Comparing infectivity and virulence of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in Syrian hamsters
Rana Abdelnabi,
Robbert Boudewijns,
Caroline S. Foo,
Laura Seldeslachts,
Lorena Sanchez-Felipe,
Xin Zhang,
Leen Delang,
Piet Maes,
Suzanne J.F. Kaptein,
Birgit Weynand,
Greetje Vande Velde,
Johan Neyts,
Kai Dallmeier
Affiliations
Rana Abdelnabi
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Robbert Boudewijns
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Caroline S. Foo
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Laura Seldeslachts
KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI and MoSAIC, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Lorena Sanchez-Felipe
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Xin Zhang
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Leen Delang
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Piet Maes
Laboratory of Clinical and Epidemiological Virology, Rega Institute, KU Leuven, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, 3000, Leuven, Belgium; Zoonotic Infectious Diseases Unit, Leuven, Belgium
Suzanne J.F. Kaptein
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA
Birgit Weynand
KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium
Greetje Vande Velde
KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Biomedical MRI and MoSAIC, 3000, Leuven, Belgium
Johan Neyts
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA; Corresponding authors.
Kai Dallmeier
KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium; Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Belgium; GVN, Global Virus Network, Baltimore, MD, USA; Corresponding authors.
Background: Within one year after its emergence, more than 108 million people acquired SARS-CoV-2 and almost 2·4 million succumbed to COVID-19. New SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VoC) are emerging all over the world, with the threat of being more readily transmitted, being more virulent, or escaping naturally acquired and vaccine-induced immunity. At least three major prototypic VoC have been identified, i.e. the United Kingdom, UK (B.1.1.7), South African (B.1.351) and Brazilian (B.1.1.28.1) variants. These are replacing formerly dominant strains and sparking new COVID-19 epidemics. Methods: We studied the effect of infection with prototypic VoC from both B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 variants in female Syrian golden hamsters to assess their relative infectivity and virulence in direct comparison to two basal SARS-CoV-2 strains isolated in early 2020. Findings: A very efficient infection of the lower respiratory tract of hamsters by these VoC is observed. In line with clinical evidence from patients infected with these VoC, no major differences in disease outcome were observed as compared to the original strains as was quantified by (i) histological scoring, (ii) micro-computed tomography, and (iii) analysis of the expression profiles of selected antiviral and pro-inflammatory cytokine genes. Noteworthy however, in hamsters infected with VoC B.1.1.7, a particularly strong elevation of proinflammatory cytokines was detected. Interpretation: We established relevant preclinical infection models that will be pivotal to assess the efficacy of current and future vaccine(s) (candidates) as well as therapeutics (small molecules and antibodies) against two important SARS-CoV-2 VoC. Funding: Stated in the acknowledgment.
