iScience (Dec 2022)

Co-display of diverse spike proteins on nanoparticles broadens sarbecovirus neutralizing antibody responses

  • Mitch Brinkkemper,
  • Tim S. Veth,
  • Philip J.M. Brouwer,
  • Hannah Turner,
  • Meliawati Poniman,
  • Judith A. Burger,
  • Joey H. Bouhuijs,
  • Wouter Olijhoek,
  • Ilja Bontjer,
  • Jonne L. Snitselaar,
  • Tom G. Caniels,
  • Cynthia A. van der Linden,
  • Rashmi Ravichandran,
  • Julien Villaudy,
  • Yme U. van der Velden,
  • Kwinten Sliepen,
  • Marit J. van Gils,
  • Andrew B. Ward,
  • Neil P. King,
  • Albert J.R. Heck,
  • Rogier W. Sanders

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 25, no. 12
p. 105649

Abstract

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Summary: The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants poses continuous challenges in combating the virus. Here, we describe vaccination strategies to broaden SARS-CoV-2 and sarbecovirus immunity by combining spike proteins based on different viruses or viral strains displayed on two-component protein nanoparticles. First, we combined spike proteins based on ancestral and Beta SARS-CoV-2 strains to broaden SARS-CoV-2 immune responses. Inclusion of Beta spike improved neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 Beta, Gamma, and Omicron BA.1 and BA.4/5. A third vaccination with ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike also improved cross-neutralizing antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants, in particular against the Omicron sublineages. Second, we combined SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins to broaden sarbecovirus immune responses. Adding SARS-CoV spike to a SARS-CoV-2 spike vaccine improved neutralizing responses against SARS-CoV and SARS-like bat sarbecoviruses SHC014 and WIV1. These results should inform the development of broadly active SARS-CoV-2 and pan-sarbecovirus vaccines and highlight the versatility of two-component nanoparticles for displaying diverse antigens.

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