Multivalent and Sequential Heterologous Spike Protein Vaccinations Effectively Induce Protective Humoral Immunity against SARS-CoV-2 Variants.

The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants continues to cause challenging problems for the effective control of COVID-19. In this study, we tested the hypothesis of whether a strategy of multivalent and sequential heterologous spike protein vaccinations would induce a broader range and higher levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants and more effective protection than homologous spike protein vaccination in a mouse model. We determined spike-specific IgG, receptor-binding inhibition titers, and protective efficacy in the groups of mice that were vaccinated with multivalent recombinant spike proteins (Wuhan, Delta, Omicron), sequentially with heterologous spike protein variants, or with homologous spike proteins. Trivalent (Wuhan + Delta + Omicron) and sequential heterologous spike protein vaccinations were more effective in inducing serum inhibition activities of receptor binding to spike variants and virus neutralizing antibody titers than homologous spike protein vaccination. The higher efficacy of protection was observed in mice with trivalent and sequential heterologous spike protein vaccination after a challenge with a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 MA10 strain compared to homologous spike protein vaccination. This study provides evidence that a strategy of multivalent and sequential heterologous variant spike vaccination might provide more effective protection against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants than homologous spike vaccination and significantly alleviate severe inflammation due to COVID-19.

The critical role of interleukin-6 in protection against neurotropic flavivirus infection.

West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) are emerging mosquito-borne flaviviruses causing encephalitis globally. No specific drug or therapy exists to treat flavivirus-induced neurological diseases. The lack of specific therapeutics underscores an urgent need to determine the function of important host factors involved in flavivirus replication and disease progression. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) upregulation has been observed during viral infections in both mice and humans, implying that it may influence the disease outcome significantly. Herein, we investigated the function of IL-6 in the pathogenesis of neurotropic flavivirus infections. First, we examined the role of IL-6 in flavivirus-infected human neuroblastoma cells, SK-N-SH, and found that IL-6 neutralization increased the WNV or JEV replication and inhibited the expression of key cytokines. We further evaluated the role of IL-6 by infecting primary mouse cells derived from IL-6 knockout (IL-6-/-) mice and wild-type (WT) mice with WNV or JEV. The results exhibited increased virus yields in the cells lacking the IL-6 gene. Next, our in vivo approach revealed that IL-6-/- mice had significantly higher morbidity and mortality after subcutaneous infection with the pathogenic WNV NY99 or JEV Nakayama strain compared to WT mice. The non-pathogenic WNV Eg101 strain did not cause mortality in WT mice but resulted in 60% mortality in IL-6-/- mice, indicating that IL-6 is required for the survival of mice after the peripheral inoculation of WNV or JEV. We also observed significantly higher viremia and brain viral load in IL-6-/- mice than in WT mice. Subsequently, we explored innate immune responses in WT and IL-6-/- mice after WNV NY99 infection. Our data demonstrated that the IL-6-/- mice had reduced levels of key cytokines in the serum during early infection but elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the brain later, along with suppressed anti-inflammatory cytokines. In addition, mRNA expression of IFN-α and IFN-ß was significantly lower in the infected IL-6-/- mice. In conclusion, these data suggest that the lack of IL-6 exacerbates WNV or JEV infection in vitro and in vivo by causing an increase in virus replication and dysregulating host immune response.

Differential Pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in Human ACE2-Expressing Mice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the current pandemic, resulting in millions of deaths worldwide. Increasingly contagious variants of concern (VoC) have fueled recurring global infection waves. A major question is the relative severity of the disease caused by previous and currently circulating variants of SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we evaluated the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 variants in human ACE-2-expressing (K18-hACE2) mice. Eight-week-old K18-hACE2 mice were inoculated intranasally with a representative virus from the original B.1 lineage or from the emerging B.1.1.7 (alpha), B.1.351 (beta), B.1.617.2 (delta), or B.1.1.529 (omicron) lineages. We also infected a group of mice with the mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (MA10). Our results demonstrate that B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and B.1.617.2 viruses are significantly more lethal than the B.1 strain in K18-hACE2 mice. Infection with the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and B.1.617.2 variants resulted in significantly higher virus titers in the lungs and brain of mice compared with the B.1 virus. Interestingly, mice infected with the B.1.1.529 variant exhibited less severe clinical signs and a high survival rate. We found that B.1.1.529 replication was significantly lower in the lungs and brain of infected mice in comparison with other VoC. The transcription levels of cytokines and chemokines in the lungs of B.1- and B.1.1.529-infected mice were significantly less when compared with those challenged with other VoC. Together, our data provide insights into the pathogenesis of previous and circulating SARS-CoV-2 VoC in mice.

