Cited by 518SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchAnimal Virus Infections Studiesvaccines and immunoinformatics approaches

Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 pseudovirus by BNT162b2 vaccine–elicited human sera

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Muik, Alexander, Wallisch, Ann-Kathrin, Sänger, Bianca, Swanson, Kena A., Mühl, Julia, Chen, Wei, Cai, Hui, Maurus, Daniel +4 more·2021·Science

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Abstract

Vaccine protects against B1.1.7 variant: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) B1.1.7 (VOC 202012/01) variant that emerged in late 2020 in the United Kingdom has many changes in the spike protein gene. Three of these are associated with enhanced infectivity and transmissibility, and there are concerns that B.1.1.7 might compromise the effectiveness of the vaccine. Muik et al. compared the neutralization efficacy of sera from 40 subjects immunized with the BioNTech-Pfizer mRNA vaccine BNT162b2 against a pseudovirus bearing the Wuhan reference strain or the lineage B.1.1.7 spike protein (see the Perspective by Altmann et al. ). Serum was derived from 40 subjects in two age groups 21 days after the booster shot. The vaccine remained effective against B.1.1.7 with a slight but significant decrease in neutralization that was more apparent in participants under 55 years of age. Thus, the vaccine provides a significant “cushion” of protection against this variant. Science , this issue p. 1152 ; see also p. 1103

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  • Together with reports of preserved neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 with key B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 spike mutations and of pseudovirus with the full B.1.1.7 spike mutation set, our data indicate broad BNT162b2-elicited immune recognition.

    “Together with recent reports of the preserved neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 with key S mutations found in the B.1.1.7 and the B.1.351lineage 39,40 , and neutralization of pseudovirus bearing the full set of mutations of B.1.1.7 S 41 , our data indicate broad BNT162b2-elicited immune recognition 2,13,14 .”
  • Neutralizing activity of mRNA vaccines against B.1.351 was lower by a factor of 8.6 for mRNA-1273 and 6.5 for BNT-162b2 than against D614G, with no difference against B.1.1.7-like mutant.

    “Neutralizing activity of the two mRNA vaccines against the B.1.351 variant has also been observed to be lower, by a factor of 8.6 (mRNA-1273 vaccine [Moderna]) or 6.5 (BNT-162b2 vaccine [Pfizer]) on pseudovirus neutralization assay, than activity against the D614G virus, whereas no difference was evident against the N510Y.V1 (B.1.1.7)–like mutant.19,28,29”
  • Neutralizing activity of vaccinee sera against B.1.1.7 is largely intact, and no adverse effects on current vaccines are expected.

    “As for the ramifications of our findings for the protective efficacy of current SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, the neutralizing activity of sera from vaccinated individuals against B.1.1.7 is largely intact and no adverse effects on current vaccines are expected (Fig. 4c), consistent with conclusions that were reached by other studies 34,40,41 .”
  • The impact of B.1.1.7 mutations on neutralizing antibody titers is moderate.

    “In general, the impact of B.1.1.7 mutations on neutralizing antibody titers is moderate.15, 16, 17, 18,20,24”
  • Pseudoparticles bearing B.1.1.7 S protein are efficiently neutralized by sera from BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals.

    “Our finding that entry driven by the S protein of the B.1.1.7 variant can be efficiently inhibited by antibodies induced upon infection and vaccination is in agreement with those of Muik and colleagues, who reported that pseudoparticles bearing the B.1.1.7 S protein are efficiently neutralized by sera from BNT162b2-vaccinated individuals (Muik et al., 2021).”

    From SARS-CoV-2 variants B.1.351 and P.1 escape from neutralizing antibodies (2021) · cites this paper as Muik et al., 2021

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Authors
Muik, A., Wallisch, A.-K., Sänger, B., Swanson, K. A., Mühl, J., Chen, W., Cai, H., Maurus, D., Sarkar, R., Türeci, Ö., Dormitzer, P. R., & Şahin, U.
Affiliations
  • BioNTech (Germany) (DE)
  • Pfizer (United States) (US)
  • Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
Corresponding author
Şahin, Uğur
Venue
Science
Published
2021-03-12
Volume
371
Issue
6534
Pages
1152-1153
ISSN
  • 0036-8075 (ISSN-L)
  • 1095-9203
OpenAlex
W3123108673
Cited by
515
References
12
Citations by year
2026: 4 · 2025: 8 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 34 · 2022: 152 · 2021: 298 · 2020: 2
FWCI
39.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Science (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Pfizer
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
SARS-CoV-2, B.1.1.7 lineage, BNT162b2, mRNA vaccines, neutralizing antibodies, spike protein mutations, vaccine escape, pseudovirus neutralization
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Vaccines, BNT162 Vaccine, Adult, Aged, Antibodies, Viral, China, Female, United Kingdom, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Neutralization Tests, Young Adult, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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