Journal Article

A single dose of recombinant VSV-∆G-spike vaccine provides protection against SARS-CoV-2 challenge

Tamir, Hadas, Paran, Nir, Cherry, Lilach, Politi, Boaz, Stein, Dana, Zichel, Ran, Yitzhaki, Shmuel, Sittner, Assa, Mamroud, Emanuelle, Shifman, Ohad, Gutman, Hila, Erez, Noam, Melamed, Sharon, Bar-David, Elad, Israely, Tomer, Mazor, Ohad, Milrot, Elad, Glinert, Itai, Israeli, Ofir, Lazar, Shirley, Achdout, Hagit, Avraham, Roy, Lupu, Edith, Cohen-Gihon, Inbar, Levy, Haim, Weiss, Shay, Puni, Reut, Laskar, Orly, Ben-Shmuel, Amir, Beth-Din, Adi, Lazar, Shlomi, Shapira, Shmuel C., Vagima, Yaron, Yahalom-Ronen, Yfat, Vitner, Einat B., Zvi, Anat

2020

Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 imposes an urgent need for rapid development of an efficient and cost-effective vaccine, suitable for mass immunization. Here, we show the development of a replication competent recombinant VSV-∆G-spike vaccine, in which the glycoprotein of VSV is replaced by the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. In-vitro characterization of this vaccine indicates the expression and presentation of the spike protein on the viral membrane with antigenic similarity to SARS-CoV-2. A golden Syrian hamster in-vivo model for COVID-19 is implemented. We show that a single-dose vaccination results in a rapid and potent induction of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies. Importantly, vaccination protects hamsters against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, as demonstrated by the abrogation of body weight loss, and  alleviation of the extensive tissue damage and viral loads in lungs and nasal turbinates. Taken together, we suggest the recombinant VSV-∆G-spike as a safe, efficacious and protective vaccine against SARS-CoV-2. Here, the authors generate a replication-competent VSV based vaccine expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and show protection in the hamster model with one dose. Analysis of the antibody response in mice shows induction of neutralizing antibodies and suggests a desirable Th1-biased response to the vaccine.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group,Nature Portfolio
• Subject: 13/106 / 13/109 / 13/44 / 13/51 / 14 / 14/1 / 14/28 / 14/63 / 38 / 631/326/590 / 631/326/596/4130 / 64 / 64/60 / Animals / Antibodies / Antibodies, Viral - immunology / Antibody response / Antigen presentation / Antigens / Antigens, Viral - immunology / Body Weight / Body weight loss / Cell Line / Coronaviruses / COVID-19 / COVID-19 - immunology / COVID-19 - prevention & control / COVID-19 - virology / COVID-19 Vaccines - immunology / Cricetinae / Disease Models, Animal / Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic / Genome, Viral / Glycoproteins / Hamsters / Humanities and Social Sciences / Immunization / Lung - pathology / Lung - virology / Lymphocytes T / Membrane proteins / Mice, Inbred C57BL / multidisciplinary / Mutation - genetics / Neutralizing / Pandemics / Proteins / Replication / SARS-CoV-2 - genetics / SARS-CoV-2 - immunology / Science / Science (multidisciplinary) / Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 / Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - genetics / Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - immunology / Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - ultrastructure / Spike protein / Vaccination / Vaccines / Vaccines, Synthetic - immunology / Vesicular stomatitis Indiana virus - immunology / Viral diseases / Viral Load / Weight loss