A variant-proof SARS-CoV-2 vaccine targeting HR1 domain in S2 subunit of spike protein

作者：Wei Pang, Ying Lu, Yan‐Bo Zhao, Fan Shen, Changfa Fan, Qian Wang, Wen-Qiang He, Xiao-Yan He, Zekai Li, Taotao Chen, Cuixian Yang, You-Zhi Li, Si-Xuan Xiao, Zu-Jiang Zhao, Xusheng Huang, Rong‐Hua Luo, Liu‐Meng Yang, Mi Zhang, Xingqi Dong, Minghua Li, Xiaoli Feng, Qing-Cui Zhou, Wang Qu, Shibo Jiang, Songying Ouyang, Yong‐Tang Zheng · 发表于：Cell Research · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.1038/s41422-022-00746-3 · 被引用次数：80 · 研究领域：SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research、Animal Virus Infections Studies、Viral gastroenteritis research and epidemiology

The emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, commonly with many mutations in S1 subunit of spike (S) protein are weakening the efficacy of the current vaccines and antibody therapeutics. This calls for the variant-proof SARS-CoV-2 vaccines targeting the more conserved regions in S protein. Here, we designed a recombinant subunit vaccine, HR121, targeting the conserved HR1 domain in S2 subunit of S protein. HR121 consisting of HR1-linker1-HR2-linker2-HR1, is conformationally and functionally analogous to the HR1 domain present in the fusion intermediate conformation of S2 subunit. Immunization with HR121 in rabbits and rhesus macaques elicited highly potent cross-neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, particularly Omicron sublineages. Vaccination with HR121 achieved near-full protections against prototype SARS-CoV-2 infection in hACE2 transgenic mice, Syrian golden hamsters and rhesus macaques, and effective protection against Omicron BA.2 infection in Syrian golden hamsters. This study demonstrates that HR121 is a promising candidate of variant-proof SARS-CoV-2 vaccine with a novel conserved target in the S2 subunit for application against current and future SARS-CoV-2 variants.