Summary
An ideal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 is expected to elicit broad immunity to prevent viral infection and disease, with efficient viral clearance in the upper respiratory tract (URT). Here, the N protein and prefusion-full S protein (SFLmut) are combined with flagellin (KF) and cyclic GMP-AMP (cGAMP) to generate a candidate vaccine, and this vaccine elicits stronger systemic and mucosal humoral immunity than vaccines containing other forms of the S protein. Furthermore, the candidate vaccine administered via intranasal route can enhance local immune responses in the respiratory tract. Importantly, human ACE2 transgenic mice given the candidate vaccine are protected against lethal SARS-CoV-2 challenge, with superior protection in the URT compared with that in mice immunized with an inactivated vaccine. In summary, the developed vaccine can elicit a multifaceted immune response and induce robust viral clearance in the URT, which makes it a potential vaccine for preventing disease and infection of SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, nucleocapsid, mucosal immunity, cGAMP, protective efficacy, flagellin, SFLmut, 【초록키워드】 viral infection, Vaccine, immune response, Immunity, S protein, Infection, viral clearance, human ACE2, Humoral immunity, Inactivated vaccine, mice, respiratory tract, URT, disease, upper respiratory tract, mucosal, transgenic mice, candidate vaccine, Administered, local immune response, Prevent, immunized, robust, ENhance, generate, form, elicit, induce, the S protein, expected, the N protein, intranasal route, preventing disease, 【제목키워드】 protective immune response, candidate vaccine, induce,