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Modular adjuvant-free pan-HLA-DR-immunotargeting subunit vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 elicits broad sarbecovirus-neutralizing antibody responses

Journal Article · · Cell Reports
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [4];  [6];  [2];  [7];  [1]
  1. The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); University of Toronto, ON (Canada)
  2. National Centre for Foreign Animal Disease, Winnipeg, MB (Canada); University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB (Canada)
  3. Keenan Research Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada)
  4. The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada)
  5. The Hospital for Sick Children Research Institute, Toronto, ON (Canada); Basque Foundation for Science, Bilbao (Spain); University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria (Spain); Bioaraba, Microbiology, Infectious Disease, Antimicrobial Agents, and Gene Therapy, Vitoria (Spain)
  6. Keenan Research Centre, Toronto, ON (Canada); University of Toronto, ON (Canada)
  7. University of Toronto, ON (Canada)
Subunit vaccines typically require co-administration with an adjuvant to elicit protective immunity, adding development hurdles that can impede rapid pandemic responses. To circumvent the need for adjuvant in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) subunit vaccine, we engineer a thermostable immunotargeting vaccine (ITV) that leverages the pan-HLA-DR monoclonal antibody 44H10 to deliver the viral spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) to antigen-presenting cells. X-ray crystallography shows that 44H10 binds to a conserved epitope on HLA-DR, providing the basis for its broad HLA-DR reactivity. Adjuvant-free ITV immunization in rabbits and ferrets induces robust anti-RBD antibody responses that neutralize SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and protect recipients from SARS-CoV-2 challenge. We demonstrate that the modular nature of the ITV scaffold with respect to helper T cell epitopes and diverse RBD antigens facilitates broad sarbecovirus neutralization. Our findings support anti-HLA-DR immunotargeting as an effective means to induce strong antibody responses to subunit antigens without requiring an adjuvant.
Research Organization:
Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
Sponsoring Organization:
European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program; Hospital for Sick Children Foundation; National Cancer Institute; National Institute of General Medical Sciences; National Institutes of Health (NIH); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Scientific User Facilities (SUF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-06CH11357
OSTI ID:
2423518
Journal Information:
Cell Reports, Journal Name: Cell Reports Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 42; ISSN 2211-1247
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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