Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity

Abstract COVID-19 vaccine adaptation is critical to respond to continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced immune evasion. The ARVAC protein subunit vaccine, based on the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, has been adapted to XBB.1.5 and JN.1 variants, as monoval...

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Main Authors: Laura A. Bruno, Celeste Pueblas Castro, Agostina Demaría, Lineia Prado, Clara G. Fascetto Cassero, Lucas M. Saposnik, Federico Páez Córdoba, Juan Manuel Rodriguez, Giulia Piccini, Roberta Antonelli, Giulia Lapini, Nigel Temperton, Sabrina A. Del Priore, Andres C. Hernando Insua, Ingrid G. Kaufmann, Julio C. Vega, Juan M. Flo, Karina A. Pasquevich, Lorena M. Coria, Juliana Cassataro
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-05-01
Series:npj Vaccines
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01156-3
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author Laura A. Bruno
Celeste Pueblas Castro
Agostina Demaría
Lineia Prado
Clara G. Fascetto Cassero
Lucas M. Saposnik
Federico Páez Córdoba
Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Giulia Piccini
Roberta Antonelli
Giulia Lapini
Nigel Temperton
Sabrina A. Del Priore
Andres C. Hernando Insua
Ingrid G. Kaufmann
Julio C. Vega
Juan M. Flo
Karina A. Pasquevich
Lorena M. Coria
Juliana Cassataro
author_facet Laura A. Bruno
Celeste Pueblas Castro
Agostina Demaría
Lineia Prado
Clara G. Fascetto Cassero
Lucas M. Saposnik
Federico Páez Córdoba
Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Giulia Piccini
Roberta Antonelli
Giulia Lapini
Nigel Temperton
Sabrina A. Del Priore
Andres C. Hernando Insua
Ingrid G. Kaufmann
Julio C. Vega
Juan M. Flo
Karina A. Pasquevich
Lorena M. Coria
Juliana Cassataro
author_sort Laura A. Bruno
collection DOAJ
description Abstract COVID-19 vaccine adaptation is critical to respond to continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced immune evasion. The ARVAC protein subunit vaccine, based on the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, has been adapted to XBB.1.5 and JN.1 variants, as monovalent and bivalent formulations. Preclinical studies in mice showed that ARVAC XBB.1.5 and JN.1 monovalent vaccines induced strong neutralizing antibodies against XBB and JN.1 lineages, though with limited efficacy against phylogenetically distant variants. By contrast, bivalent formulations combining Gamma antigen with either XBB.1.5 or JN.1 antigens demonstrated superior cross-neutralizing activity, covering variants from Ancestral to JN.1. Additionally, Gamma-containing bivalent vaccines elicited neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-1, highlighting their potential for broad-spectrum immunity. Cellular immune studies confirmed robust CD4+ T cell activation across all formulations. These findings support the continued adaptation of ARVAC to current circulant variants and propose ARVAC bivalent vaccines containing the Gamma antigen as a strategy for induction of pan-sarbecovirus immunity.
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spelling doaj-art-dc3476351d3f4b018119ffc616350da72025-08-20T03:16:29ZengNature Portfolionpj Vaccines2059-01052025-05-0110111010.1038/s41541-025-01156-3Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunityLaura A. Bruno0Celeste Pueblas Castro1Agostina Demaría2Lineia Prado3Clara G. Fascetto Cassero4Lucas M. Saposnik5Federico Páez Córdoba6Juan Manuel Rodriguez7Giulia Piccini8Roberta Antonelli9Giulia Lapini10Nigel Temperton11Sabrina A. Del Priore12Andres C. Hernando Insua13Ingrid G. Kaufmann14Julio C. Vega15Juan M. Flo16Karina A. Pasquevich17Lorena M. Coria18Juliana Cassataro19Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Laboratorio Pablo CassaráVisMederi SrlVisMederi SrlVisMederi SrlViral Pseudotype Unit, Medway School of Pharmacy, Universities of Kent and Greenwich, Chatham MaritimeLaboratorio Pablo CassaráFundación Pablo Cassará, Unidad de I+D de BiofármacosLaboratorio Pablo CassaráUnidad de I+DLaboratorio Pablo CassaráInstituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Martín (UNSAM)–Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Martín (1650)Abstract COVID-19 vaccine adaptation is critical to respond to continuously emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants with enhanced immune evasion. The ARVAC protein subunit vaccine, based on the receptor binding domain of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, has been adapted to XBB.1.5 and JN.1 variants, as monovalent and bivalent formulations. Preclinical studies in mice showed that ARVAC XBB.1.5 and JN.1 monovalent vaccines induced strong neutralizing antibodies against XBB and JN.1 lineages, though with limited efficacy against phylogenetically distant variants. By contrast, bivalent formulations combining Gamma antigen with either XBB.1.5 or JN.1 antigens demonstrated superior cross-neutralizing activity, covering variants from Ancestral to JN.1. Additionally, Gamma-containing bivalent vaccines elicited neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-1, highlighting their potential for broad-spectrum immunity. Cellular immune studies confirmed robust CD4+ T cell activation across all formulations. These findings support the continued adaptation of ARVAC to current circulant variants and propose ARVAC bivalent vaccines containing the Gamma antigen as a strategy for induction of pan-sarbecovirus immunity.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01156-3
spellingShingle Laura A. Bruno
Celeste Pueblas Castro
Agostina Demaría
Lineia Prado
Clara G. Fascetto Cassero
Lucas M. Saposnik
Federico Páez Córdoba
Juan Manuel Rodriguez
Giulia Piccini
Roberta Antonelli
Giulia Lapini
Nigel Temperton
Sabrina A. Del Priore
Andres C. Hernando Insua
Ingrid G. Kaufmann
Julio C. Vega
Juan M. Flo
Karina A. Pasquevich
Lorena M. Coria
Juliana Cassataro
Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
npj Vaccines
title Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
title_full Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
title_fullStr Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
title_full_unstemmed Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
title_short Development of bivalent RBD adapted COVID-19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
title_sort development of bivalent rbd adapted covid 19 vaccines for broad sarbecovirus immunity
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41541-025-01156-3
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