OVX033, a nucleocapsid-based vaccine candidate, provides broad-spectrum protection against SARS-CoV-2 variants in a hamster challenge model

Front Immunol. 2023 Jun 19:14:1188605. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1188605. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

Spike-based COVID-19 vaccines induce potent neutralizing antibodies but their efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants decreases. OVX033 is a recombinant protein composed of the full-length nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 genetically fused to oligoDOM®, a self-assembling domain which improves antigen immunogenicity. OVX033 including N as an antigenic target is proposed as new vaccine candidate providing broad-spectrum protection against sarbecoviruses. OVX033 demonstrated its ability to trigger cross-reactive T cell responses and cross-protection against three variants of SARS-CoV-2 (B.1 Europe, Delta B.1.617.2, and Omicron B.1.1.529) in a hamster challenge model, as evidenced by lower weight loss, lower lung viral loads, and reduced lung histopathological lesions.

Keywords: T cell immunity; broad-spectrum protection; cross-reactive immune responses; lung histopathology; lung viral load; recombinant nucleocapsid; sarbecovirus vaccine; universal vaccine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • COVID-19* / prevention & control
  • Cricetinae
  • Humans
  • Nucleocapsid
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Vaccines*

Substances

  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Vaccines

Supplementary concepts

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants

Grants and funding

The authors declare that this study received funding from BPI France (No DOS0123291) delivered to Osivax. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of this article, or the decision to submit it for publication. Osivax received the support of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program under grant agreement No 961112. ANSES received the support of the European Virus Archive GLOBAL (EVA-GLOBAL) project that has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 871029. Founder, Elodie Monchâtre-Leroy, ANSES.