Neutralizing Efficacy of Encapsulin Nanoparticles Against SARS-CoV2 Variants of Concern

Overview

Journal Viruses

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Feb 28

PMID 36851560

Authors

Sara Khaleeq

Nayanika Sengupta

Sahil Kumar

Unnatiben Rajeshbhai Patel

Raju S Rajmani

Poorvi Reddy

Suman Pandey

Randhir Singh

Somnath Dutta

Rajesh P Ringe

Raghavan Varadarajan

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Rapid emergence of the SARS-CoV-2 variants has dampened the protective efficacy of existing authorized vaccines. Nanoparticle platforms offer a means to improve vaccine immunogenicity by presenting multiple copies of desired antigens in a repetitive manner which closely mimics natural infection. We have applied nanoparticle display combined with the SpyTag-SpyCatcher system to design encapsulin-mRBD, a nanoparticle vaccine displaying 180 copies of the monomeric SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). Here we show that encapsulin-mRBD is strongly antigenic and thermotolerant for long durations. After two immunizations, squalene-in-water emulsion (SWE)-adjuvanted encapsulin-mRBD in mice induces potent and comparable neutralizing antibody titers of 10 against wild-type (B.1), alpha, beta, and delta variants of concern. Sera also neutralizes the recent Omicron with appreciable neutralization titers, and significant neutralization is observed even after a single immunization.

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