1. RBD and Spike DNA-Based Immunization in Rabbits Elicited IgG Avidity Maturation and High Neutralizing Antibody Responses against SARS-CoV-2.
- Author
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da Costa, Hernan H. M., Orts, Diego J. B., Moura, Andrew D., Duarte-Neto, Amaro N., Cirqueira, Cinthya S., Réssio, Rodrigo A., Kanamura, Cristina T., Miguita, Karen, Ferreira, Jerenice E., Santos, Raimunda T. M., Adriani, Patricia P., Cunha-Junior, Jair P., Astray, Renato M., Catarino, Regina M., Lancelotti, Marcelo, and Prudencio, Carlos R.
- Subjects
ANTIBODY formation ,COVID-19 ,SARS-CoV-2 ,IMMUNOGLOBULIN G ,IMMUNIZATION - Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are a critical part of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) research as they are used to gain insight into the immune response to severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections. Among the technologies available for generating nAbs, DNA-based immunization methods are an alternative to conventional protocols. In this pilot study, we investigated whether DNA-based immunization by needle injection in rabbits was a viable approach to produce a functional antibody response. We demonstrated that three doses of DNA plasmid carrying the gene encoding the full-length spike protein (S) or the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 induced a time-dependent increase in IgG antibody avidity maturation. Moreover, the IgG antibodies displayed high cross neutralization by live SARS-CoV-2 and pseudoviruses neutralization assays. Thus, we established a simple, low cost and feasible DNA-based immunization protocol in rabbits that elicited high IgG avidity maturation and nAbs production against SARS-CoV-2, highlighting the importance of DNA-based platforms for developing new immunization strategies against SARS-CoV-2 and future emerging epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2023
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