Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has resulted in an unprecedented public health crisis. Because of the novelty of the virus, there are currently no SARS-CoV-2-specific treatments or vaccines available. Therefore, rapid development of effective vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 are urgently needed. Here, we developed a pilot-scale production of PiCoVacc, a purified inactivated SARS-CoV-2 virus vaccine candidate, which induced SARS-CoV-2-specific neutralizing antibodies in mice, rats, and nonhuman primates. These antibodies neutralized 10 representative SARS-CoV-2 strains, suggesting a possible broader neutralizing ability against other strains. Three immunizations using two different doses, 3 or 6 micrograms per dose, provided partial or complete protection in macaques against SARS-CoV-2 challenge, respectively, without observable antibody-dependent enhancement of infection. These data support the clinical development and testing of PiCoVacc for use in humans.
Copyright © 2020, American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Publication types
- Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
- Animals
- Antibodies, Neutralizing / biosynthesis
- Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood*
- Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
- Antibodies, Viral / biosynthesis
- Antibodies, Viral / blood*
- Antibodies, Viral / immunology
- Betacoronavirus / immunology*
- Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
- COVID-19
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Chlorocebus aethiops
- Coronavirus Infections / immunology
- Coronavirus Infections / prevention & control*
- Coronavirus Infections / virology
- Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic
- Female
- Immunogenicity, Vaccine
- Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
- Immunoglobulin G / blood
- Immunoglobulin G / immunology
- Macaca mulatta
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Pandemics / prevention & control*
- Pilot Projects
- Pneumonia, Viral / prevention & control*
- Pneumonia, Viral / virology
- Rats
- Rats, Wistar
- SARS-CoV-2
- Vaccines, Inactivated / administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Inactivated / adverse effects
- Vaccines, Inactivated / immunology
- Vero Cells
- Viral Load
- Viral Vaccines* / administration & dosage
- Viral Vaccines* / adverse effects
- Viral Vaccines* / immunology
Substances
- Antibodies, Neutralizing
- Antibodies, Viral
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Immunoglobulin G
- Vaccines, Inactivated
- Viral Vaccines