Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

We examined antibody and memory B cell responses longitudinally for ∼9-10 months after primary 2-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination and 3 months after a 3rd dose. Antibody decay stabilized between 6 and 9 months, and antibody quality continued to improve for at least 9 months after 2-dose vaccination. Spike- and RBD-specific memory B cells remained durable over time, and 40%-50% of RBD-specific memory B cells simultaneously bound the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants. Omicron-binding memory B cells were efficiently reactivated by a 3rd dose of wild-type vaccine and correlated with the corresponding increase in neutralizing antibody titers. In contrast, pre-3rd dose antibody titers inversely correlated with the fold-change of antibody boosting, suggesting that high levels of circulating antibodies may limit the added protection afforded by repeat short interval boosting. These data provide insight into the quantity and quality of mRNA-vaccine-induced immunity over time through 3 or more antigen exposures.

Rapid induction of antigen-specific CD4+ T cells is associated with coordinated humoral and cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination.

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines have shown remarkable clinical efficacy, but questions remain about the nature and kinetics of T cell priming. We performed longitudinal antigen-specific T cell analyses on healthy SARS-CoV-2-naive and recovered individuals prior to and following mRNA prime and boost vaccination. Vaccination induced rapid antigen-specific CD4+ T cell responses in naive subjects after the first dose, whereas CD8+ T cell responses developed gradually and were variable in magnitude. Vaccine-induced Th1 and Tfh cell responses following the first dose correlated with post-boost CD8+ T cells and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. Integrated analysis revealed coordinated immune responses with distinct trajectories in SARS-CoV-2-naive and recovered individuals. Last, whereas booster vaccination improved T cell responses in SARS-CoV-2-naive subjects, the second dose had little effect in SARS-CoV-2-recovered individuals. These findings highlight the role of rapidly primed CD4+ T cells in coordinating responses to the second vaccine dose in SARS-CoV-2-naive individuals.

Immunologic predictors of vaccine responsiveness in patients with lymphoma and CLL.

Patients with B-cell lymphomas have altered cellular components of vaccine responses due to malignancy and therapy, and the optimal timing of vaccination relative to therapy remains unknown. SARS-CoV-2 vaccines created an opportunity for new insights in vaccine timing because patients were challenged with a novel antigen across multiple phases of treatment. We studied serologic mRNA vaccine response in retrospective and prospective cohorts with lymphoma and CLL, paired with clinical and research immune parameters. Reduced serologic response was observed more frequently during active therapies, but non-response was also common within observation and post-treatment groups. Total IgA and IgM correlated with successful vaccine response. In individuals treated with CART-19, non-response was associated with reduced B and T follicular helper cells. Predictors of vaccine response varied by disease and therapeutic group, and therefore further studies of immune health during and after cancer therapies are needed to allow individualized vaccine timing.

Acute and long-term effects of antibiotics commonly used in laboratory animal medicine on the fecal microbiota.

Biomedical research relies on the use of animal models, and the animals used in those models receive medical care, including antibiotics for brief periods of time to treat conditions such as dermatitis, fight wounds, and suspected bacterial pathogens of unknown etiology. As many mouse model phenotypes are sensitive to changes in the gut microbiota, our goal was to examine the effect of antibiotics commonly administered to mice. Therefore, four treatment groups (subcutaneous enrofloxacin for 7 days, oral enrofloxacin for 14 days, oral trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole for 14 days, and topical triple antibiotic ointment for 14 days) alongside a fifth control group receiving no treatment (n = 12/group) were included in our study. Fecal samples were collected prior to treatment, immediately after two weeks of exposure, and four weeks after cessation of treatment, and subjected to 16S rRNA library sequencing. The entire experimental design was replicated in mice from two different suppliers. As expected, several treatments including enrofloxacin and triple antibiotic ointment substantially decreased the amount of DNA recovered from fecal material, as well as the microbial richness. Notably, many of these effects were long-lasting with diminished gut microbiota (GM) richness four weeks following exposure, in both substrains of mice. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole induced minimal to no discernible changes in the taxonomic composition beyond that seen in control mice. Collectively, these data highlight the need to consider the impact on GM of brief and seemingly routine use of antibiotics in the clinical care of research animals.

Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine.

Despite a clear role in protective immunity, the durability and quality of antibody and memory B cell responses induced by mRNA vaccination, particularly by a 3 rd dose of vaccine, remains unclear. Here, we examined antibody and memory B cell responses in a cohort of individuals sampled longitudinally for ∼9-10 months after the primary 2-dose mRNA vaccine series, as well as for ∼3 months after a 3 rd mRNA vaccine dose. Notably, antibody decay slowed significantly between 6- and 9-months post-primary vaccination, essentially stabilizing at the time of the 3 rd dose. Antibody quality also continued to improve for at least 9 months after primary 2-dose vaccination. Spike- and RBD-specific memory B cells were stable through 9 months post-vaccination with no evidence of decline over time, and ∼40-50% of RBD-specific memory B cells were capable of simultaneously recognizing the Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron variants. Omicron-binding memory B cells induced by the first 2 doses of mRNA vaccine were boosted significantly by a 3rd dose and the magnitude of this boosting was similar to memory B cells specific for other variants. Pre-3 rd dose memory B cell frequencies correlated with the increase in neutralizing antibody titers after the 3 rd dose. In contrast, pre-3 rd dose antibody titers inversely correlated with the fold-change of antibody boosting, suggesting that high levels of circulating antibodies may limit reactivation of immunological memory and constrain further antibody boosting by mRNA vaccines. These data provide a deeper understanding of how the quantity and quality of antibody and memory B cell responses change over time and number of antigen exposures. These data also provide insight into potential immune dynamics following recall responses to additional vaccine doses or post-vaccination infections.

Production of CFTR-null and CFTR-DeltaF508 heterozygous pigs by adeno-associated virus-mediated gene targeting and somatic cell nuclear transfer.

Progress toward understanding the pathogenesis of cystic fibrosis (CF) and developing effective therapies has been hampered by lack of a relevant animal model. CF mice fail to develop the lung and pancreatic disease that cause most of the morbidity and mortality in patients with CF. Pigs may be better animals than mice in which to model human genetic diseases because their anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, size, and genetics are more similar to those of humans. However, to date, gene-targeted mammalian models of human genetic disease have not been reported for any species other than mice. Here we describe the first steps toward the generation of a pig model of CF. We used recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) vectors to deliver genetic constructs targeting the CF transmembrane conductance receptor (CFTR) gene to pig fetal fibroblasts. We generated cells with the CFTR gene either disrupted or containing the most common CF-associated mutation (DeltaF508). These cells were used as nuclear donors for somatic cell nuclear transfer to porcine oocytes. We thereby generated heterozygote male piglets with each mutation. These pigs should be of value in producing new models of CF. In addition, because gene-modified mice often fail to replicate human diseases, this approach could be used to generate models of other human genetic diseases in species other than mice.

Widespread severe myodegeneration in a compound heterozygote female dog with dystrophin deficiency.

The University of Missouri (MU) has established a colony of dystrophin-deficient dogs with a mixed breed background to mirror the variable pathologic effects of dystrophinopathies between persons of a given kindred to further the understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of the variable phenotype; thus to facilitate discovery of an effective therapeutic strategy. Herein we report the phenotype and genotype of a normal-appearing 10-month-old colony female that died suddenly. At necropsy examination, there were reduced skeletal and laryngeal muscle volume and mild dilatation of the oesophagus. Microscopic findings consisted of extensive degeneration and regeneration of the axial skeletal, tongue, oesophageal, and laryngeal muscles that were characterized by considerable central nucleation, individual fibre mineralization and interstitial fibrosis. The myocardial findings were limited to infiltration of adipose cells in the interstitium. The female dog was a compound heterozygote with one X chromosome carrying a point mutation in intron 6 of the dystrophin gene and the other X chromosome carrying a repetitive element insertion in intron 13 of the dystrophin gene. Although the direct cause of death was uncertain, it might likely be due to sudden cardiac death as has been seen in Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients. This case demonstrated dystrophinopathy in female dogs that have no ameliorating normal X chromosome.

