Significance Vaccines remain the best hope of curtailing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, morbidity, and mortality. Currently available vaccines require cold storage and sophisticated manufacturing capacity, complicating their distribution, especially in less developed countries. We report a protein-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that directly and specifically targets antigen-presenting cells. It consists of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain (Spike RBD ) fused to a nanobody that recognizes class II major histocompatibility complex antigens (VHH MHCII ). Our vaccine elicits robust humoral (high-titer binding and neutralizing antibodies) and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in both young and aged mice. VHH MHCII -Spike RBD is stable for at least 7 d at room temperature and can be lyophilized without loss of efficacy, desirable attributes for logistical reasons. The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in over 100 million infections and millions of deaths. Effective vaccines remain the best hope of curtailing SARS-CoV-2 transmission, morbidity, and mortality. The vaccines in current use require cold storage and sophisticated manufacturing capacity, which complicates their distribution, especially in less developed countries. We report the development of a candidate SARS-CoV-2 vaccine that is purely protein based and directly targets antigen-presenting cells. It consists of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike receptor-binding domain (Spike RBD ) fused to an alpaca-derived nanobody that recognizes class II major histocompatibility complex antigens (VHH MHCII ). This vaccine elicits robust humoral and cellular immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Both young and aged mice immunized with two doses of VHH MHCII -Spike RBD elicit high-titer binding and neutralizing antibodies. Immunization also induces strong cellular immunity, including a robust CD8 T cell response. VHH MHCII -Spike RBD is stable for at least 7 d at room temperature and can be lyophilized without loss of efficacy.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, Vaccine, nanobody, 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Efficacy, coronavirus, pandemic, Mortality, Neutralizing antibodies, spike, variant, Infection, severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus, immunization, variants, SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, Antigen, Protein, T cell, SARS-CoV-2 transmission, nanobody, cellular immunity, mice, RBD, morbidity, target, temperature, spike receptor-binding domain, respiratory, distribution, binding, dose, CD8 T cell, deaths, humoral, major histocompatibility complex, best, the vaccines, room temperature, antigen-presenting cells, acute respiratory syndrome, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus, acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, domain, Effective vaccines, MHCII, attribute, SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain, immunized, robust, caused, less, recognize, elicit, induce, histocompatibility complex, fused, complicate, Significance, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, Immunity, variant, elicit,