Towards the development of an epitope-focused vaccine for SARS-CoV-2

Autor: Jacquelynne Cervantes-Torres, Sergio Rosales-Mendoza, Carlos Cabello, Laura Montero, Juan Hernandez-Aceves, Guillermo Granados, Arturo Calderón-Gallegos, Francisco Zúñiga-Flores, Mirna Ruiz-Rivera, Julio César Abarca-Magaña, Sandra Ortega-Francisco, Roxana Olguin-Alor, Georgina Díaz, Filipo Paczka-Garcia, Rubí Zavala-Gaytan, Ricardo Vázquez-Ramírez, Dolores Adriana Ayón-Nuñez, Julio César Carrero, Diana Rios, Mariana Jasso-Ramírez, Rebeca Vázquez-Hernández, David Venegas, Daniel Garzón, Laura Cobos, René Segura-Velázquez, Nelly Villalobos, Gabriela Meneses, Joaquín Zúñiga, Gerardo Gamba, Graciela Cárdenas, Marisela Hernández, Michael E. Parkhouse, Marta C. Romano, Luis Alonso Herrera, Raúl J. Bobes, Mayra Pérez-Tapia, Leonor Huerta, Nora Fierro, Isabel Gracia, Gloria Soldevilla, Gladis Fragoso, Francisco Suárez-Güemes, Juan P. Laclette, Edda Sciutto
Rok vydání: 2022
Předmět:
Zdroj: Vaccine. 40:6489-6498
ISSN: 0264-410X
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.09.059
Popis: The rapid spread of COVID-19 on all continents and the mortality induced by SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of the pandemic coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has motivated an unprecedented effort for vaccine development. Inactivated viruses as well as vaccines focused on the partial or total sequence of the Spike protein using different novel platforms such us RNA, DNA, proteins, and non-replicating viral vectors have been developed. The high global need for vaccines, now and in the future, and the emergence of new variants of concern still requires development of accessible vaccines that can be adapted according to the most prevalent variants in the respective regions. Here, we describe the immunogenic properties of a group of theoretically predicted RBD peptides to be used as the first step towards the development of an effective, safe and low-cost epitope-focused vaccine. One of the tested peptides named P5, proved to be safe and immunogenic. Subcutaneous administration of the peptide, formulated with alumina, induced high levels of specific IgG antibodies in mice and hamsters, as well as an increase of IFN-γ expression by CD8+ T cells in C57 and BALB/c mice upon in vitro stimulation with P5. Neutralizing titers of anti-P5 antibodies, however, were disappointingly low, a deficiency that we will attempt to resolve by the inclusion of additional immunogenic epitopes to P5. The safety and immunogenicity data reported in this study support the use of this peptide as a starting point for the design of an epitope restricted vaccine.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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