mRNA vaccines encoding a single spike protein effectively prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. However, the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants leads to a wide range of immune evasion. Herein, a unique trivalent mRNA vaccine based on ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron variant spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) mRNAs was developed to tackle the immune evasion of the variants. First, three RBD mRNAs of SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron were coencapsulated into lipid nanoparticles (LNPs) by using microfluidic technology. After that, the physicochemical properties and time-dependent storage stability of the trivalent mRNA vaccine nanoformulation were tested by using dynamic light scattering (DLS). In vitro, the trivalent mRNA vaccine exhibited better lysosomal escape ability, transfection efficiency, and biocompatibility than did the commercial transfection reagent Lipo3000. In addition, Western blot analyses confirmed that the three RBD proteins can be detected in cells transfected with the trivalent mRNA vaccine. Furthermore, ex vivo imaging analysis indicated that the livers of BALB/c mice had the strongest protein expression levels after intramuscular (IM) injection. Using a prime-boost strategy, this trivalent vaccine elicited robust humoral and T-cell immune responses in both the high-dose and low-dose groups and showed no toxicity in BALB/c mice. Three specific IgG antibodies in the high-dose group against SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron variants approached ∼1/1,833,333, ∼1/1,866,667, and ∼1/925,000, respectively. Taken together, two doses of inoculation with the trivalent mRNA vaccine may provide broad and effective immunization responses against SARS-CoV-2 and variants.
Keywords: Lipid nanoparticle; SARS-CoV-2; immune evasion; trivalent mRNA vaccine; variant.