Countermeasures against COVID-19

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications, trials & patents

Abstract

The lab developed 2 vaccine candidates expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein alone or in combination with the Ebola virus glycoprotein (EBOV GP). Hamster studies revealed that a single dose of either vaccine administered intranasally (IN) or intramuscularly (IM) protected the animals from disease after SARS-CoV-2 challenge. When we vaccinated rhesus macaques 10 days prior to SARS-CoV-2 challenge with a single dose of the VSV-SARS2-EBOV vaccine, only animals vaccinated by the IM route showed no signs of COVID-19, whereas the IN vaccinated animals did including lung lesions (Furuyama et al., mBio in revision). Ongoing studies in mice address the longevity of the protective immune response and the influence of preexisting vector immunity on vaccine efficacy (ODonnell et al., unpublished data). Recently we have tested the efficacy of both vaccines against infection with SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) and could show that the vaccines are still efficacious particularly after IN administration (ODonnell et al., in preparation). In collaboration with the MEssaoudi lab (UC Irvine) we characterized the pathogenesis and transcriptional responses to VOC infection in the hamster model and revealed most gene expression changes to be associated with SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.7 infection (ODonnell Nature Communications - under review). We are also working towards an updated vaccine including an additional SARS-CoV-2 antigen into our vaccine. Preliminary studies in hamsters and mice are promising (Gourdine et al., unpublished data). In order to expand our understanding of human cytokine responses during COVID-19, we are analyzing human serum samples collected over time from patients from Indiana. In addition, we are determining IgG responses to the original SARS-CoV-2 as well as VOC (Griffin et al., unpublished data).