Subject(s)
COVID-19 , SARS-CoV-2 , Humans , Receptors, Estrogen , Binding Sites , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/geneticsABSTRACT
COVID-19 is a highly infectious disease caused by a newly emerged coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) that has rapidly progressed into a pandemic. This unprecedent emergency has stressed the significance of developing effective therapeutics to fight the current and future outbreaks. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 surface Spike protein is the main target for vaccines and represents a helpful "tool" to produce neutralizing antibodies or diagnostic kits. In this work, we provide a detailed characterization of the native RBD produced in three major model systems: Escherichia coli, insect and HEK-293 cells. Circular dichroism, gel filtration chromatography and thermal denaturation experiments indicated that recombinant SARS-CoV-2 RBD proteins are stable and correctly folded. In addition, their functionality and receptor-binding ability were further evaluated through ELISA, flow cytometry assays and bio-layer interferometry.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2/metabolism , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/metabolism , Animals , Cell Line , Escherichia coli/genetics , Gene Expression , HEK293 Cells , Humans , Insecta/cytology , Protein Binding , Protein Denaturation , Protein Domains , Protein Folding , Recombinant Proteins/chemistry , Recombinant Proteins/genetics , Recombinant Proteins/metabolism , SARS-CoV-2/chemistry , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/chemistry , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/geneticsABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has made the development of safe and effective vaccines a critical priority. To date, four vaccines have been approved by European and American authorities for preventing COVID-19, but the development of additional vaccine platforms with improved supply and logistics profiles remains a pressing need. Here we report the preclinical evaluation of a novel COVID-19 vaccine candidate based on the electroporation of engineered, synthetic cDNA encoding a viral antigen in the skeletal muscle. We constructed a set of prototype DNA vaccines expressing various forms of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein and assessed their immunogenicity in animal models. Among them, COVID-eVax-a DNA plasmid encoding a secreted monomeric form of SARS-CoV-2 S protein receptor-binding domain (RBD)-induced the most potent anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody responses (including against the current most common variants of concern) and a robust T cell response. Upon challenge with SARS-CoV-2, immunized K18-hACE2 transgenic mice showed reduced weight loss, improved pulmonary function, and lower viral replication in the lungs and brain. COVID-eVax conferred significant protection to ferrets upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge. In summary, this study identifies COVID-eVax as an ideal COVID-19 vaccine candidate suitable for clinical development. Accordingly, a combined phase I-II trial has recently started.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 Vaccines/administration & dosage , COVID-19/prevention & control , Immunization/methods , Models, Animal , SARS-CoV-2/isolation & purification , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology , Vaccines, DNA/administration & dosage , Animals , Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology , Antibodies, Viral/immunology , COVID-19/genetics , COVID-19/virology , Female , Ferrets , Humans , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Mice, Transgenic , Protein Domains , Rats, Sprague-DawleyABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Tracking the genetic variability of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome CoronaVirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a crucial challenge. Mainly to identify target sequences in order to generate robust vaccines and neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, but also to track viral genetic temporal and geographic evolution and to mine for variants associated with reduced or increased disease severity. Several online tools and bioinformatic phylogenetic analyses have been released, but the main interest lies in the Spike protein, which is the pivotal element of current vaccine design, and in the Receptor Binding Domain, that accounts for most of the neutralizing the antibody activity. METHODS: Here, we present an open-source bioinformatic protocol, and a web portal focused on SARS-CoV-2 single mutations and minimal consensus sequence building as a companion vaccine design tool. Furthermore, we provide immunogenomic analyses to understand the impact of the most frequent RBD variations. RESULTS: Results on the whole GISAID sequence dataset at the time of the writing (October 2020) reveals an emerging mutation, S477N, located on the central part of the Spike protein Receptor Binding Domain, the Receptor Binding Motif. Immunogenomic analyses revealed some variation in mutated epitope MHC compatibility, T-cell recognition, and B-cell epitope probability for most frequent human HLAs. CONCLUSIONS: This work provides a framework able to track down SARS-CoV-2 genomic variability.
Subject(s)
COVID-19/virology , SARS-CoV-2/genetics , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/genetics , Binding Sites/genetics , COVID-19/epidemiology , COVID-19 Vaccines/genetics , Computational Biology , Data Mining , Genetic Variation , Humans , Immunogenetic Phenomena , Models, Molecular , Mutation , Pandemics/statistics & numerical data , Protein Domains , Receptors, Virus , SARS-CoV-2/immunology , Software , Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus/immunology , Translational Research, BiomedicalABSTRACT
COVID-19 has rapidly spread all over the world, progressing into a pandemic. This situation has urgently impelled many companies and public research institutes to concentrate their efforts on research for effective therapeutics. Here, we outline the strategies and targets currently adopted in developing a vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Based on previous evidence and experience with SARS and MERS, the primary focus has been the Spike protein, considered as the ideal target for COVID-19 immunotherapies.