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Objectives: (1) To plot the trajectory of humoral and cellular immune responses to the primary (two-dose) COVID-19 mRNA series and the third/booster dose in B-cell-depleted multiple sclerosis (MS) patients up to 2 years post-vaccination; (2) to identify predictors of immune responses to vaccination; and (3) to assess the impact of intercurrent COVID-19 infections on SARS CoV-2-specific immunity., Methods: Sixty ocrelizumab-treated MS patients were enrolled from NYU (New York) and University of Colorado (Anschutz) MS Centers. Samples were collected pre-vaccination, and then 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks post-primary series, and 4, 12, 24, and 48 weeks post-booster. Binding anti-Spike antibody responses were assessed with multiplex bead-based immunoassay (MBI) and electrochemiluminescence (Elecsys®, Roche Diagnostics), and neutralizing antibody responses with live-virus immunofluorescence-based microneutralization assay. Spike-specific cellular responses were assessed with IFNγ/IL-2 ELISpot (Invitrogen) and, in a subset, by sequencing complementarity determining regions (CDR)-3 within T-cell receptors (Adaptive Biotechnologies). A linear mixed-effect model was used to compare antibody and cytokine levels across time points. Multivariate analyses identified predictors of immune responses., Results: The primary vaccination induced an 11- to 208-fold increase in binding and neutralizing antibody levels and a 3- to 4-fold increase in IFNγ/IL-2 responses, followed by a modest decline in antibody but not cytokine responses. Booster dose induced a further 3- to 5-fold increase in binding antibodies and 4- to 5-fold increase in IFNγ/IL-2, which were maintained for up to 1 year. Infections had a variable impact on immunity., Interpretation: Humoral and cellular benefits of COVID-19 vaccination in B-cell-depleted MS patients were sustained for up to 2 years when booster doses were administered., (© 2024 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Objective: To compare "hybrid immunity" (prior COVID-19 infection plus vaccination) and post-vaccination immunity to SARS CoV-2 in MS patients on different disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) and to assess the impact of vaccine product and race/ethnicity on post-vaccination immune responses., Methods: Consecutive MS patients from NYU MS Care Center (New York, NY), aged 18-60, who completed primary COVID-19 vaccination series ≥6 weeks previously were evaluated for SARS CoV-2-specific antibody responses with electro-chemiluminescence and multiepitope bead-based immunoassays and, in a subset, live virus immunofluorescence-based microneutralization assay. SARS CoV-2-specific cellular responses were assessed with cellular stimulation TruCulture IFNγ and IL-2 assay and, in a subset, with IFNγ and IL-2 ELISpot assays. Multivariate analyses examined associations between immunologic responses and prior COVID-19 infection while controlling for age, sex, DMT at vaccination, time-to-vaccine, and vaccine product., Results: Between 6/01/2021 and 11/11/2021, 370 MS patients were recruited (mean age 40.6 years; 76% female; 53% non-White; 22% with prior infection; common DMT classes: ocrelizumab 40%; natalizumab 15%, sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor modulators 13%; and no DMT 8%). Vaccine-to-collection time was 18.7 (±7.7) weeks and 95% of patients received mRNA vaccines. In multivariate analyses, patients with laboratory-confirmed prior COVID-19 infection had significantly increased antibody and cellular post-vaccination responses compared to those without prior infection. Vaccine product and DMT class were independent predictors of antibody and cellular responses, while race/ethnicity was not., Interpretation: Prior COVID-19 infection is associated with enhanced antibody and cellular post-vaccine responses independent of DMT class and vaccine type. There were no differences in immune responses across race/ethnic groups., (© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the impact of multiple sclerosis (MS) disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) on the development of cellular and humoral immunity to severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection., Methods: Patients with MS aged 18 to 60 years were evaluated for anti-nucleocapsid and anti-Spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) antibody with electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay; antibody responses to Spike protein, RBD, N-terminal domain with multiepitope bead-based immunoassays (MBI); live virus immunofluorescence-based