Sankhala, Agnes Hajduczki, Elizabeth J Martinez, Caroline E Peterson, William C Chang, Misook Choe, Clayton Smith, Parker J Lee, Jarrett A Headley, Mekdi G Taddese, Hanne A Elyard, Anthony Cook, Alexander Anderson, Kathryn McGuckin Wuertz, Ming Dong, Isabella Swafford, James Brett Case, Jeffrey R Currier, Kerri G Lal, Sebastian Molnar, Manoj S Nair, Vincent Dussupt, Sharon P Daye, Xiankun Zeng, Erica K Barkei, Hilary M Staples, Kendra Alfson, Ricardo Carrion, Shelly J Krebs, Dominic Paquin-Proulx, Nicos Karasavva, Victoria R Polonis, Linda L Jagodzinski, Mihret F Amare, Sandhya Vasan, Paul T Scott, Yaoxing Huang, David D Ho, Natalia de Val, Michael S Diamond, Mark G Lewis, Mangala Rao, Gary R Matyas, Gregory D Gromowski, Sheila A Peel, Nelson L Michael, Diane L Bolton, Kayvon Modjarrad
• Journal: Science translational medicine (Sci Transl Med) Vol. 14 Issue 632 Pg. eabi5735 (Feb 16 2022) ISSN: 1946-6242 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 34914540 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Neutralizing
• Antibodies, Viral
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
• Ferritins

Topics

• Animals
• Antibodies, Neutralizing
• Antibodies, Viral
• COVID-19
• COVID-19 Vaccines
• Ferritins
• Humans
• Immunity
• Macaca mulatta
• Nanoparticles
• SARS-CoV-2
• Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus