The COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, and the need for safe and effective vaccines to prevent infection and to control spread of the virus remains urgent. Here, we report the development of a SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine candidate (Betuvax-CoV-2) based on RBD and SD1 domains of the spike (S) protein fused to a human IgG1 Fc fragment. The antigen is adsorbed on betulin adjuvant, forming spherical particles with a size of 100–180 nm, mimicking the size of viral particles. Here we confirm the potent immunostimulatory activity of betulin adjuvant, and demonstrate that two immunizations of mice with Betuvax-CoV-2 elicited high titers of RBD-specific antibodies. The candidate vaccine was also effective in stimulating a neutralizing antibody response and T cell immunity. The results indicate that Betuvax-CoV-2 has good potential for further development as an effective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, nanoparticle vaccine, betulin, RBD-Fc-based vaccine, 【초록키워드】 Vaccine, Immunity, COVID-19 pandemic, Infection, virus, immunization, Particle, Antigen, Spread, Protein, T cell, mice, RBD, vaccine candidate, Neutralizing antibody response, Viral particles, Safe, subunit, immunostimulatory, domain, candidate vaccine, RBD-specific antibodies, Prevent, effective, human IgG1 Fc, effective vaccine, elicited, mimicking, fused, 【제목키워드】 novel, property,