PreprintCited by 127SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchAnimal Virus Infections Studiesvaccines and immunoinformatics approaches

A prefusion SARS-CoV-2 spike RNA vaccine is highly immunogenic and prevents lung infection in non-human primates

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Vogel, Annette B., Kanevsky, Isis, Che, Ye, Swanson, Kena A., Muik, Alexander, Vormehr, Mathias, Kranz, Lena M., Walzer, Kerstin C. +53 more·2020·bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)

Abstract

To contain the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, a safe and effective vaccine against the new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is urgently needed in quantities sufficient to immunise large populations. In this study, we report the design, preclinical development, immunogenicity and anti-viral protective effect in rhesus macaques of the BNT162b2 vaccine candidate. BNT162b2 contains an LNP-formulated nucleoside-modified mRNA that encodes the spike glycoprotein captured in its prefusion conformation. After expression of the BNT162b2 coding sequence in cells, approximately 20% of the spike molecules are in the one-RBD ‘up’, two-RBD ‘down’ state. Immunisation of mice with a single dose of BNT162b2 induced dose level-dependent increases in pseudovirus neutralisation titers. Prime-boost vaccination of rhesus macaques elicited authentic SARS-CoV-2 neutralising geometric mean titers 10.2 to 18.0 times that of a SARS-CoV-2 convalescent human serum panel. BNT162b2 generated strong T H 1 type CD4 + and IFNγ + CD8 + T-cell responses in mice and rhesus macaques. The BNT162b2 vaccine candidate fully protected the lungs of immunised rhesus macaques from infectious SARS-CoV-2 challenge. BNT162b2 is currently being evaluated in a global, pivotal Phase 2/3 trial ( NCT04368728 ).

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Crossref · 10.1101/2020.09.08.280818

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  • 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 [28]

    The Results (page unavailable) report a Th1-biased response to BNT162b2 in rhesus macaques and no detectable viral RNA in bronchoalveolar lavage after challenge. The cited paper tests BNT162b2, not mRNA-1273, and the passages in our copy do not establish the claimed absence of pathologic lung infiltrates. (LLM, conf=0.83)

    Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • The two mRNA vaccines show >94% efficacy at preventing COVID-19 illness.

    “show >94% efficacy at preventing COVID-19 illness (44–47)”
  • BioNTech uses a segmented poly(A) tail whose two-tail structures are connected in tandem by a 10 bp UGC linker sequence (A30LA70).

    “For instance, BioNTech uses a segmented poly(A) tail whose two-tail structures are connected in tandem by a 10 bp UGC linker sequence (A30LA70).27,153”

    From Advances in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development (2022) · cites this paper as [27]

  • COVID-19 mRNA vaccines BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 developed by BioNTech employ TriLink Cap1 cap analog for co-transcriptional capping.

    “Currently, COVID-19 mRNA vaccines BNT162b1 and BNT162b2 developed by BioNTech employ TriLink Cap1 cap analog (m27,3′-O)Gppp(m2′-O)ApG for co-transcriptional capping.27,130”

    From Advances in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development (2022) · cites this paper as [27]

  • Many nucleoside-modified mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including BNT162b2, BNT162b1, BNT162b3, mRNA-1273, TAK919, mRNA-1273.211, mRNA-1273.351, mRNA-1283, ChulaCov19, and PTX-COVID19-B, have been approved for commercialization or entered clinical trials.

    “Many nucleoside-modified mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, including BNT162b2, BNT162b1, and BNT162b3 developed by BioNTech27,177; mRNA-1273, TAK919, mRNA-1273.211, mRNA-1273.351, mRNA-1283 developed by Moderna28,178; ChulaCov19 developed by Chulalongkorn University; and PTX-COVID19-B developed by Providence Therapeutics, have been approved for commercialization or entered clinical trials.104”

    From Advances in COVID-19 mRNA vaccine development (2022) · cites this paper as [27]

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Research works printed but not linked: 1

  1. Mulligan, M. J. et al. Phase 1/2 study of COVID-19 RNA vaccine BNT162b1 in adults. Nature; 10.1038/s41586-020-2639-4 (2020). · DOI · Paper page

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Authors
Vogel, A. B., Kanevsky, I., Che, Y., Swanson, K. A., Muik, A., Vormehr, M., Kranz, L. M., Walzer, K. C., Hein, S., Güler, A., Loschko, J., Maddur, M. S., Tompkins, K., Cole, J., Lui, B. G., Ziegenhals, T., Plaschke, A., Eisel, D., Dany, S. C., Fesser, S., Erbar, S., Bates, F., Schneider, D., Jesionek, B., Sänger, B., Wallisch, A.-K., Feuchter, Y., Junginger, H., Krumm, S. A., Heinen, A. P., Adams-Quack, P., Schlereth, J., Kröner, C., Hall-Ursone, S., Brasky, K., Griffor, M. C., Han, S., Lees, J. A., Mashalidis, E. H., Sahasrabudhe, P. V., Tan, C. Y., Pavliakova, D., Singh, G., Fontes-Garfias, C., Pride, M., Scully, I. L., Ciolino, T., Obregon, J., Gazi, M., Carrion, R., Alfson, K. J., Kalina, W. V., Kaushal, D., Shi, P.-Y., Klamp, T., Rosenbaum, C., Kuhn, A. N., Türeci, Ö., Dormitzer, P. R., Jansen, K. U., & Sahin, U.
Affiliations
  • BioNTech (Germany) (DE)
  • Pfizer (United States) (US)
  • Texas Biomedical Research Institute (US)
  • The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (US)
Venue
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)
Publisher
openRxiv
Published
2020-09-08
OpenAlex
W3084228540
Cited by
126
References
47
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 1 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 72 · 2020: 9
Type
posted content
Language
en
Open access
Locations
bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Pfizer
  • Instituto Millenium
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
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
Keywords
BNT162b2, COVID-19 vaccines, mRNA vaccines, lipid nanoparticle formulation, nucleoside-modified mRNA, rhesus monkeys, immunogenicity, neutralizing antibodies, T cell response, COVID-19 pandemic

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