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mRNA-1273 vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 Delta wanes over time; however, there are limited data on the impact of durability of immune responses on protection. Here, we immunized rhesus macaques and assessed immune responses over one year in blood, upper and lower airways. Serum neutralizing titers to Delta were 280 and 34 reciprocal ID50 at weeks 6 (peak) and 48 (challenge), respectively. Antibody binding titers also decreased in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Four days after Delta challenge, virus was unculturable in BAL and subgenomic RNA declined by ∼3-log10 compared to control animals. In nasal swabs, sgRNA was reduced by 1-log10 and virus remained culturable. Anamnestic antibodies (590-fold increased titer) but not T cell responses were detected in BAL by day 4 post-challenge. mRNA-1273-mediated protection in the lungs is durable but delayed and potentially dependent on anamnestic antibody responses. Rapid and sustained protection in upper and lower airways may eventually require a boost., A study looking at the immunity against the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant one year after mRNA vaccination founds a durable but delayed anamnestic antibody responses in the lung but limited protection in the upper airway and low neutralizing responses, thus advocating for booster shots for durable upper and lower airway immunity.

mRNA-1273 vaccine efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 Delta wanes over time; however, there are limited data on the impact of durability of immune responses on protection. We immunized rhesus macaques at weeks 0 and 4 and assessed immune responses over one year in blood, upper and lower airways. Serum neutralizing titers to Delta were 280 and 34 reciprocal ID50 at weeks 6 (peak) and 48 (challenge), respectively. Antibody binding titers also decreased in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Four days after challenge, virus was unculturable in BAL and subgenomic RNA declined ∼3-log10 compared to control animals. In nasal swabs, sgRNA declined 1-log10 and virus remained culturable. Anamnestic antibody responses (590-fold increase) but not T cell responses were detected in BAL by day 4 post-challenge. mRNA-1273-mediated protection in the lungs is durable but delayed and potentially dependent on anamnestic antibody responses. Rapid and sustained protection in upper and lower airways may eventually require a boost.

BackgroundThe unprecedented 2014 epidemic of Ebola virus disease (EVD) prompted an international response to accelerate the availability of a preventive vaccine. A replication-defective recombinant chimpanzee adenovirus type 3–vectored ebolavirus vaccine (cAd3-EBO), encoding the glycoprotein from Zaire and Sudan species, that offers protection in the nonhuman primate model, was rapidly advanced into phase 1 clinical evaluation. MethodsWe conducted a phase 1, dose-escalation, open-label trial of cAd3-EBO. Twenty healthy adults, in sequentially enrolled groups of 10 each, received vaccination intramuscularly in doses of 2×1010 particle units or 2×1011 particle units. Primary and secondary end points related to safety and immunogenicity were assessed throughout the first 8 weeks after vaccination; in addition, longer-term vaccine durability was assessed at 48 weeks after vaccination. ResultsIn this small study, no safety concerns were identified; however, transient fever developed within 1 day after vaccinat...

Antibodies block Ebola virus entry The recent Ebola virus outbreak in West Africa illustrates the need for both an effective vaccine and therapies to treat infected individuals. Corti et al. isolated two monoclonal antibodies from a survivor of the 1995 Kikwit outbreak and demonstrated their therapeutic efficacy in Ebola virus–infected macaques. In fact, one antibody protected macaques when it was given up to 5 days after infection. Misasi et al. solved the crystal structures of fragments of the two antibodies bound to the Ebola virus glycoprotein (GP), which mediates viral cell entry. The two antibodies targeted different regions of GP, but in both cases blocked steps required for viral entry. Science , this issue pp. 1339 & 1343

The majority of vaccines and several treatments are administered by intramuscular injection. The aim is to engage and activate immune cells, although they are rare in normal skeletal muscle. The phenotype and function of resident as well as infiltrating immune cells in the muscle after injection are largely unknown. While methods for obtaining and characterizing murine muscle cell suspensions have been reported, protocols for nonhuman primates (NHPs) have not been well defined. NHPs comprise important in vivo models for studies of immune cell function due to their high degree of resemblance with humans. In this study, we developed and systematically compared methods to collect vaccine-injected muscle tissue to be processed into single cell suspensions for flow cytometric characterization of immune cells. We found that muscle tissue processed by mechanical disruption alone resulted in significantly lower immune cell yields compared to enzymatic digestion using Liberase. Dendritic cell subsets, monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, B cells, T cells and NK cells were readily detected in the muscle by the classical human markers. The methods for obtaining skeletal muscle cell suspension established here offer opportunities to increase the understanding of immune responses in the muscle, and provides a basis for defining immediate post-injection vaccine responses in primates.

Zaire ebolavirus (EBOV), one of five species in the genus Ebolavirus, is the causative agent of the hemorrhagic fever disease epidemic that claimed more than 11,000 lives from 2014 to 2016 in West Africa. The combination of EBOV’s ability to disseminate broadly and rapidly within the host and its high pathogenicity pose unique challenges to the human immune system postinfection. Potential transmission from apparently healthy EBOV survivors reported in the recent epidemic raises questions about EBOV persistence and immune surveillance mechanisms. Clinical, virological, and immunological data collected since the West Africa epidemic have greatly enhanced our knowledge of host–virus interactions. However, critical knowledge gaps remain in our understanding of what is necessary for an effective host immune response for protection against, or for clearance of, EBOV infection. This review provides an overview of immune responses against EBOV and discusses those associated with the success or failure to control EBOV infection.

International audience; Nipah virus (NiV) and Hendra virus (HeV) are closely related, recently emerged paramyxoviruses that are capable of causing considerable morbidity and mortality in several mammalian species, including humans. Henipavirus-specific vaccines are still commercially unavailable, and development of novel antiviral strategies to prevent lethal infections due to henipaviruses is highly desirable. Here we describe the development of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vaccines expressing the NiV G protein. Characterization of these vaccines in mice demonstrated that a single intramuscular AAV injection was sufficient to induce a potent and long-lasting antibody response. Translational studies in hamsters further demonstrated that all vaccinated animals were protected against lethal challenge with NiV. In addition, this vaccine induced a cross-protective immune response that was able to protect 50% of the animals against a challenge by HeV. This study presents a new efficient vaccination strategy against henipaviruses and opens novel perspectives on the use of AAV vectors as vaccines against emergent diseases.