Intrinsic antiviral immunity of barrier cells revealed by an iPSC-derived blood-brain barrier cellular model.

Physiological blood-tissue barriers play a critical role in separating the circulation from immune-privileged sites and denying access to blood-borne viruses. The mechanism of virus restriction by these barriers is poorly understood. We utilize induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived human brain microvascular endothelial cells (iBMECs) to study virus-blood-brain barrier (BBB) interactions. These iPSC-derived cells faithfully recapitulate a striking difference in in vivo neuroinvasion by two alphavirus isolates and are selectively permissive to neurotropic flaviviruses. A model of cocultured iBMECs and astrocytes exhibits high transendothelial electrical resistance and blocks non-neurotropic flaviviruses from getting across the barrier. We find that iBMECs constitutively express an interferon-induced gene, IFITM1, which preferentially restricts the replication of non-neurotropic flaviviruses. Barrier cells from blood-testis and blood-retinal barriers also constitutively express IFITMs that contribute to the viral resistance. Our application of a renewable human iPSC-based model for studying virus-BBB interactions reveals that intrinsic immunity at the barriers contributes to virus exclusion.

SARS-CoV-2 Infects Primary Neurons from Human ACE2 Expressing Mice and Upregulates Genes Involved in the Inflammatory and Necroptotic Pathways.

Transgenic mice expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2) have been extensively used to investigate the pathogenesis and tissue tropism of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Neuroinvasion and the replication of SARS-CoV-2 within the central nervous system (CNS) of K18-hACE2 mice is associated with increased mortality; although, the mechanisms by which this occurs remain unclear. In this study, we generated primary neuronal cultures from K18-hACE2 mice to investigate the effects of a SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also evaluated the immunological response to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the CNS of K18-hACE2 mice and mouse neuronal cultures. Our data show that neuronal cultures obtained from K18-hACE2 mice are permissive to SARS-CoV-2 infection and support productive virus replication. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 infection upregulated the expression of genes involved in innate immunity and inflammation, including IFN-α, ISG-15, CXCL10, CCL2, IL-6 and TNF-α, in the neurons and mouse brains. In addition, we found that SARS-CoV-2 infection of neurons and mouse brains activates the ZBP1/pMLKL-regulated necroptosis pathway. Together, our data provide insights into the neuropathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in K18-hACE2 mice.

Neuroinvasion and Encephalitis Following Intranasal Inoculation of SARS-CoV-2 in K18-hACE2 Mice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection can cause neurological disease in humans, but little is known about the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 infection in the central nervous system (CNS). Herein, using K18-hACE2 mice, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 neuroinvasion and encephalitis is associated with mortality in these mice. Intranasal infection of K18-hACE2 mice with 105 plaque-forming units of SARS-CoV-2 resulted in 100% mortality by day 6 after infection. The highest virus titers in the lungs were observed on day 3 and declined on days 5 and 6 after infection. By contrast, very high levels of infectious virus were uniformly detected in the brains of all the animals on days 5 and 6. Onset of severe disease in infected mice correlated with peak viral levels in the brain. SARS-CoV-2-infected mice exhibited encephalitis hallmarks characterized by production of cytokines and chemokines, leukocyte infiltration, hemorrhage and neuronal cell death. SARS-CoV-2 was also found to productively infect cells within the nasal turbinate, eye and olfactory bulb, suggesting SARS-CoV-2 entry into the brain by this route after intranasal infection. Our data indicate that direct infection of CNS cells together with the induced inflammatory response in the brain resulted in the severe disease observed in SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice.

SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern Infect the Respiratory Tract and Induce Inflammatory Response in Wild-Type Laboratory Mice.

The emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern pose a major threat to public health, due to possible enhanced virulence, transmissibility and immune escape. These variants may also adapt to new hosts, in part through mutations in the spike protein. In this study, we evaluated the infectivity and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern in wild-type C57BL/6 mice. Six-week-old mice were inoculated intranasally with a representative virus from the original B.1 lineage, or the emerging B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 lineages. We also infected a group of mice with a mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 (MA10). Viral load and mRNA levels of multiple cytokines and chemokines were analyzed in the lung tissues on day 3 after infection. Our data show that unlike the B.1 virus, the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 viruses are capable of infecting C57BL/6 mice and replicating at high concentrations in the lungs. The B.1.351 virus replicated to higher titers in the lungs compared with the B.1.1.7 and MA10 viruses. The levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α, IL-1ß) and chemokine (CCL2) were upregulated in response to the B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 infection in the lungs. In addition, robust expression of viral nucleocapsid protein and histopathological changes were detected in the lungs of B.1.351-infected mice. Overall, these data indicate a greater potential for infectivity and adaptation to new hosts by emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.

