ABSTRACT
The rapid emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants that evade immunity elicited by vaccination has placed an imperative on the development of countermeasures that provide broad protection against SARS-CoV-2 and related sarbecoviruses. Here, we identified extremely potent monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralized multiple sarbecoviruses from macaques vaccinated with AS03-adjuvanted monovalent subunit vaccines. Longitudinal analysis revealed progressive accumulation of somatic mutation in the immunoglobulin genes of antigen-specific memory B cells (MBCs) for at least 1 year after primary vaccination. Antibodies generated from these antigen-specific MBCs at 5 to 12 months after vaccination displayed greater potency and breadth relative to those identified at 1.4 months. Fifteen of the 338 (about 4.4%) antibodies isolated at 1.4 to 6 months after the primary vaccination showed potency against SARS-CoV-2 BA.1, despite the absence of serum BA.1 neutralization. 25F9 and 20A7 neutralized authentic clade 1 sarbecoviruses (SARS-CoV, WIV-1, SHC014, SARS-CoV-2 D614G, BA.1, and Pangolin-GD) and vesicular stomatitis virus-pseudotyped clade 3 sarbecoviruses (BtKY72 and PRD-0038). 20A7 and 27A12 showed potent neutralization against all SARS-CoV-2 variants and multiple Omicron sublineages, including BA.1, BA.2, BA.3, BA.4/5, BQ.1, BQ.1.1, and XBB. Crystallography studies revealed the molecular basis of broad and potent neutralization through targeting conserved sites within the RBD. Prophylactic protection of 25F9, 20A7, and 27A12 was confirmed in mice, and administration of 25F9 particularly provided complete protection against SARS-CoV-2, BA.1, SARS-CoV, and SHC014 challenge. These data underscore the extremely potent and broad activity of these mAbs against sarbecoviruses.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus , Animals , Humans , Mice , Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies , COVID-19 Vaccines , Macaca , SARS-CoV-2 , COVID-19/prevention & control , Immunization , Vaccination , Antibodies, Monoclonal , Antibodies, Viral , Antibodies, NeutralizingABSTRACT
While the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines has been a scientific triumph, the need remains for a globally available vaccine that provides longer-lasting immunity against present and future SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Here, we describe DCFHP, a ferritin-based, protein-nanoparticle vaccine candidate that, when formulated with aluminum hydroxide as the sole adjuvant (DCFHP-alum), elicits potent and durable neutralizing antisera in non-human primates against known VOCs, including Omicron BQ.1, as well as against SARS-CoV-1. Following a booster ~one year after the initial immunization, DCFHP-alum elicits a robust anamnestic response. To enable global accessibility, we generated a cell line that can enable production of thousands of vaccine doses per liter of cell culture and show that DCFHP-alum maintains potency for at least 14 days at temperatures exceeding standard room temperature. DCFHP-alum has potential as a once-yearly (or less frequent) booster vaccine, and as a primary vaccine for pediatric use including in infants.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Geranium , Nanoparticles , Animals , Humans , COVID-19 Vaccines , Ferritins , COVID-19/prevention & control , SARS-CoV-2 , Immune Sera , Primates , Antibodies, Neutralizing , Antibodies, ViralABSTRACT
Infection with the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, results in pneumonia and other respiratory symptoms as well as pathologies at diverse anatomical sites. An outstanding question is whether these diverse pathologies are due to replication of the virus in these anatomical compartments and how and when the virus reaches those sites. To answer these outstanding questions and study the spatiotemporal dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection a method for tracking viral spread in vivo is needed. We developed a novel, fluorescently labeled, antibody-based in vivo probe system using the anti-spike monoclonal antibody CR3022 and demonstrated that it could successfully identify sites of SARS-CoV-2 infection in a rhesus macaque model of COVID-19. Our results showed that the fluorescent signal from our antibody-based probe could differentiate whole lungs of macaques infected for 9 days from those infected for 2 or 3 days. Additionally, the probe signal corroborated the frequency and density of infected cells in individual tissue blocks from infected macaques. These results provide proof of concept for the use of in vivo antibody-based probes to study SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics in rhesus macaques.