A Single Dose of the Deactivated Rabies-Virus Vectored COVID-19 Vaccine, CORAVAX, Is Highly Efficacious and Alleviates Lung Inflammation in the Hamster Model
Drishya Kurup,
Christoph Wirblich,
Leila Zabihi Diba,
Rachael Lambert,
Megan Watson,
Noor Shaikh,
Holly Ramage,
Charalambos Solomides,
Matthias J. Schnell
Affiliations
Drishya Kurup
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Christoph Wirblich
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Leila Zabihi Diba
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Rachael Lambert
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Megan Watson
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Noor Shaikh
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Holly Ramage
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Charalambos Solomides
Department of Pathology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Matthias J. Schnell
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
Without sufficient herd immunity through either vaccination or natural infection, the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic is unlikely to be controlled. Waning immunity with the currently approved vaccines suggests the need to evaluate vaccines causing the induction of long-term responses. Here, we report the immunogenicity and efficacy of our adjuvanted single-dose Rabies-vectored SARS-CoV-2 S1 vaccine, CORAVAX, in hamsters. CORAVAX induces high SARS-CoV-2 S1-specific and virus-neutralizing antibodies (VNAs) that prevent weight loss, viral loads, disease, lung inflammation, and the cytokine storm in hamsters. We also observed high Rabies VNA titers. In summary, CORAVAX is a promising dual-antigen vaccine candidate for clinical evaluation against SARS-CoV-2 and Rabies virus.
