Quantitative Immunological Assays to Assess SARS-CoV-2 Antibodies and Vaccines

National Institute Of Allergy And Infectious Diseases

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

During the past years, the Virology Laboratory has collaborated with other intramural NIAID labs and other external collaborators to develop a pseudovirus neutralization assay and an mRNA vaccine expressing the prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer (mRNA-1273). For the neutralization assay, we have provided technical and software assistance to other VRC labs, and developed a shared Standard Operating Procedure. Since more new SARS-CoV-2 variant viruses continuously arise in the world, we are continuously making various pseudoviruses corresponding to the emerging variant viruses. And more importantly, the pseudovirus neutralization assay also needed to be modified to adapted to the new variant viruses for the assay appropriate usage. The assay is being used by laboratory staff to evaluate human serum samples from individuals recovering from COVID-19 and from volunteers in the clinical trial of the government approved vaccines. We are also isolating and characterizing monoclonal antibodies from individuals recovering from COVID-19 disease, assessing for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies, which are valuable research reagents with great potential for therapeutic and prevention purposes against the continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. By using this powerful assay, we have analyzed the potency and cross-reactivity of anti-COVID-19 antibodies in the blood of vaccinated or infected individuals. Specifically, we have measured neutralizing antibodies against the original or variant SARS-CoV-2 viruses as part of clinical trials for mRNA vaccines. We have also assessed the neutralization activity of monoclonal antibodies isolated from individuals who have recovered from COVID-19, as part of our basic research on viral immunity, and in search of monoclonal antibodies with preventative or therapeutic potential.