microneutralization assay; T-cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 Spike using TruCulture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); and IL-2 and IFNγ ELISpot assays. Assay results were compared by DMT class. Spearman correlation and multivariate analyses were performed to examine associations between immunologic responses and infection severity., Results: Between January 6, 2021, and July 21, 2021, 389 patients with MS were recruited (mean age 40.3 years; 74% women; 62% non-White). Most common DMTs were ocrelizumab (OCR)-40%; natalizumab -17%, Sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor (S1P) modulators -12%; and 15% untreated. One hundred seventy-seven patients (46%) had laboratory evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection; 130 had symptomatic infection, and 47 were asymptomatic. Antibody responses were markedly attenuated in OCR compared with other groups (p ≤0.0001). T-cell responses (IFNγ) were decreased in S1P (p = 0.03), increased in natalizumab (p <0.001), and similar in other DMTs, including OCR. Cellular and humoral responses were moderately correlated in both OCR (r = 0.45, p = 0.0002) and non-OCR (r = 0.64, p <0.0001). Immune responses did not differ by race/ethnicity. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical course was mostly non-severe and similar across DMTs; 7% (9/130) were hospitalized., Interpretation: DMTs had differential effects on humoral and cellular immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 infection. Immune responses did not correlate with COVID-19 clinical severity in this relatively young and nondisabled group of patients with MS. ANN NEUROL 2022;91:782-795., (© 2022 The Authors. Annals of Neurology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Neurological Association.)

The breakthrough of a model virus, bacteriophage PhiX-174, through normal-flow virus filters was studied using both commercial process fluids and model feed streams. The results indicate that (i) PhiX-174 is a reasonable model for a mammalian parvovirus [MMV (murine minute virus)] in virus filtration studies; (ii) PhiX-174 LRV [log(reduction value)] shows a better correlation with percentage flow decline compared with volume processed under a variety of conditions; (iii) although the extent of decline in virus LRV is dependent on the mechanism of filter fouling, the fouling mechanisms operative in a viral validation study are representative of those likely to be found under actual production conditions. The mechanism of LRV decline by many process streams was proposed to be due to selective plugging of small pores. A theoretical model as well as a predictive equation for LRV decline versus flow decay was derived; experimental results from filtration studies using pore-plugging feed stocks were consistent with the equation. As protein solutions may vary in their adsorptive versus plugging behaviour during filtration, an evaluation of the LRV-versus-flow-decay relationship on a biopharmaceutical-product-specific basis may be warranted.

Replication-defective adenoviruses are effective vehicles for gene transfer, both for the repair of defective genes and for studies of gene function in primary cells. Many cell types, including lymphocytes, are refractory to adenovirus infection because they lack the Coxsackie/adenovirus receptor (CAR) needed for virus attachment. To extend the advantages of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to primary lymphoid populations and other cell types lacking endogenous CAR, we produced a mouse that expresses human (h) CAR as a transgene under control of a murine MHC class I promoter. hCAR protein is expressed on T and B lymphocytes from a variety of organs (spleen, lymph node, bone marrow, thymus, and peritoneum). These lymphocytes are susceptible to adenovirus infection, as demonstrated by reporter green fluorescent protein gene expression, with the fraction of expressing cells as high as 70%. Some lymphocyte subpopulations required stimulation subsequent to adenovirus infection for reporter expression. This activation requirement is a restriction imposed by the promoter used in the adenovirus construct. In subpopulations requiring activation, the elongation factor 1 promoter was far superior to a hCMV promoter for directing green fluorescent protein production. We also find that hCAR mRNA is produced in nonlymphoid tissues from all founder lines, including tissues that do not express endogenous murine CAR, suggesting the opportunity for effecting gene delivery to and testing gene function in a wide variety of primary cell types previously resistant to gene transfer.