Distinct antibody and memory B cell responses in SARS-CoV-2 naïve and recovered individuals following mRNA vaccination.

Novel mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 have been authorized for emergency use. Despite their efficacy in clinical trials, data on mRNA vaccine-induced immune responses are mostly limited to serological analyses. Here, we interrogated antibody and antigen-specific memory B cells over time in 33 SARS-CoV-2 naïve and 11 SARS-CoV-2 recovered subjects. SARS-CoV-2 naïve individuals required both vaccine doses for optimal increases in antibodies, particularly for neutralizing titers against the B.1.351 variant. Memory B cells specific for full-length spike protein and the spike receptor binding domain (RBD) were also efficiently primed by mRNA vaccination and detectable in all SARS-CoV-2 naive subjects after the second vaccine dose, though the memory B cell response declined slightly with age. In SARS-CoV-2 recovered individuals, antibody and memory B cell responses were significantly boosted after the first vaccine dose; however, there was no increase in circulating antibodies, neutralizing titers, or antigen-specific memory B cells after the second dose. This robust boosting after the first vaccine dose strongly correlated with levels of pre-existing memory B cells in recovered individuals, identifying a key role for memory B cells in mounting recall responses to SARS-CoV-2 antigens. Together, our data demonstrated robust serological and cellular priming by mRNA vaccines and revealed distinct responses based on prior SARS-CoV-2 exposure, whereby COVID-19 recovered subjects may only require a single vaccine dose to achieve peak antibody and memory B cell responses. These findings also highlight the utility of defining cellular responses in addition to serologies and may inform SARS-CoV-2 vaccine distribution in a resource-limited setting.

Longitudinal Analysis Reveals Distinct Antibody and Memory B Cell Responses in SARS-CoV2 Naïve and Recovered Individuals Following mRNA Vaccination.

Novel mRNA vaccines for SARS-CoV2 have been authorized for emergency use and are currently being administered to millions of individuals worldwide. Despite their efficacy in clinical trials, there is limited data on vaccine-induced immune responses in individuals with a prior SARS-CoV2 infection compared to SARS-CoV2 naïve subjects. Moreover, how mRNA vaccines impact the development of antibodies as well as memory B cells in COVID-19 experienced versus COVID-19 naïve subjects remains poorly understood. In this study, we evaluated antibody responses and antigen-specific memory B cell responses over time in 33 SARS-CoV2 naïve and 11 SARS-CoV2 recovered subjects. mRNA vaccination induced significant antibody and memory B cell responses against full-length SARS-CoV2 spike protein and the spike receptor binding domain (RBD). SARS-CoV2 naïve individuals benefitted from both doses of mRNA vaccine with additional increases in antibodies and memory B cells following booster immunization. In contrast, SARS-CoV2 recovered individuals had a significant immune response after the first dose with no increase in circulating antibodies or antigen-specific memory B cells after the second dose. Moreover, the magnitude of the memory B cell response induced by vaccination was lower in older individuals, revealing an age-dependence to mRNA vaccine-induced B cell memory. Side effects also tended to associate with post-boost antibody levels, but not with post-boost memory B cells, suggesting that side effect severity may be a surrogate of short-term antibody responses. The frequency of pre-vaccine antigen-specific memory B cells in SARS-CoV2 recovered individuals strongly correlated with post-vaccine antibody levels, supporting a key role for memory B cells in humoral recall responses to SARS-CoV2. This observation may have relevance for future booster vaccines and for responses to viral variants that partially escape pre-existing antibodies and require new humoral responses to be generated from memory B cells. Finally, post-boost antibody levels were not correlated with post-boost memory responses in SARS-CoV2 naïve individuals, indicating that short-term antibody levels and memory B cells are complementary immunological endpoints that should be examined in tandem when evaluating vaccine response. Together, our data provide evidence of both serological response and immunological memory following mRNA vaccination that is distinct based on prior SARS-CoV2 exposure. These findings may inform vaccine distribution in a resource-limited setting.

