Enhanced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 variant BA.2.86 and XBB sub-lineages by a tetravalent COVID-19 vaccine booster

Cell Host Microbe. 2023 Nov 22:S1931-3128(23)00462-6. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.012. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTEmerging SARS-CoV-2 sub-lineages like XBB.1.5, XBB.1.16, EG.5, HK.3 (FLip), and XBB.2.3 and the variant BA.2.86 have recently been identified. Understanding the efficacy of current vaccines on these emerging variants is critical. We evaluate the serum neutralization activities of participants who received COVID-19 inactivated vaccine (CoronaVac), those who received the recently approved tetravalent protein vaccine (SCTV01E), or those who had contracted a breakthrough infection with BA.5/BF.7/XBB virus. Neutralization profiles against a broad panel of 30 sub-lineages reveal that BQ.1.1, CH.1.1, and all the XBB sub-lineages exhibit heightened resistance to neutralization compared to previous variants. However, despite their extra mutations, BA.2.86 and the emerging XBB sub-lineages do not demonstrate significantly increased resistance to neutralization over XBB.1.5. Encouragingly, the SCTV01E booster consistently induces higher neutralizing titers against all these variants than breakthrough infection does. Cellular immunity assays also show that the SCTV01E booster elicits a higher frequency of virus-specific memory B cells. Our findings support the development of multivalent vaccines to combat future variants.PMID:38029742 | DOI:10.1016/j.chom.2023.11.012

Source: Cell Host and Microbe - November 29, 2023 Category: Microbiology Authors: Xun Wang Shujun Jiang Wentai Ma Xiangnan Li Kaifeng Wei Faren Xie Chaoyue Zhao Xiaoyu Zhao Shidi Wang Chen Li Rui Qiao Yuchen Cui Yanjia Chen Jiayan Li Guonan Cai Changyi Liu Jizhen Yu Jixi Li Zixin Hu Wenhong Zhang Shibo Jiang Mingkun Li Yanliang Zhang P Source Type: research