Cited by 1,066SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchAnimal Virus Infections StudiesCOVID-19 Clinical Research Studies

Evaluation of the mRNA-1273 Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 in Nonhuman Primates

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Corbett, Kizzmekia S., Flynn, Barbara, Foulds, Kathryn E., Francica, Joseph R., Boyoglu-Barnum, Seyhan, Werner, Anne P., Flach, Britta, O’Connell, Sarah +66 more·2020·New England Journal of Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Vaccines to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) are urgently needed. The effect of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines on viral replication in both upper and lower airways is important to evaluate in nonhuman primates. METHODS: Nonhuman primates received 10 or 100 μg of mRNA-1273, a vaccine encoding the prefusion-stabilized spike protein of SARS-CoV-2, or no vaccine. Antibody and T-cell responses were assessed before upper- and lower-airway challenge with SARS-CoV-2. Active viral replication and viral genomes in bronchoalveolar-lavage (BAL) fluid and nasal swab specimens were assessed by polymerase chain reaction, and histopathological analysis and viral quantification were performed on lung-tissue specimens. RESULTS: ) geometric mean titers of 501 in the 10-μg dose group and 3481 in the 100-μg dose group. Vaccination induced type 1 helper T-cell (Th1)-biased CD4 T-cell responses and low or undetectable Th2 or CD8 T-cell responses. Viral replication was not detectable in BAL fluid by day 2 after challenge in seven of eight animals in both vaccinated groups. No viral replication was detectable in the nose of any of the eight animals in the 100-μg dose group by day 2 after challenge, and limited inflammation or detectable viral genome or antigen was noted in lungs of animals in either vaccine group. CONCLUSIONS: Vaccination of nonhuman primates with mRNA-1273 induced robust SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing activity, rapid protection in the upper and lower airways, and no pathologic changes in the lung. (Funded by the National Institutes of Health and others.).

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Crossref · 10.1056/nejmoa2024671

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  • The mRNA-1273 vaccine is a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA-based vaccine that encodes the prefusion-stabilized full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.

    “The mRNA-1273 vaccine is a lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated mRNA-based vaccine that encodes the prefusion stabilized full-length spike protein of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus that causes Covid-19.”

    From Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (2021) · cites this paper as [14]

    The Methods section, “Vaccine mRNA and Lipid Nanoparticle Production” (page unavailable), says the vaccine mRNA encodes prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 S-2P protein and is encapsulated in a lipid nanoparticle. Our copy does not explicitly establish that the encoded spike protein is full-length; its use of “full-length” elsewhere refers to the virus used in a neutralization assay, not the vaccine antigen. (LLM, conf=0.78)

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  • All U nucleotides were replaced by N1-methylpseudouridine (Ψ) in the vaccines.

    “As mammalian host cells attack unmodified exogeneous RNA [12,13], all U nucleotides were replaced by N1-methylpseudouridine (Ψ) [14,15].”

    From Detailed Dissection and Critical Evaluation of the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna mRNA Vaccines (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

    The Discussion (page not provided) says nucleoside modifications can reduce innate immune stimulation, and the Methods describe the vaccine mRNA. Neither passage specifies that every U nucleotide in mRNA-1273 was replaced with N1-methylpseudouridine. (LLM, conf=0.80)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Preclinical testing of mRNA-1273 and other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in advanced clinical evaluation has shown a Th1-skewed vaccine response and no pathologic lung infiltrates.

    “Of note, preclinical testing of mRNA-1273 and other SARS-CoV-2 vaccines in advanced clinical evaluation has shown a Th1-skewed vaccine response and no pathologic lung infiltrates. 15,26-28”

    From Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

  • The mRNA-1273 vaccine demonstrated protection in animal-challenge experiments and encouraging safety and immunogenicity in early-stage human testing.

    “The mRNA-1273 vaccine demonstrated protection in animal-challenge experiments 15 and encouraging safety and immunogenicity in early-stage human testing. 1,4”

    From Efficacy and Safety of the mRNA-1273 SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine (2021) · cites this paper as [15]

  • Neutralizing antibody titres induced by CV2CoV in this study appear similar to those reported for other mRNA vaccines in macaques.