mRNA Vaccination Induces Durable Immune Memory to SARS-CoV-2 with Continued Evolution to Variants of Concern.

SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines have shown remarkable efficacy, especially in preventing severe illness and hospitalization. However, the emergence of several variants of concern and reports of declining antibody levels have raised uncertainty about the durability of immune memory following vaccination. In this study, we longitudinally profiled both antibody and cellular immune responses in SARS-CoV-2 naïve and recovered individuals from pre-vaccine baseline to 6 months post-mRNA vaccination. Antibody and neutralizing titers decayed from peak levels but remained detectable in all subjects at 6 months post-vaccination. Functional memory B cell responses, including those specific for the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), and Delta (B.1.617.2) variants, were also efficiently generated by mRNA vaccination and continued to increase in frequency between 3 and 6 months post-vaccination. Notably, most memory B cells induced by mRNA vaccines were capable of cross-binding variants of concern, and B cell receptor sequencing revealed significantly more hypermutation in these RBD variant-binding clones compared to clones that exclusively bound wild-type RBD. Moreover, the percent of variant cross-binding memory B cells was higher in vaccinees than individuals who recovered from mild COVID-19. mRNA vaccination also generated antigen-specific CD8+ T cells and durable memory CD4+ T cells in most individuals, with early CD4+ T cell responses correlating with humoral immunity at later timepoints. These findings demonstrate robust, multi-component humoral and cellular immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and current variants of concern for at least 6 months after mRNA vaccination. Finally, we observed that boosting of pre-existing immunity with mRNA vaccination in SARS-CoV-2 recovered individuals primarily increased antibody responses in the short-term without significantly altering antibody decay rates or long-term B and T cell memory. Together, this study provides insights into the generation and evolution of vaccine-induced immunity to SARS-CoV-2, including variants of concern, and has implications for future booster strategies.

mRNA vaccines induce durable immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern.

The durability of immune memory after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccination remains unclear. In this study, we longitudinally profiled vaccine responses in SARS-CoV-2­naïve and ­recovered individuals for 6 months after vaccination. Antibodies declined from peak levels but remained detectable in most subjects at 6 months. By contrast, mRNA vaccines generated functional memory B cells that increased from 3 to 6 months postvaccination, with the majority of these cells cross-binding the Alpha, Beta, and Delta variants. mRNA vaccination further induced antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and early CD4+ T cell responses correlated with long-term humoral immunity. Recall responses to vaccination in individuals with preexisting immunity primarily increased antibody levels without substantially altering antibody decay rates. Together, these findings demonstrate robust cellular immune memory to SARS-CoV-2 and its variants for at least 6 months after mRNA vaccination.

Generation of cloned transgenic pigs rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Meat products are generally low in omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids, which are beneficial to human health. We describe the generation of cloned pigs that express a humanized Caenorhabditis elegans gene, fat-1, encoding an n-3 fatty acid desaturase. The hfat-1 transgenic pigs produce high levels of n-3 fatty acids from n-6 analogs, and their tissues have a significantly reduced ratio of n-6/n-3 fatty acids (P < 0.001).

Transmission probabilities of mouse parvovirus 1 to sentinel mice chronically exposed to serial dilutions of contaminated bedding.

