Coronavirus Immunotherapeutic Consortium Database.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has seen multiple anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies being generated globally. It is difficult, however, to assemble a useful compendium of these biological properties if they are derived from experimental measurements performed at different sites under different experimental conditions. The Coronavirus Immunotherapeutic Consortium (COVIC) circumvents these issues by experimentally testing blinded antibodies side by side for several functional activities. To collect these data in a consistent fashion and make it publicly available, we established the COVIC database (COVIC-DB, https://covicdb.lji.org/). This database enables systematic analysis and interpretation of this large-scale dataset by providing a comprehensive view of various features such as affinity, neutralization, in vivo protection and effector functions for each antibody. Interactive graphs enable direct comparisons of antibodies based on select functional properties. We demonstrate how the COVIC-DB can be utilized to examine relationships among antibody features, thereby guiding the design of therapeutic antibody cocktails. Database URL  https://covicdb.lji.org/.

Lack of evidence of significant homology of SARS-CoV-2 spike sequences to myocarditis-associated antigens.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 mRNA vaccines have proven to be highly safe and effective. Myocarditis is an adverse event associated with mRNA vaccination, especially in young male subjects. These events are rare and, in the majority of cases, resolve quickly. As myocarditis can be driven by autoimmune responses, we wanted to determine if the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein antigen encoded in the mRNA COVID vaccines had potential cross-reactivity with auto-antigens previously associated with myocarditis. METHODS: We performed a sequence identity comparison between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-derived peptides and myocarditis-associated antigens. We also performed a structural analysis of these antigens and the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to identify potential discontinuous 3-D epitope similarities. FINDINGS: We found no significant enrichment in the frequency of spike-derived peptides similar to myocarditis-associated antigens as compared to several controls. INTERPRETATION: Our results do not support the notion that increased occurrence of myocarditis after SARS-CoV-2-spike vaccination is mediated by a cross-reactive adaptive immune response.