Immunogenicity and efficacy of one and two doses of Ad26.COV2.S COVID vaccine in adult and aged NHP.

Safe and effective coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) vaccines are urgently needed to control the ongoing pandemic. While single-dose vaccine regimens would provide multiple advantages, two doses may improve the magnitude and durability of immunity and protective efficacy. We assessed one- and two-dose regimens of the Ad26.COV2.S vaccine candidate in adult and aged nonhuman primates (NHPs). A two-dose Ad26.COV2.S regimen induced higher peak binding and neutralizing antibody responses compared with a single dose. In one-dose regimens, neutralizing antibody responses were stable for at least 14 wk, providing an early indication of durability. Ad26.COV2.S induced humoral immunity and T helper cell (Th cell) 1-skewed cellular responses in aged NHPs that were comparable to those in adult animals. Aged Ad26.COV2.S-vaccinated animals challenged 3 mo after dose 1 with a SARS-CoV-2 spike G614 variant showed near complete lower and substantial upper respiratory tract protection for both regimens. Neutralization of variants of concern by NHP sera was reduced for B.1.351 lineages while maintained for the B.1.1.7 lineage independent of Ad26.COV2.S vaccine regimen.

Highly conserved protective epitopes on influenza B viruses.

Identification of broadly neutralizing antibodies against influenza A viruses has raised hopes for the development of monoclonal antibody-based immunotherapy and "universal" vaccines for influenza. However, a substantial part of the annual flu burden is caused by two cocirculating, antigenically distinct lineages of influenza B viruses. Here, we report human monoclonal antibodies, CR8033, CR8071, and CR9114, that protect mice against lethal challenge from both lineages. Antibodies CR8033 and CR8071 recognize distinct conserved epitopes in the head region of the influenza B hemagglutinin (HA), whereas CR9114 binds a conserved epitope in the HA stem and protects against lethal challenge with influenza A and B viruses. These antibodies may inform on development of monoclonal antibody-based treatments and a universal flu vaccine for all influenza A and B viruses.

Novel replication-incompetent vector derived from adenovirus type 11 (Ad11) for vaccination and gene therapy: low seroprevalence and non-cross-reactivity with Ad5.

A novel plasmid-based adenovirus vector system that enables manufacturing of replication-incompetent (DeltaE1) adenovirus type 11 (Ad11)-based vectors is described. Ad11 vectors are produced on PER.C6/55K cells yielding high-titer vector batches after purification. Ad11 seroprevalence proves to be significantly lower than that of Ad5, and neutralizing antibody titers against Ad11 are low. Ad11 seroprevalence among human immunodeficiency virus-positive (HIV(+)) individuals is as low as that among HIV(-) individuals, independent of the level of immune suppression. The low level of coinciding seroprevalence between Ad11 and Ad35 in addition to a lack of correlation between high neutralizing antibody titers towards either adenovirus strongly suggest that the limited humoral cross-reactive immunity between these two highly related B viruses appears not to preclude the use of both vectors in the same individual. Ad11 transduces primary cells including smooth muscle cells, synoviocytes, and dendritic cells and cardiovascular tissues with higher efficiency than Ad5. Ad11 and Ad35 appear to have a similar tropism as judged by green fluorescent protein expression levels determined by using a panel of cancer cell lines. In addition, Ad5 preimmunization did not significantly affect Ad11-mediated transduction in C57BL/6 mice. We therefore conclude that the Ad11-based vector represents a novel and useful candidate gene transfer vehicle for vaccination and gene therapy.