Intermittent serodetection of mouse parvovirus (MPV) infections in animal facilities occurs frequently when soiled bedding sentinel mouse monitoring systems are used. We evaluated induction of seroconversion in naïve single-caged weanling ICR mice (n = 10 per group) maintained on 5-fold serially diluted contaminated bedding obtained from SCID mice persistently shedding MPV1e. Soiled bedding from the infected SCID mice was collected, diluted, and redistributed weekly to cages housing ICR mice to represent chronic exposure to MPV at varying prevalence in a research colony. Sera was collected every other week for 12 wk and evaluated for reactivity to MPV nonstructural and capsid antigens by multiplex fluorescent immunoassay. Mice were euthanized after seroconversion, and DNA extracted from lymph node and spleen was evaluated by quantitative PCR. Cumulative incidence of MPV infection for each of the 7 soiled bedding dilution groups (range, 1:5 to 1:78125 [v/v]) was 100%, 100%, 90%, 20%, 70%, 60%, and 20%, respectively. Most seropositive mice (78%) converted within the first 2 to 3 wk of soiled bedding exposure, correlating to viral exposure when mice were 4 to 7 wk of age. Viral DNA was detected in lymphoid tissues collected from all mice that were seropositive to VP2 capsid antigen, whereas viral DNA was not detected in lymphoid tissue of seronegative mice. These data indicate seroconversion occurs consistently in young mice exposed to high doses of virus equivalent to fecal MPV loads observed in acutely infected mice, whereas seroconversion is inconsistent in mice chronically exposed to lower doses of virus.

Effects of Fenbendazole-impregnated Feed and Topical Moxidectin during Quarantine on the Gut Microbiota of C57BL/6 Mice.

To protect the biosecurity of research rodent colonies, research institutions frequently require a quarantine period for live animals transferred into their facilities. Quarantine practices often include antibiotic and antiparasitic treatment with drugs such as fenbendazole and macrolide lactones. The influence of these compounds on the resident gut microbiota of mice is unknown, and any effects might subsequently affect model reproducibility. To test the influence of standard quarantine procedures on the composition of the microbiota, C57BL/6 mice, purchased from 2 different commercial suppliers, were randomly assigned to treatment groups (n = 12) by vendor and treated with fenbendazole-supplemented feed, topical moxidectin, both treatments, or no treatment (control), according to our institution's standard treatment regimen and duration. Feces were collected on arrival, immediately after completing the 8-wk treatment, and at 2 and 4 wk after treatment. Fecal DNA was extracted, sequenced, and analyzed to compare the changes in the microbiota of treated and control groups. Although significant main effects of time and treatment and interactions between those variables were detected in comparisons of richness, α-diversity, and ß-diversity, the effect sizes associated with any particular treatment were consistently much smaller than that associated with acclimation to a new facility in the absence of any quarantine treatments. This outcome, along with the visual evaluation of principal coordinate analysis based on multiple similarity indices, suggests that time or institution plays a larger role in alterations of the murine gut microbiota than do quarantine treatments on its composition.

Pharmacokinetics of Ceftiofur Crystalline-Free Acid in Clinically Healthy Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris).