The FDA-approved gold drug auranofin inhibits novel coronavirus (SARS-COV-2) replication and attenuates inflammation in human cells.

SARS-COV-2 has recently emerged as a new public health threat. Herein, we report that the FDA-approved drug, auranofin, inhibits SARS-COV-2 replication in human cells at low micro molar concentration. Treatment of cells with auranofin resulted in a 95% reduction in the viral RNA at 48 h after infection. Auranofin treatment dramatically reduced the expression of SARS-COV-2-induced cytokines in human cells. These data indicate that auranofin could be a useful drug to limit SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated lung injury due to its antiviral, anti-inflammatory and anti-reactive oxygen species (ROS) properties. Further animal studies are warranted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of auranofin for the management of SARS-COV-2 associated disease.

Cellular microRNA-155 Regulates Virus-Induced Inflammatory Response and Protects against Lethal West Nile Virus Infection.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a flavivirus that has disseminated globally as a significant cause of viral encephalitis in humans. MircoRNA-155 (miR-155) regulates various aspects of innate and adaptive immune responses. We previously reported that WNV infection induces upregulation of miR-155 in mice brains. In the current study, we demonstrate the critical role of miR-155 in restricting the pathogenesis of WNV infection in mice. Compared to wild-type (WT) mice, miR-155 knockout mice exhibited significantly higher morbidity and mortality after infection with either a lethal strain, WNV NY99, or a non-lethal strain, WNV Eg101. Increased mortality in miR-155-/- mice was associated with significantly high WNV burden in the serum and brains. Protein levels of interferon (IFN)-α in the serum and brains were higher in miR-155-/- mice. However, miR-155-/- mice exhibited significantly lower protein levels of anti-viral interleukin (IL)-1ß, IL-12, IL-6, IL-15, and GM-CSF despite the high viral load. Primary mouse cells lacking miR-155 were more susceptible to infection with WNV compared to cells derived from WT mice. Besides, overexpression of miR-155 in human neuronal cells modulated anti-viral cytokine response and resulted in significantly lower WNV replication. These data collectively indicate that miR-155 restricts WNV production in mouse and human cells and protects against lethal WNV infection in mice.

Z-DNA-Binding Protein 1 Is Critical for Controlling Virus Replication and Survival in West Nile Virus Encephalitis.

West Nile virus (WNV), a neurotropic flavivirus, is the leading cause of viral encephalitis in the United States. Recently, Zika virus (ZIKV) infections have caused serious neurological diseases and birth defects, specifically Guillain-Barrè syndrome and microcephaly. Z-DNA binding protein 1 (ZBP1) is a cytoplasmic sensor that that has been shown to play a significant role in initiating a robust immune response. We previously reported that WNV and ZIKV infections induce dramatic up-regulation of ZBP1 in mouse brains as well as in infected primary mouse cells. Herein, we show the critical role of ZBP1 in restricting the pathogenesis of WNV and ZIKV infections. Deletion of ZBP1 resulted in significantly higher morbidity and mortality after infection with a pathogenic WNV NY99 strain in mice. No mortality was observed in wild-type (WT) mice infected with the non-pathogenic WNV strain, Eg101. Interestingly, infection of ZBP1-/- mice with WNV Eg101 was lethal resulting in 100% mortality, suggesting that ZBP1 is required for survival after WNV infection. Viremia and brain viral load were significantly higher in ZBP1-/- mice compared to WT mice. In addition, protein levels of interferon (IFN)-α, and inflammatory cytokines and chemokines were significantly higher in the serum and brains of infected ZBP1-/- mice compared to the WT mice. Primary mouse cortical neurons and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from ZBP1-/- mice produced higher virus titers compared to WT cells after infection with WNV NY99 and WNV Eg101. Similarly, neurons and MEFs lacking ZBP1 exhibited significantly enhanced replication of PRVABC59 (Asian) and MR766 (African) ZIKV compared to WT cells. The knockout of ZBP1 function in MEFs inhibited ZBP1-dependent virus-induced cell death. In conclusion, these data reveal that ZBP1 restricts WNV and ZIKV production in mouse cells and is required for survival of a peripheral WNV infection in mice.