Plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants

Mammedov, T.; Yuksel, D.; Grbzaslan, I.; Ilgn, M.; Gulec, B.; Mammadova, G.; Ozdarendeli, A.; Islam Pavel, S. T.; Yetiskin, H.; Kaplan, B.; Uygut, M. A.; Hasanova, G.

doi:10.1101/2022.04.07.487347

bioRxiv · 10.1101/2022.04.07.487347

Plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants

Mammedov, T.·Yuksel, D.·Grbzaslan, I.·Ilgn, M.·Gulec, B.·Mammadova, G.·Ozdarendeli, A.·Islam Pavel, S. T.·Yetiskin, H.·Kaplan, B.·Uygut, M. A.·Hasanova, G.

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Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel and highly pathogenic coronavirus, which has caused an outbreak in Wuhan City, China, in 2019 and then spread rapidly throughout the world. Although several COVID-19 vaccines are currently available for mass immunization, they are less effective against emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially the Omicron (B.1.1.529). Recently, we successfully produced receptor-binding domain (RBD) variants of spike (S) protein of SARC-CoV-2 and an antigen cocktail in Nicotiana benthamiana, which are highly produced in plants and elicited high-titer antibodies with potent neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we demonstrate that these protein-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against Delta and Omicron variants. These data support that plant produced RBD and cocktail-based antigens are most promising vaccine candidates and may protect against Delta and Omicron-mediated COVID-19. Based on the neutralization ability, plant produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants.

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Mammedov, T., Yuksel, D., Grbzaslan, I., Ilgn, M., Gulec, B., Mammadova, G., Ozdarendeli, A., Islam Pavel, S. T., Yetiskin, H., Kaplan, B., Uygut, M. A., Hasanova, G.. 2022-04-08. Plant-produced RBD and cocktail-based vaccine candidates are highly effective against SARS-CoV-2, independently of its emerging variants. https://doi.org/10.1101/2022.04.07.487347

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