Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection
Abstract One of the concerns regarding vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic was the potential manifestation of vaccine-associated enhancement of disease (VAED) upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. To investigate the suitability of the Syrian hamster model to test for VAED, we immunized animals with an...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2025-07-01
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| Series: | npj Vaccines |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01160-7 |
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| author | Rineke de Jong Sandra Vreman Katrin E. Wiese Nora M. Gerhards Kevin R. Bewley Yper Hall Francisco Javier Salguero Miles Carroll Rik L. de Swart Jose L. Gonzales Nadia Oreshkova |
| author_facet | Rineke de Jong Sandra Vreman Katrin E. Wiese Nora M. Gerhards Kevin R. Bewley Yper Hall Francisco Javier Salguero Miles Carroll Rik L. de Swart Jose L. Gonzales Nadia Oreshkova |
| author_sort | Rineke de Jong |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract One of the concerns regarding vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic was the potential manifestation of vaccine-associated enhancement of disease (VAED) upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. To investigate the suitability of the Syrian hamster model to test for VAED, we immunized animals with an experimental formaldehyde-inactivated, alum-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 vaccine preparation. In two independent experiments, challenge infection did not result in an enhancement of the clinical disease in vaccinated animals compared with mock-vaccinated animals. However, at early timepoints (2–5 days) post-challenge, lung histopathology progressed faster and was more prominent in vaccinated hamsters and lung tissue showed elevated mRNA levels of IL-4 and IL-13. At later time points, cytokine responses and lung pathology were comparable between vaccinated and mock-vaccinated hamsters, underscoring the transient nature of the pathological aggravation. With this work we show that the Syrian hamster model can be used to assess possible vaccine safety considerations in a preclinical setting. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-0edf54eaa75449cb87cec45fb37c4b68 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2059-0105 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | npj Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj-art-0edf54eaa75449cb87cec45fb37c4b682025-08-20T03:03:23ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052025-07-0110111910.1038/s41541-025-01160-7Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infectionRineke de Jong0Sandra Vreman1Katrin E. Wiese2Nora M. Gerhards3Kevin R. Bewley4Yper Hall5Francisco Javier Salguero6Miles Carroll7Rik L. de Swart8Jose L. Gonzales9Nadia Oreshkova10Wageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchUnited Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Porton DownUnited Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Porton DownUnited Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA), Porton DownCentre for Human Genetics and the Pandemic Sciences Institute, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of OxfordWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchWageningen Bioveterinary Research, Wageningen University and ResearchAbstract One of the concerns regarding vaccine safety during the COVID-19 pandemic was the potential manifestation of vaccine-associated enhancement of disease (VAED) upon SARS-CoV-2 infection. To investigate the suitability of the Syrian hamster model to test for VAED, we immunized animals with an experimental formaldehyde-inactivated, alum-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 vaccine preparation. In two independent experiments, challenge infection did not result in an enhancement of the clinical disease in vaccinated animals compared with mock-vaccinated animals. However, at early timepoints (2–5 days) post-challenge, lung histopathology progressed faster and was more prominent in vaccinated hamsters and lung tissue showed elevated mRNA levels of IL-4 and IL-13. At later time points, cytokine responses and lung pathology were comparable between vaccinated and mock-vaccinated hamsters, underscoring the transient nature of the pathological aggravation. With this work we show that the Syrian hamster model can be used to assess possible vaccine safety considerations in a preclinical setting.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01160-7 |
| spellingShingle | Rineke de Jong Sandra Vreman Katrin E. Wiese Nora M. Gerhards Kevin R. Bewley Yper Hall Francisco Javier Salguero Miles Carroll Rik L. de Swart Jose L. Gonzales Nadia Oreshkova Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection npj Vaccines |
| title | Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection |
| title_full | Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection |
| title_fullStr | Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection |
| title_full_unstemmed | Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection |
| title_short | Hamsters immunized with formalin-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and Th2-biased response following infection |
| title_sort | hamsters immunized with formalin inactivated sars cov 2 develop accelerated lung histopathological lesions and th2 biased response following infection |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01160-7 |
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