Reduced cross-protective potential of Omicron compared to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccines against potentially zoonotic coronaviruses
Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of vaccines and preparedness against viral threats crossing species barriers. In response, a worldwide vaccination campaign targeting SARS-CoV-2 was implemented, which provides some cross-protective immunological memory to other coronaviru...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-11-01
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| Series: | npj Viruses |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-024-00067-9 |
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| Summary: | Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of vaccines and preparedness against viral threats crossing species barriers. In response, a worldwide vaccination campaign targeting SARS-CoV-2 was implemented, which provides some cross-protective immunological memory to other coronavirus species with zoonotic potential. Following a vaccination regimen against SARS-CoV-2 spike in a preclinical mouse model, we were able to demonstrate the induction of neutralizing antibodies towards multiple human ACE2 (hACE2)-binding Sarbecovirus spikes. Importantly, compared to vaccines based on the SARS-CoV-2 Reference strain, vaccines based on Omicron spike sequences induced drastically less broadly cross-protective neutralizing antibodies against other hACE2-binding sarbecoviruses. This observation remained true whether the vaccination regimens were based on protein subunit or mRNA / LNP vaccines. Overall, while it may be necessary to update vaccine antigens to combat the evolving SARS-CoV-2 virus for enhanced protection from COVID-19, Reference-based vaccines may be a more valuable tool to protect against novel coronavirus zoonoses. |
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| ISSN: | 2948-1767 |