SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Their Relevant Mutational Profiles: Update Summer 2021

Alkhatib, Mohammad; Svicher, V.; Salpini, Romina; Ambrosio, Francesca Alessandra; Bellocchi, Maria Concetta; Carioti, Luca; Piermatteo, Lorenzo; Scutari, Rossana; Costa, Giosuè; Artese, Anna; Alcaro, Stefano; Shafer, Robert W.; Ceccherini‐Silberstein, Francesca

doi:10.1128/spectrum.01096-21

Cited by 51 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…However, the suitability of E11, E12, M07, M08, and M29 for SARS-CoV requires further testing ( 36 ). Variant of concern (VOC) is a variant for which there is evidence of an increase in transmissibility and disease severity, significant reduction in neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination ( 37 ). For E protein among 5 of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs, there is only one substitution (T9I) in the omicron variant, one substitution (P71L) in the Beta variant.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA Vaccines Expressing the Envelope and Membrane Proteins Provide Partial Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 in Mice

et al. 2022

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The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has become a public health emergency of international concern, and an effective vaccine is urgently needed to control the pandemic. Envelope (E) and membrane (M) proteins are highly conserved structural proteins among SARS-CoV-2 and SARS-CoV and have been proposed as potential targets for the development of cross-protective vaccines. Here, synthetic DNA vaccines encoding SARS-CoV-2 E/M proteins (called p-SARS-CoV-2-E/M) were developed, and mice were immunised with three doses via intramuscular injection and electroporation. Significant cellular immune responses were elicited, whereas no robust humoral immunity was detected. In addition, novel H-2d-restricted T-cell epitopes were identified. Notably, although no drop in lung tissue virus titre was detected in DNA-vaccinated mice post-challenge with SARS-CoV-2, immunisation with either p-SARS-CoV-2-E or p-SARS-CoV-2-M provided minor protection and co-immunisation with p-SARS-CoV-2-E+M increased protection. Therefore, E/M proteins should be considered as vaccine candidates as they may be valuable in the optimisation of vaccination strategies against COVID-19.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

DNA Vaccines Expressing the Envelope and Membrane Proteins Provide Partial Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 in Mice

et al. 2022

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“…Next, we analyzed the individual neutralization capacities against an RBD peptide representing the B.1.617.2 (Delta) variant with the L452R and T478K mutations [12]. Again, the heterologous prime-boost group yielded the highest neutralization capacity with a median of 93.8%, followed by the homologous prime-boost BNT162b2 group with a median of 85.1% and the homologous prime-boost AZD1222 group with a median of 64.8% (Figure 2).…”

Section: Heterologous Prime-boost Combining Azd1222 and Bnt162b2 Yiel...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As of yet, data are still sparse, or lacking altogether, regarding the most efficient vaccination regimen, the duration of the protection from vaccination, and the effectiveness of both vaccines against the wildtype Wuhan-Hu-1 strain as well as the Delta variant of concern, which accumulated mutations in the spike protein and exhibits a higher transmissibility and replication capacity and causes higher rates of breakthrough infections [11,12]. Therefore, we set out to compare humoral and cellular immune responses 6 months into homologous AZD1222 prime-boost, homologous BNT162b2 prime-boost, and heterologous AZD122/BNT162b2 prime-boost regimens among health care workers in a German medical university center.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Higher SARS-CoV-2 Spike Binding Antibody Levels and Neutralization Capacity 6 Months after Heterologous Vaccination with AZD1222 and BNT162b2

et al. 2022

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Within a year after the emergence of SARS-CoV-2, several vaccines had been developed, clinically evaluated, proven to be efficacious in preventing symptomatic disease, and licensed for global use. The remaining questions about the vaccines concern the duration of protection offered by vaccination and its efficacy against variants of concern. Therefore, we set out to analyze the humoral and cellular immune responses 6 months into homologous and heterologous prime-boost vaccinations. We recruited 190 health care workers and measured their anti-spike IgG levels, their neutralizing capacities against the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain and the Delta variant using a surrogate viral neutralization test, and their IFNγ-responses towards SARS-CoV-2-derived spike peptides. We here show that IFNγ secretion in response to peptide stimulation was significantly enhanced in all three vaccination groups and comparable in magnitude. In contrast, the heterologous prime-boost regimen using AZD1222 and BNT162b2 yielded the highest anti-spike IgG levels, which were 3–4.5 times more than the levels resulting from homologous AZD1222 and BNT162b2 vaccination, respectively. Likewise, the neutralizing capacity against both the wild type as well as the Delta receptor binding domains was significantly higher following the heterologous prime-boost regimen. In conclusion, our results suggest that mixing different SARS-CoV-2 vaccines might lead to more efficacious and longer-lasting humoral protection against breakthrough infections.

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“…Several SARS-CoV-2 variants, which seem to exhibit increased transmissibility, recently emerged following virus genetic diversification, consistent with the adaptation to humans, fueled by its massive circulation worldwide [ 15 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, B.1.617.2, and B.1.1.529 VOCs (recently renamed by WHO as Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, respectively) first identified in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, India, and Botswana, carry different mutations among which D614G change became dominant early in the pandemic [ 18 ]. VOCs may increase virus transmissibility, disease severity, reduce neutralization by antibodies generated during previous infection or vaccination, and reduce the effectiveness of treatments or vaccines, or diagnostic detection failures [ 15 , 19 , 20 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease

Battaglia

Alonzo

Pennisi

et al. 2021

IJMS

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In the last few years, microRNA-mediated regulation has been shown to be important in viral infections. In fact, viral microRNAs can alter cell physiology and act on the immune system; moreover, cellular microRNAs can regulate the virus cycle, influencing positively or negatively viral replication. Accordingly, microRNAs can represent diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of infectious processes and a promising approach for designing targeted therapies. In the past 18 months, the COVID-19 infection from SARS-CoV-2 has engaged many researchers in the search for diagnostic and prognostic markers and the development of therapies. Although some research suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 genome can produce microRNAs and that host microRNAs may be involved in the cellular response to the virus, to date, not enough evidence has been provided. In this paper, using a focused bioinformatic approach exploring the SARS-CoV-2 genome, we propose that SARS-CoV-2 is able to produce microRNAs sharing a strong sequence homology with the human ones and also that human microRNAs may target viral RNA regulating the virus life cycle inside human cells. Interestingly, all viral miRNA sequences and some human miRNA target sites are conserved in more recent SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs). Even if experimental evidence will be needed, in silico analysis represents a valuable source of information useful to understand the sophisticated molecular mechanisms of disease and to sustain biomedical applications.

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SARS-CoV-2 Variants and Their Relevant Mutational Profiles: Update Summer 2021

Cited by 51 publications

References 79 publications

DNA Vaccines Expressing the Envelope and Membrane Proteins Provide Partial Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 in Mice

DNA Vaccines Expressing the Envelope and Membrane Proteins Provide Partial Protection Against SARS-CoV-2 in Mice

Higher SARS-CoV-2 Spike Binding Antibody Levels and Neutralization Capacity 6 Months after Heterologous Vaccination with AZD1222 and BNT162b2

MicroRNA-Mediated Regulation of the Virus Cycle and Pathogenesis in the SARS-CoV-2 Disease

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