Age-associated SARS-CoV-2 breakthrough infection and changes in immune response in a mouse model.
Emerg Microbes Infect
; 11(1): 368-383, 2022 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1604258
ABSTRACT
Older individuals are at higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe outcomes, but the underlying mechanisms are incompletely understood. In addition, how age modulates SARS-CoV-2 re-infection and vaccine breakthrough infections remain largely unexplored. Here, we investigated age-associated SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, immune responses, and the occurrence of re-infection and vaccine breakthrough infection utilizing a wild-type C57BL/6N mouse model. We demonstrated that interferon and adaptive antibody response upon SARS-CoV-2 challenge are significantly impaired in aged mice compared to young mice, which results in more effective virus replications and severe disease manifestations in the respiratory tract. Aged mice also showed increased susceptibility to re-infection due to insufficient immune protection acquired during the primary infection. Importantly, two-dose COVID-19 mRNA vaccination conferred limited adaptive immune response among the aged mice, making them susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Collectively, our findings call for tailored and optimized treatments and prevention strategies against SARS-CoV-2 among older individuals.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Age Factors
/
COVID-19 Vaccines
/
SARS-CoV-2
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
Limits:
Animals
/
Female
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Emerg Microbes Infect
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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