ABSTRACT
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 variant around the world and exhibits immune escape to current COVID-19 vaccines to some extent due to its numerous spike mutations. Here, we evaluated the immune responses to booster vaccination with intramuscular adenovirus-vectored vaccine (Ad5-nCoV), aerosolized Ad5-nCoV, a recombinant protein subunit vaccine (ZF2001) or homologous inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac) in those who received two doses of inactivated COVID-19 vaccines 6 months prior. We found that the Ad5-nCoV booster induced potent neutralizing activity against the wild-type virus and Omicron variant, while aerosolized Ad5-nCoV generated the greatest neutralizing antibody responses against the Omicron variant at day 28 after booster vaccination, at 14.1-fold that of CoronaVac, 5.6-fold that of ZF2001 and 2.0-fold that of intramuscular Ad5-nCoV. Similarly, the aerosolized Ad5-nCoV booster produced the greatest IFNgamma T-cell response at day 14 after booster vaccination. The IFNgamma T-cell response to aerosolized Ad5-nCoV was 12.8-fold for CoronaVac, 16.5-fold for ZF2001, and 5.0-fold for intramuscular Ad5-nCoV. Aerosolized Ad5-nCoV booster also produced the greatest spike-specific B cell response. Our findings suggest that inactivated vaccine recipients should consider adenovirus-vectored vaccine boosters in China and that aerosolized Ad5-nCoV may provide a more efficient alternative in response to the spread of the Omicron variant.
Subject(s)
COVID-19ABSTRACT
Water resources are distributed in the form of virtual water through international trade, which influences the water supply and consumption of each country. Therefore, it is of significance to study the driving factors of grain virtual water trade to alleviate water stress and guarantee food security. In this paper, the virtual water volume of grain crops traded between China and countries along the Belt and Road (B&R) from 2000 to 2019 was calculated, and a gravity model using panel data was applied to explore the effect of natural and socioeconomic factors on virtual water trade. The virtual water export from B&R countries to China obviously increased in the twenty years and the contributions of various crops to virtual water were more balanced. The regression results indicate that GDP and exchange rate were positively correlated with virtual water inflow, while per capital water resources, arable land, geographic distance, and population were negative factors that hindered virtual water import. The most powerful driving force for grain virtual water trade is water endowment. GDP is an important driver on importing virtual water for countries without water shortage, and a large number of local water resources will not obviously inhibit the driving force of economic strength. By comparing the contribution of factors to virtual water in the past ten years, it can be found that the contribution rate of distance decreased due to the development of transportation industry which reduced the transportation cost of exporting products. The contribution rate of GDP and exchange rate increased, because economic globalization has promoted the effect of economic factors on grain trade. Therefore, the trade structure of agricultural products should be modified based on the characteristics of virtual water flow. For countries without high economic level but water shortage, export crops with high water consumption be reasonably controlled. [Display omitted] • A gravity model was applied to explore the effect of natural and socioeconomic factors on virtual water trade. • The most powerful driving force is water endowment, which were negative factor that hindered virtual water inflow. • Economic strength is an important driver on importing virtual water for countries without water shortage. • The contribution rate of distance decreased due to the development of transportation industry and economic globalization. [ FROM AUTHOR] Copyright of Agricultural Water Management is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full . (Copyright applies to all s.)
ABSTRACT
The unprecedented coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has created a worldwide public health emergency, and there is an urgent need to develop an effective vaccine to control this severe infectious disease. Here, we found that a single vaccination with a replication-defective human type 5 adenovirus encoding the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (Ad5-nCoV) protected mice completely against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Additionally, a single vaccination with Ad5-nCoV protected ferrets from SARS-CoV-2 infection in the upper respiratory tract. This study suggested that a combination of intramuscular and mucosal vaccination maybe provide a desirable protective efficacy and different Ad5-nCoV delivery modes are worth further investigation in human clinical trials.
Subject(s)
Communicable Diseases , COVID-19ABSTRACT
The pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) presents a global public health threat. Most research on therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 focused on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Spike (S) protein, whereas the vulnerable epitopes and functional mechanism of non-RBD regions are poorly understood. Here we isolated and characterized monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) derived from convalescent COVID-19 patients. An mAb targeting the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, named 4A8, exhibits high neutralization potency against both authentic and pseudotyped SARS-CoV-2, although it does not block the interaction between angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and S protein. The cryo-EM structure of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein in complex with 4A8 has been determined to an overall resolution of 3.1 Angstrom and local resolution of 3.4 Angstrom for the 4A8-NTD interface, revealing detailed interactions between the NTD and 4A8. Our functional and structural characterizations discover a new vulnerable epitope of the S protein and identify promising neutralizing mAbs as potential clinical therapy for COVID-19.