Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O)
In this article we discuss characteristics of fusion protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We focus on recombinant vaccine antigens comprising fusion proteins consisting of combinations of SARS-CoV-2-derived antigens or peptides or combinations of SARS-CoV-2 antigens/peptides with SARS-CoV-2-unrelated...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Immunology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1452814/full |
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| author | Pia Gattinger Luibov I. Kozlovskaya Alexander S. Lunin Olga S. Gancharova Dina I. Sirazova Dina I. Sirazova Vasiliy D. Apolokhov Egor S. Chekina Ilya V. Gordeychuk Ilya V. Gordeychuk Alexander V. Karaulov Alexander V. Karaulov Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Aydar A. Ishmukhametov Aydar A. Ishmukhametov |
| author_facet | Pia Gattinger Luibov I. Kozlovskaya Alexander S. Lunin Olga S. Gancharova Dina I. Sirazova Dina I. Sirazova Vasiliy D. Apolokhov Egor S. Chekina Ilya V. Gordeychuk Ilya V. Gordeychuk Alexander V. Karaulov Alexander V. Karaulov Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Aydar A. Ishmukhametov Aydar A. Ishmukhametov |
| author_sort | Pia Gattinger |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In this article we discuss characteristics of fusion protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We focus on recombinant vaccine antigens comprising fusion proteins consisting of combinations of SARS-CoV-2-derived antigens or peptides or combinations of SARS-CoV-2 antigens/peptides with SARS-CoV-2-unrelated proteins/peptides. These fusion proteins are made to increase the immunogenicity of the vaccine antigens and/or to enable special targeting of the immune system. The protein-based vaccine approach is exemplified solely in a proof of concept study by using W-PreS-O, a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O), combining RBDs from Wuhan hu-1 wild-type and Omicron BA.1 with the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived PreS surface antigen adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. The W-PreS-O vaccine was evaluated in Syrian hamsters which were immunized three times at three-week intervals with W-PreS-O or with aluminum hydroxide (placebo) before they were infected with Omicron BA.1. Neutralizing antibody (nAB) titers, weight, lung symptoms, and viral loads, as measured using RT-PCR in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, were determined. In addition, infectious virus titers from the lungs were measured using a plaque-forming assay. We found that W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters developed robust nABs against Omicron BA.1, showed almost no development of pneumonia, and had significantly reduced infectious virus titers in the lungs. Importantly, the viral loads in the nasal cavities of W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters were close to or above the PCR cycle threshold considered to be non-infectious. The data of our proof-of-concept study provides compelling evidence that the W-PreS-O vaccine has protective effect against Omicron BA.1 in a Syrian hamster in vivo infection model and thus support the promising results obtained also for other fusion protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-19f97e82bf1b4c8f80037f8b2a9e4891 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-3224 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
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| series | Frontiers in Immunology |
| spelling | doaj-art-19f97e82bf1b4c8f80037f8b2a9e48912025-01-28T11:25:42ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-01-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.14528141452814Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O)Pia Gattinger0Luibov I. Kozlovskaya1Alexander S. Lunin2Olga S. Gancharova3Dina I. Sirazova4Dina I. Sirazova5Vasiliy D. Apolokhov6Egor S. Chekina7Ilya V. Gordeychuk8Ilya V. Gordeychuk9Alexander V. Karaulov10Alexander V. Karaulov11Rudolf Valenta12Rudolf Valenta13Rudolf Valenta14Rudolf Valenta15Aydar A. Ishmukhametov16Aydar A. Ishmukhametov17Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaInstitute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaInstitute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, RussiaLaboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, RussiaLife Improvement by Future Technologies (LIFT) Center, Moscow, RussiaCenter for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Division of Immunopathology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, AustriaLaboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, RussiaLife Improvement by Future Technologies (LIFT) Center, Moscow, RussiaCenter for Molecular Allergology, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems, AustriaChumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow, RussiaInstitute for Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, RussiaIn this article we discuss characteristics of fusion protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. We focus on recombinant vaccine antigens comprising fusion proteins consisting of combinations of SARS-CoV-2-derived antigens or peptides or combinations of SARS-CoV-2 antigens/peptides with SARS-CoV-2-unrelated proteins/peptides. These fusion proteins are made to increase the immunogenicity of the vaccine antigens and/or to enable special targeting of the immune system. The protein-based vaccine approach is exemplified solely in a proof of concept study by using W-PreS-O, a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O), combining RBDs from Wuhan hu-1 wild-type and Omicron BA.1 with the hepatitis B virus (HBV)-derived PreS surface antigen adsorbed to aluminum hydroxide. The W-PreS-O vaccine was evaluated in Syrian hamsters which were immunized three times at three-week intervals with W-PreS-O or with aluminum hydroxide (placebo) before they were infected with Omicron BA.1. Neutralizing antibody (nAB) titers, weight, lung symptoms, and viral loads, as measured using RT-PCR in the upper and lower respiratory tracts, were determined. In addition, infectious virus titers from the lungs were measured using a plaque-forming assay. We found that W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters developed robust nABs against Omicron BA.1, showed almost no development of pneumonia, and had significantly reduced infectious virus titers in the lungs. Importantly, the viral loads in the nasal cavities of W-PreS-O-vaccinated hamsters were close to or above the PCR cycle threshold considered to be non-infectious. The data of our proof-of-concept study provides compelling evidence that the W-PreS-O vaccine has protective effect against Omicron BA.1 in a Syrian hamster in vivo infection model and thus support the promising results obtained also for other fusion protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1452814/fullSARS-CoV-2COVID-19omicronvaccinefusion protein-based vaccineneutralizing antibodies |
| spellingShingle | Pia Gattinger Luibov I. Kozlovskaya Alexander S. Lunin Olga S. Gancharova Dina I. Sirazova Dina I. Sirazova Vasiliy D. Apolokhov Egor S. Chekina Ilya V. Gordeychuk Ilya V. Gordeychuk Alexander V. Karaulov Alexander V. Karaulov Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Rudolf Valenta Aydar A. Ishmukhametov Aydar A. Ishmukhametov Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) Frontiers in Immunology SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 omicron vaccine fusion protein-based vaccine neutralizing antibodies |
| title | Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) |
| title_full | Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) |
| title_fullStr | Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) |
| title_short | Fusion protein-based COVID-19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein (W-PreS-O) |
| title_sort | fusion protein based covid 19 vaccines exemplified by a chimeric vaccine based on a single fusion protein w pres o |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 omicron vaccine fusion protein-based vaccine neutralizing antibodies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1452814/full |
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