Here we report on the antibody and memory B cell responses of a cohort of 20 volunteers who received the Moderna (mRNA-1273) or Pfizer-BioNTech (BNT162b2) vaccine against SARS-CoV-2
. Eight weeks ...after the second injection of vaccine, volunteers showed high levels of IgM and IgG anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) and receptor-binding-domain (RBD) binding titre. Moreover, the plasma neutralizing activity and relative numbers of RBD-specific memory B cells of vaccinated volunteers were equivalent to those of individuals who had recovered from natural infection
. However, activity against SARS-CoV-2 variants that encode E484K-, N501Y- or K417N/E484K/N501-mutant S was reduced by a small-but significant-margin. The monoclonal antibodies elicited by the vaccines potently neutralize SARS-CoV-2, and target a number of different RBD epitopes in common with monoclonal antibodies isolated from infected donors
. However, neutralization by 14 of the 17 most-potent monoclonal antibodies that we tested was reduced or abolished by the K417N, E484K or N501Y mutation. Notably, these mutations were selected when we cultured recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing SARS-CoV-2 S in the presence of the monoclonal antibodies elicited by the vaccines. Together, these results suggest that the monoclonal antibodies in clinical use should be tested against newly arising variants, and that mRNA vaccines may need to be updated periodically to avoid a potential loss of clinical efficacy.
Live attenuated oral polio vaccine (OPV) and inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) are the tools being used to achieve eradication of wild polio virus. Because OPV can rarely cause paralysis and generate ...revertant polio strains, IPV will have to replace OPV after eradication of wild polio virus is certified to sustain eradication of all polioviruses. However, uncertainties remain related to IPV's ability to induce intestinal immunity in populations where fecal-oral transmission is predominant. Although substantial effectiveness and safety data exist on the use and delivery of OPV and IPV, several new research initiatives are currently underway to fill specific knowledge gaps to inform future vaccination policies that would assure polio is eradicated and eradication is maintained.
The novel corona virus termed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spread throughout the globe at a formidable speed, causing tens of millions of cases and more than one ...million deaths in less than a year of its report in December 2019. Since then, companies and research institutions have raced to develop SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, ranging from conventional viral and protein-based vaccines to those that are more cutting edge, including DNA- and mRNA-based vaccines. Each vaccine exhibits a different potency and duration of efficacy, as determined by the antigen design, adjuvant molecules, vaccine delivery platforms, and immunization method. In this review, we will introduce a few of the leading non-viral vaccines that are under clinical stage development and discuss delivery strategies to improve vaccine efficacy, duration of protection, safety, and mass vaccination.
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Highlights ► Inactivated whole viral (IWV) vaccines conferred good protection against IPN. ► Nanoparticle, sub-unit recombinant vaccines and DNA vaccine are inferior to IWV. ► Antibody levels were ...different between vaccine formulations. ► Highest antibody levels gave highest level of protection. ► Prevention of tissue damage was linked to protection against mortality.
Highlights ► A phase I/II HIV vaccine trial has been conducted in Tanzania employing priming with HIV-1 DNA and boosting HIV-1 MVA. ► It has demonstrated excellent safety and immunogenicity by ...eliciting cell-mediated as well as antibody responses to Env. ► The superiority of low dose intradermal over high dose intramuscular HIV-DNA vaccination has been found. ► The capacity built paves the way for further HIV vaccine trials in Tanzania by collaboration between the North and South.
Vaccination, which is the most effective medical intervention that has ever been introduced, originated from the observation that individuals who survived a plague or smallpox would not get the ...disease twice. To mimic the protective effects of natural infection, Jenner - and later Pasteur - inoculated individuals with attenuated or killed disease-causing agents. This empirical approach inspired a century of vaccine development and the effective prophylaxis of many infectious diseases. From the 1980s, several waves of new technologies have enabled the development of novel vaccines that would not have been possible using the empirical approach. The technological revolution in the field of vaccination is now continuing, and it is delivering novel and safer vaccines. In this Timeline article, we provide our views on the transition from empiricism to rational vaccine design.
Highlights • A TK/gE/gI triple gene-deleted Pseudorabies virus derived from current circulating field isolate HN1201 strain was generated by using bacterial artificial chromosome techniques. • ...Rescued virus showed reduced plaque size to its parent strain. • Efficacy study has been performed on 9 day-old piglets and results showed that vaccination can provide full protection to the virulent PRV HN1201 challenge.
Highlights • Three live attenuated, recombinant S . Typhi vectors were evaluated as oral vaccines. • The target antigen was pneumococcal surface protein A (PspA) antigen. • IgG and IgA responses were ...measured using ELISA and ELISPOT assay.
Humanity is experiencing a catastrophic pandemic. SARS-CoV-2 has spread globally to cause significant morbidity and mortality, and there still remain unknowns about the biology and pathology of the ...virus. Even with testing, tracing, and social distancing, many countries are struggling to contain SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 will only be suppressible when herd immunity develops, either because of an effective vaccine or if the population has been infected and is resistant to reinfection. There is virtually no chance of a return to pre-COVID-19 societal behavior until there is an effective vaccine. Concerted efforts by physicians, academic laboratories, and companies around the world have improved detection and treatment and made promising early steps, developing many vaccine candidates at a pace that has been unmatched for prior diseases. As of August 11, 2020, 28 of these companies have advanced into clinical trials with Moderna, CanSino, the University of Oxford, BioNTech, Sinovac, Sinopharm, Anhui Zhifei Longcom, Inovio, Novavax, Vaxine, Zydus Cadila, Institute of Medical Biology, and the Gamaleya Research Institute having moved beyond their initial safety and immunogenicity studies. This review analyzes these frontrunners in the vaccine development space and delves into their posted results while highlighting the role of the nanotechnologies applied by all the vaccine developers.