Direct comparison of SARS-CoV-2 variant specific neutralizing antibodies in human and hamster sera
Annika Rössler,
Antonia Netzl,
Ludwig Knabl,
Samuel H. Wilks,
Barbara Mühlemann,
Sina Türeli,
Anna Mykytyn,
Dorothee von Laer,
Bart L. Haagmans,
Derek J. Smith,
Janine Kimpel
Affiliations
Annika Rössler
Institute of Virology, Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Public Health, Medical University of Innsbruck
Antonia Netzl
University of Cambridge, Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology
Ludwig Knabl
Tyrolpath Obrist Brunhuber GmbH
Samuel H. Wilks
University of Cambridge, Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology
Barbara Mühlemann
Institute of Virology, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Ins+titute of Health
Sina Türeli
University of Cambridge, Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology
Anna Mykytyn
Viroscience Department, Erasmus Medical Center
Dorothee von Laer
Institute of Virology, Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Public Health, Medical University of Innsbruck
Bart L. Haagmans
Viroscience Department, Erasmus Medical Center
Derek J. Smith
University of Cambridge, Centre for Pathogen Evolution, Department of Zoology
Janine Kimpel
Institute of Virology, Department of Hygiene, Microbiology and Public Health, Medical University of Innsbruck
Abstract Antigenic characterization of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants is important to assess their immune escape and judge the need for future vaccine updates. To bridge data obtained from animal sera with human sera, we analyzed neutralizing antibody titers in human and hamster single infection sera in a highly controlled setting using the same authentic virus neutralization assay performed in one laboratory. Using a Bayesian framework, we found that titer fold changes in hamster sera corresponded well to human sera and that hamster sera generally exhibited higher reactivity.
