Omicron mutations enhance infectivity and reduce antibody neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant contains extensive sequence changes relative to the earlier-arising B.1, B.1.1, and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants that have unknown effects on viral infectivity and response to existing vaccines. Using SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (VLPs), we examined mutations in all four structural proteins and found that Omicron and Delta showed 4.6-fold higher luciferase delivery overall relative to the ancestral B.1 lineage, a property conferred mostly by enhancements in the S and N proteins, while mutations in M and E were mostly detrimental to assembly. Thirty-eight antisera samples from individuals vaccinated with Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson vaccines and convalescent sera from unvaccinated COVID-19 survivors had 15-fold lower efficacy to prevent cell transduction by VLPs containing the Omicron mutations relative to the ancestral B.1 spike protein. A third dose of Pfizer vaccine elicited substantially higher neutralization titers against Omicron, resulting in detectable neutralizing antibodies in eight out of eight subjects compared to one out of eight preboosting. Furthermore, the monoclonal antibody therapeutics casirivimab and imdevimab had robust neutralization activity against B.1 and Delta VLPs but no detectable neutralization of Omicron VLPs, while newly authorized bebtelovimab maintained robust neutralization across variants. Our results suggest that Omicron has similar assembly efficiency and cell entry compared to Delta and that its rapid spread is due mostly to reduced neutralization in sera from previously vaccinated subjects. In addition, most currently available monoclonal antibodies will not be useful in treating Omicron-infected patients with the exception of bebtelovimab.

Limited cross-variant immunity from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron without vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron are globally relevant variants of concern. Although individuals infected with Delta are at risk of developing severe lung disease, infection with Omicron often causes milder symptoms, especially in vaccinated individuals1,2. The question arises of whether widespread Omicron infections could lead to future cross-variant protection, accelerating the end of the pandemic. Here we show that without vaccination, infection with Omicron induces a limited humoral immune response in mice and humans. Sera from mice overexpressing the human ACE2 receptor and infected with Omicron neutralize only Omicron, but not other variants of concern, whereas broader cross-variant neutralization was observed after WA1 and Delta infections. Unlike WA1 and Delta, Omicron replicates to low levels in the lungs and brains of infected animals, leading to mild disease with reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and diminished activation of lung-resident T cells. Sera from individuals who were unvaccinated and infected with Omicron show the same limited neutralization of only Omicron itself. By contrast, Omicron breakthrough infections induce overall higher neutralization titres against all variants of concern. Our results demonstrate that Omicron infection enhances pre-existing immunity elicited by vaccines but, on its own, may not confer broad protection against non-Omicron variants in unvaccinated individuals.

Omicron mutations enhance infectivity and reduce antibody neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles.

The Omicron SARS-CoV-2 virus contains extensive sequence changes relative to the earlier arising B.1, B.1.1 and Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants that have unknown effects on viral infectivity and response to existing vaccines. Using SARS-CoV-2 virus-like particles (SC2-VLPs), we examined mutations in all four structural proteins and found that Omicron showed increased infectivity relative to B.1, B.1.1 and similar to Delta, a property conferred by S and N protein mutations. Thirty-eight antisera samples from individuals vaccinated with tozinameran (Pfizer/BioNTech), elasomeran (Moderna), Johnson & Johnson vaccines and convalescent sera from unvaccinated COVID-19 survivors had moderately to dramatically reduced efficacy to prevent cell transduction by VLPs containing the Omicron mutations. The Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccine antisera showed strong neutralizing activity against VLPs possessing the ancestral spike protein (B.1, B.1.1), with 3-fold reduced efficacy against Delta and 15-fold lower neutralization against Omicron VLPs. Johnson & Johnson antisera showed minimal neutralization of any of the VLPs tested. Furthermore, the monoclonal antibody therapeutics Casirivimab and Imdevimab had robust neutralization activity against B.1, B.1.1 or Delta VLPs but no detectable neutralization of Omicron VLPs. Our results suggest that Omicron is at least as efficient at assembly and cell entry as Delta, and the antibody response triggered by existing vaccines or previous infection, at least prior to boost, will have limited ability to neutralize Omicron. In addition, some currently available monoclonal antibodies will not be useful in treating Omicron-infected patients.

Limited Cross-Variant Immunity after Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Variant Without Vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 Delta and Omicron strains are the most globally relevant variants of concern (VOCs). While individuals infected with Delta are at risk to develop severe lung disease 1 , Omicron infection causes less severe disease, mostly upper respiratory symptoms 2,3 . The question arises whether rampant spread of Omicron could lead to mass immunization, accelerating the end of the pandemic. Here we show that infection with Delta, but not Omicron, induces broad immunity in mice. While sera from Omicron-infected mice only neutralize Omicron, sera from Delta-infected mice are broadly effective against Delta and other VOCs, including Omicron. This is not observed with the WA1 ancestral strain, although both WA1 and Delta elicited a highly pro-inflammatory cytokine response and replicated to similar titers in the respiratory tracts and lungs of infected mice as well as in human airway organoids. Pulmonary viral replication, pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, and overall disease progression are markedly reduced with Omicron infection. Analysis of human sera from Omicron and Delta breakthrough cases reveals effective cross-variant neutralization induced by both viruses in vaccinated individuals. Together, our results indicate that Omicron infection enhances preexisting immunity elicited by vaccines, but on its own may not induce broad, cross-neutralizing humoral immunity in unvaccinated individuals.