Live-attenuated YF17D-vectored COVID-19 vaccine protects from lethal yellow fever virus infection in mouse and hamster models

Ji Ma; Michael Bright Yakass; Sander Jansen; Bert Malengier-Devlies; Dominique Van Looveren; Lorena Sanchez-Felipe; Thomas Vercruysse; Birgit Weynand; Mahadesh Prasad Arkalagud Javarappa; Osbourne Quaye; Patrick Matthys; Tania Roskams; Johan Neyts; Hendrik Jan Thibaut; Kai Dallmeier

EBioMedicine (Sep 2022)

Live-attenuated YF17D-vectored COVID-19 vaccine protects from lethal yellow fever virus infection in mouse and hamster models

Ji Ma,
Michael Bright Yakass,
Sander Jansen,
Bert Malengier-Devlies,
Dominique Van Looveren,
Lorena Sanchez-Felipe,
Thomas Vercruysse,
Birgit Weynand,
Mahadesh Prasad Arkalagud Javarappa,
Osbourne Quaye,
Patrick Matthys,
Tania Roskams,
Johan Neyts,
Hendrik Jan Thibaut,
Kai Dallmeier

Affiliations

Ji Ma: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA
Michael Bright Yakass: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Sander Jansen: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA
Bert Malengier-Devlies: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Immunity and Inflammation Research Group, Immunobiology Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Dominique Van Looveren: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
Lorena Sanchez-Felipe: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA
Thomas Vercruysse: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
Birgit Weynand: KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Leuven, Belgium
Mahadesh Prasad Arkalagud Javarappa: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA
Osbourne Quaye: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
Patrick Matthys: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Immunity and Inflammation Research Group, Immunobiology Unit, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
Tania Roskams: KU Leuven Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, Leuven, Belgium
Johan Neyts: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA
Hendrik Jan Thibaut: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Translational Platform Virology and Chemotherapy, Leuven, Belgium
Kai Dallmeier: KU Leuven Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, Laboratory of Virology, Molecular Vaccinology and Vaccine Discovery, Leuven, Belgium; Global Virus Network (GVN), Baltimore, MD, USA; Corresponding author.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 83
p. 104240

Abstract

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Summary: Background: The live-attenuated yellow fever vaccine YF17D holds great promise as alternative viral vector vaccine platform, showcased by our previously presented potent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine candidate YF-S0. Besides protection from SARS-CoV-2, YF-S0 also induced strong yellow fever virus (YFV)-specific immunity, suggestive for full dual activity. A vaccine concomitantly protecting from SARS-CoV-2 and YFV would be of great benefit for those living in YFV-endemic areas with limited access to current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. However, for broader applicability, pre-existing vector immunity should not impact the potency of such YF17D-vectored vaccines. Methods: The immunogenicity and efficacy of YF-S0 against YFV and SARS-CoV-2 in the presence of strong pre-existing YFV immunity were evaluated in mouse and hamster challenge models. Findings: Here, we show that a single dose of YF-S0 is sufficient to induce strong humoral and cellular immunity against YFV as well as SARS-CoV-2 in mice and hamsters; resulting in full protection from vigorous YFV challenge in either model; in mice against lethal intracranial YF17D challenge, and in hamsters against viscerotropic infection and liver disease following challenge with highly pathogenic hamster-adapted YFV-Asibi strain. Importantly, strong pre-existing immunity against the YF17D vector did not interfere with subsequent YF-S0 vaccination in mice or hamsters; nor with protection conferred against SARS-CoV-2 strain B1.1.7 (Alpha variant) infection in hamsters. Interpretation: Our findings warrant the development of YF-S0 as dual SARS-CoV-2 and YFV vaccine. Contrary to other viral vaccine platforms, use of YF17D does not suffer from pre-existing vector immunity. Funding: Stated in the acknowledgments.

Published in EBioMedicine

ISSN: 2352-3964 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Medicine: Medicine (General)
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ebiomedicine/

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