Intradermal-delivered DNA vaccine provides anamnestic protection in a rhesus macaque SARS-CoV-2 challenge model

Patel, A.; Walters, J.; Reuschel, E. L.; Schultheis, K.; Parzych, E.; Gary, E. N.; Maricic, I.; Purwar, M.; Eblimit, Z.; Walker, S. N.; Guimet, D.; Bhojnagarwala, P.; Doan, A.; Xu, Z.; Elwood, D.; Reeder, S. M.; Pessaint, L.; Kim, K. Y.; Cook, A.; Chokkalingam, N.; Finneyfrock, B.; Tello-Ruiz, E.; Dodson, A.; Choi, J.; Generotti, A.; Harrison, J.; Tursi, N. J.; Andrade, V. M.; Dia, Y.; Zaidi, F. I.; Anderson, H.; Lewis, M. G.; Muthumani, K.; Kim, J. J.; Kulp, D. W.; Humeau, L. M.; Ramos, S.; Smith, T. R.; Weiner, D. B.; Broderick, K. E.

doi:10.1101/2020.07.28.225649

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bioRxiv · 10.1101/2020.07.28.225649

Intradermal-delivered DNA vaccine provides anamnestic protection in a rhesus macaque SARS-CoV-2 challenge model

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Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has had a dramatic global impact on public health, social, and economic infrastructures. Here, we assess immunogenicity and anamnestic protective efficacy in rhesus macaques of the intradermal (ID)-delivered SARS-CoV-2 spike DNA vaccine, INO-4800. INO-4800 is an ID-delivered DNA vaccine currently being evaluated in clinical trials. Vaccination with INO-4800 induced T cell responses and neutralizing antibody responses against both the D614 and G614 SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins. Several months after vaccination, animals were challenged with SARS-CoV-2 resulting in rapid recall of anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike protein T and B cell responses. These responses were associated with lower viral loads in the lung and with faster nasal clearance of virus. These studies support the immune impact of INO-4800 for inducing both humoral and cellular arms of the adaptive immune system which are likely important for providing durable protection against COVID-19 disease.

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Patel, A., Walters, J., Reuschel, E. L., Schultheis, K., Parzych, E., Gary, E. N., Maricic, I., Purwar, M., Eblimit, Z., Walker, S. N., Guimet, D., Bhojnagarwala, P., Doan, A., Xu, Z., Elwood, D., Reeder, S. M., Pessaint, L., Kim, K. Y., Cook, A., Chokkalingam, N., Finneyfrock, B., Tello-Ruiz, E., Dodson, A., Choi, J., Generotti, A., Harrison, J., Tursi, N. J., Andrade, V. M., Dia, Y., Zaidi, F. I., Anderson, H., Lewis, M. G., Muthumani, K., Kim, J. J., Kulp, D. W., Humeau, L. M., Ramos, S., Smith, T. R., Weiner, D. B., Broderick, K. E.. 2020-07-29. Intradermal-delivered DNA vaccine provides anamnestic protection in a rhesus macaque SARS-CoV-2 challenge model. https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.07.28.225649

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