Immunogenicity Studies of Recombinant RBD SARS-CoV-2 As a COVID-19 Vaccine Candidate Produced in

Overview

Journal Vaccine X

Date 2024 Feb 2

PMID 38304876

Authors

Intan Aghniya Safitri

Yovin Sugijo

Fernita Puspasari

Fifi Fitriyah Masduki

Ihsanawati

Ernawati Arifin Giri-Rachman

Aluicia Anita Artarini

Marselina Irasonia Tan

Dessy Natalia

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 -related global COVID-19 pandemic has been impacting millions of people since its outbreak in 2020. COVID-19 vaccination has proven highly efficient in reducing illness severity and preventing infection-related fatalities. The World Health Organization has granted emergency use approval to multiple, including protein subunit technology-based, COVID-19 vaccines. Foreseeably, additional COVID-19 subunit vaccine development would be essential to meet the accessible and growing demand for effective vaccines, especially for Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMIC). The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor binding domain (RBD), as the primary target for neutralizing antibodies, holds significant potential for future COVID-19 subunit vaccine development. In this study, we developed a recombinant -expressed RBD (rRBD) as a vaccine candidate and evaluated its immunogenicity and preliminary toxicity in BALB/c mice. The rRBD induced humoral immune response from day 7 post-vaccination and, following the booster doses, the IgG levels increased dramatically in mice. Interestingly, our vaccine candidate also significantly induced cellular immune response, indicated by the incrased IFN-ɣ-producing cell numbers. We observed no adverse effect or local reactogenicity either in control or treated mice. Taken together, our discoveries could potentially support efficient and cost-effective vaccine antigen production, from which LMICs could particularly benefit.

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