Economical, injectable antibiotics are beneficial when clinical manifestations of an animal model prevent the use of oral antibiotics. Ceftiofur crystalline-free acid (CCFA) is an injectable, sustained-release form of ceftiofur, a third-generation cephalosporin that is labeled for use in swine, cattle, and horses. Because CCFA is an economical, injectable antibiotic that could be of value for use in research dogs, the objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetic properties of CCFA in apparently healthy dogs and to determine the minimal inhibitory concentrations of ceftiofur for veterinary pathogens cultured during 2011 through 2014 from the respiratory system, integumentary system, and urinary system of dogs. The study population comprised of 5 dogs (age, 1 y; weight, 24.7 to 26.9 kg) that were deemed healthy after no abnormalities were found on physical exam, CBC analysis, and clinical chemistry panel. Each dog received CCFA at 5.0 mg/kg SC, and blood samples were collected before administration of CCFA and at 1, 4, 8, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, 120, 144, 168, 192, 216, and 240 h after injection. The maximal plasma concentration (mean ± 1 SD) of CCFA was 1.98 ± 0.40 µ g/mL, time to reach maximal concentration was 22.3 ± 8.9 h, half-life was 56.6 ± 16.9 h, and AUC0-last was 124.98 ± 18.45 µ g-h/mL. The minimal inhibitory concentrations of ceftiofur ranged from ≤ 0.25 to ≥ 8.0 µ g/mL; ceftiofur was most effective against Pasteurella spp., Proteus spp., and Escherichia coli haemolytica and least effective against Bordatella bronchiseptica, Enterococcus spp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Evaluation of the acute phase response in cloned pigs following a lipopolysaccharide challenge.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the acute phase response (APR) in cloned pigs derived from two different cell lines [C1 (n = 2) and C2 (n = 7)] as compared to genetically similar non-cloned pigs (CONT; n = 11) following a lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 25 microg/kg BW) challenge. Pigs were weaned at 21 days of age and maintained in individual pens in the same room until sample collection approximately 1 week later. Blood samples were collected every 30 min for 2 h prior to and 4h after the LPS challenge. Serum samples were analyzed for cortisol, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Average gestational length for cloned pigs, 118.8 +/- 0.97 days, was longer (P < 0.005) than that of CONT pigs, 114+/-0.41 days. For serum cortisol, there was a time by group interaction (P < 0.0001) such that the cortisol response was greater in CONT pigs as compared to C2 pigs (P < 0.0001), but not different from C1 pigs (P > 0.74). A time by group interaction (P < 0.0001) was observed for serum TNF-alpha such that the TNF-alpha response was greater in CONT pigs as compared to C2 pigs (P = 0.0002) and tended to be greater (P < 0.06) than C1 pigs. A time by group interaction (P < 0.0001) was also observed for serum IL-6 such that the serum IL-6 response was greater (P < 0.003) in CONT pigs as compared to C2 pigs and there was a trend (P = 0.10) for serum IL-6 to be greater in CONT pigs compared to the C1 pigs. These are the first results to demonstrate that cortisol and proinflammatory cytokine profiles associated with the APR of cloned pigs are altered compared to genetically similar non-cloned pigs. Our results also indicate that the cell line from which clones are derived may dictate the APR. The hormone and cytokine profiles reported herein are a significant contribution towards our understanding, and perhaps our ability to prevent or reduce the incidence of premature deaths in cloned animals and warrants further investigation of the immune system of cloned animals.

Viral diseases of the rabbit.

Viral disease in the rabbit is encountered infrequently by the clinical practitioner; however, several viral diseases were reported to occur in this species. Viral diseases that are described in the rabbit primarily may affect the integument, gastrointestinal tract or, central nervous system or maybe multi-systemic in nature. Rabbit viral diseases range from oral papillomatosis, with benign clinical signs, to rabbit hemorrhagic disease and myxomatosis, which may result in significant clinical disease and mortality. The wild rabbit may serve as a reservoir for disease transmission for many of these viral agents. In general, treatment of viral disease in the rabbit is supportive in nature.

Cloned transgenic swine via in vitro production and cryopreservation.

It has been notoriously difficult to successfully cryopreserve swine embryos, a task that has been even more difficult for in vitro-produced embryos. The first reproducible method of cryopreserving in vivo-produced swine embryos was after centrifugation and removal of the lipids. Here we report the adaptation of a similar process that permits the cryopreservation of in vitro-produced somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) swine embryos. These embryos develop to the blastocyst stage and survive cryopreservation. Transfer of 163 cryopreserved SCNT embryos to two surrogates produced 10 piglets. Application of this technique may permit national and international movement of cloned transgenic swine embryos, storage until a suitable surrogate is available, or the long-term frozen storage of valuable genetics.