    “The neutralizing antibody titres induced by CV2CoV in this study also appear to be similar to those reported for other mRNA vaccines in macaques27,28.”

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Research works printed but not linked: 8

  1. [6]Corbett KS, Edwards D, Leist SR, et al. SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine development enabled by prototype pathogen preparedness. June 11, 2020 (https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.11.145920v1). preprint. PMC7581537 32756549 · DOI
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Authors
Corbett, K. S., Flynn, B., Foulds, K. E., Francica, J. R., Boyoglu-Barnum, S., Werner, A. P., Flach, B., O’Connell, S., Bock, K. W., Minai, M., Nagata, B. M., Andersen, H., Martinez, D. R., Noe, A. T., Douek, N., Donaldson, M. M., Nji, N. N., Alvarado, G. S., Edwards, D. K., Flebbe, D. R., Lamb, E., Doria-Rose, N. A., Lin, B. C., Louder, M. K., O’Dell, S., Schmidt, S. D., Phung, E., Chang, L. A., Yap, C., Todd, J.-P. M., Pessaint, L., Van Ry, A., Browne, S., Greenhouse, J., Putman-Taylor, T., Strasbaugh, A., Campbell, T.-A., Cook, A., Dodson, A., Steingrebe, K., Shi, W., Zhang, Y., Abiona, O. M., Wang, L., Pegu, A., Yang, E. S., Leung, K., Zhou, T., Teng, I.-T., Widge, A., Gordon, I., Novik, L., Gillespie, R. A., Loomis, R. J., Moliva, J. I., Stewart-Jones, G., Himansu, S., Kong, W.-P., Nason, M. C., Morabito, K. M., Ruckwardt, T. J., Ledgerwood, J. E., Gaudinski, M. R., Kwong, P. D., Mascola, J. R., Carfi, A., Lewis, M. G., Baric, R. S., McDermott, A., Moore, I. N., Sullivan, N. J., Roederer, M., Seder, R. A., & Graham, B. S.
Affiliations
  • George Washington University (US)
  • From the Vaccine Research Center (K.S.C., B. Flynn, K.E.F., J.R.F., S.B.-B., A.P.W., B. Flach, S. O’Connell, A.T.N., N.D., M.M.D., N.N.N., G.S.A., D.R.F., E.L., N.A.D.-R., B.C.L., M.K.L., S. O’Dell, S.D.S., E.P., L.A.C., C.Y., J.-P.M.T., W.S., Y.Z., O.M.A., L.W., A.P., E.S.Y., K.L., T.Z., I.-T.T., A.W., I.G., L.N., R.A.G., R.J.L., J.I.M., W.-P.K., K.M.M., T.J.R., J.E.L., M.R.G., P.D.K., J.R.M., A.M., N.J.S., M.R., R.A.S., B.S.G.), the Infectious Disease Pathogenesis Section (K.W.B., M.M., B.M.N., M...
Corresponding author
Graham, Barney S.
Venue
New England Journal of Medicine
Published
2020-10-15
Volume
383
Issue
16
Pages
1544-1555
ISSN
  • 0028-4793 (ISSN-L)
  • 1533-4406
OpenAlex
W3046061621
Cited by
1,066
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 38 · 2025: 57 · 2024: 84 · 2023: 105 · 2022: 246 · 2021: 438 · 2020: 95 · 2013: 1
FWCI
29.10
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • New England Journal of Medicine (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Carolina Digital Repository (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) (submittedVersion)
  • UNC Libraries
Funders
  • National Institutes of Health (1f32ai152296-01a1)
  • National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (F32 AI152296, T32AI007151)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › COVID-19 Clinical Research Studies
Keywords
mRNA-1273 vaccine, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 vaccines, non-human primates, neutralizing antibodies, bronchoalveolar lavage, lung histopathology, vaccine dose comparison
MeSH terms
Betacoronavirus, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Vaccines, 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273, COVID-19 Serotherapy, Animals, Antibodies, Viral, Disease Models, Animal, Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic, Immunization, Passive, Lung, Macaca mulatta, Pneumonia, Viral, T-Lymphocytes, Viral Vaccines, Virus Replication, CD4 Antigens, Coronavirus Infections, Viral Load, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Pandemics, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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