Antibodies direct researchers to a wide range of coronavirus vaccines

Scientists at Johns Hopkins University and Scripps Research have characterized 30 antibodies that recognize a wide range of coronaviruses, including all SARS-CoV-2 variants tested, as well as other related viruses, including SARS-CoV-1. I succeeded in blocking. In 2003 it caused a deadly SARS outbreak in Asia. All the antibodies involved were isolated from people with “hybrid immunity”. In other words, he was infected with SARS-CoV-2 and was later vaccinated against the virus.

The research team has new details on the antibody, Recently published Nature immunologyIs a step towards a next-generation coronavirus vaccine that may help protect against a wider range of viruses than current vaccines that specifically target SARS-CoV-2.

“Understanding the common characteristics of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants is the evaluation of current COVID-19 vaccines, rational design of future vaccines, and analysis of immune responses in COVID-19 patients. It ’s very important for us, ”said the research co-author. Yana SafonovaAssociate Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University Whiting School of Engineering.

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COVID-19 vaccine

Learn about the development of the COVID-19 vaccine and how effective it is in preventing COVID-19 infection.

As researchers develop new therapies and vaccines for the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, many are also working to prevent the next pandemic. Coronavirus, a broad group of viruses that cause common colds, is responsible for previous outbreaks caused by SARS-CoV-1 and the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus, as well as COVID-19. .. Vaccines that help the immune system recognize SARS-CoV-2 mutants as well as other SARS-causing coronaviruses can prevent these viruses from spreading throughout the population.

In a new study, Safonova and her colleagues compared antibody responses induced in 21 people who recovered from COVID-19, 10 who were vaccinated with COVID-19, and 15 who had hybrid immunity from both. Did.

People with hybrid immunity are from the five variants of SARS-CoV-2 (alpha, beta, gamma, delta, and omicron), SARS-CoV-1, and the Pangoline coronavirus and Chinese horseshoe-shaped bats. They found that antibodies in the vaccination-only or infection-only group could not neutralize all viruses.

The team screened for molecules capable of binding to both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 peplomers and isolated 107 antibodies from two hybrid immune donors. Then they focused on 30 of those antibodies, and many of them also neutralized bats and scaly coronaviruses.

Safonova performed immunogenetic analysis of these antibodies to reveal important common features for viral neutralization. What she discovered was that the antibodies shared an amino acid sequence pattern that was essential for the recognition of different mutants.

And most of those 30 antibodies recognized the same part of the viral structure called the receptor-binding domain of peplomers. It was suggested that certain segments of the receptor binding domain did not change when different coronaviruses evolved. The 30 antibodies were also similar in how they were produced in the body. This is an important clue for researchers on how to design a vaccine that causes the immune system to produce the same antibody.

To show that antibodies can not only bind to the virus in the laboratory, but can actually affect the immune system’s ability to fight each pathogen, researchers have found that mice are the three most powerful antibodies ( Observed what happened when processed in (known as CC25.36). He was exposed to CC25.53 and CC25.54-SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV-1, or the horseshoe-shaped bat virus SHC014-CoV. For all three viruses, antibody-treated mice had significantly lower levels of virus in the lungs compared to control mice.

“We have seen amazing protection against these three viruses,” said Raiees Andrabi, senior author of Scripps Research’s immunology and microbiology researcher. “It tells us that if vaccination can induce these antibodies, they are likely to give you broad protection against various SARS-like viruses.”