Diverse array of neutralizing antibodies elicited upon Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle vaccination in rhesus macaques.

Journal: Nature Communications
Published:
Abstract

The repeat emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) with decreased susceptibility to vaccine-elicited antibodies highlights the need to develop next-generation vaccine candidates that confer broad protection. Here we describe the antibody response induced by the SARS-CoV-2 Spike Ferritin Nanoparticle (SpFN) vaccine candidate adjuvanted with the Army Liposomal Formulation including QS21 (ALFQ) in non-human primates. By isolating and characterizing several monoclonal antibodies directed against the Spike Receptor Binding Domain (RBD), N-Terminal Domain (NTD), or the S2 Domain, we define the molecular recognition of vaccine-elicited cross-reactive monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) elicited by SpFN. We identify six neutralizing antibodies with broad sarbecovirus cross-reactivity that recapitulate serum polyclonal antibody responses. In particular, RBD mAb WRAIR-5001 binds to the conserved cryptic region with high affinity to sarbecovirus clades 1 and 2, including Omicron variants, while mAb WRAIR-5021 offers complete protection from B.1.617.2 (Delta) in a murine challenge study. Our data further highlight the ability of SpFN vaccination to stimulate cross-reactive B cells targeting conserved regions of the Spike with activity against SARS CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 variants.

Authors
Rajeshwer Sankhala, Kerri Lal, Jaime Jensen, Vincent Dussupt, Letzibeth Mendez Rivera, Hongjun Bai, Lindsay Wieczorek, Sandra Mayer, Michelle Zemil, Danielle Wagner, Samantha Townsley, Agnes Hajduczki, William Chang, Wei-hung Chen, Gina Donofrio, Ningbo Jian, Hannah A King, Cynthia Lorang, Elizabeth Martinez, Phyllis Rees, Caroline Peterson, Fabian Schmidt, Tricia Hart, Debra Duso, Lawrence Kummer, Sean Casey, Jazmean Williams, Shruthi Kannan, Bonnie Slike, Lauren Smith, Isabella Swafford, Paul Thomas, Ursula Tran, Jeffrey Currier, Diane Bolton, Edgar Davidson, Benjamin Doranz, Theodora Hatziioannou, Paul Bieniasz, Dominic Paquin Proulx, William Reiley, Morgane Rolland, Nancy Sullivan, Sandhya Vasan, Natalie Collins, Kayvon Modjarrad, Gregory Gromowski, Victoria Polonis, Nelson Michael, Shelly Krebs, M Joyce