Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is undoubtedly the most challenging pandemic in the current century and remains a global health emergency. As the number of COVID-19 cases in the world is on the rise and variants continue to e...

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Main Authors: Cong Liu, Nino Rcheulishvili, Zhigao Shen, Dimitri Papukashvili, Fengfei Xie, Ziqian Wang, Xingyun Wang, Yunjiao He, Peng George Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2022-05-01
Series:Pharmaceutics
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/5/1101
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author Cong Liu
Nino Rcheulishvili
Zhigao Shen
Dimitri Papukashvili
Fengfei Xie
Ziqian Wang
Xingyun Wang
Yunjiao He
Peng George Wang
author_facet Cong Liu
Nino Rcheulishvili
Zhigao Shen
Dimitri Papukashvili
Fengfei Xie
Ziqian Wang
Xingyun Wang
Yunjiao He
Peng George Wang
author_sort Cong Liu
collection DOAJ
description Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is undoubtedly the most challenging pandemic in the current century and remains a global health emergency. As the number of COVID-19 cases in the world is on the rise and variants continue to emerge, there is an urgent need for vaccines. Among all immunization approaches, mRNA vaccines have demonstrated more promising results in response to this challenge. Herein, we designed an mRNA-based vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Intramuscular (i.m.) administration of the mRNA-RBD vaccine elicited broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies and cellular responses against not only the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus but also Delta and Omicron variants. These results indicated that two doses of mRNA-RBD immunization conferred a strong immune response in mice against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2, while the booster dose provided a sufficient immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Taken together, the three-dose regimen strategy of the mRNA-RBD vaccine proposed in the present study appears to be a promising reference for the development of mRNA vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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spelling doaj.art-e23ce82722344906a6863b4d95821d9e2023-11-23T12:39:38ZengMDPI AGPharmaceutics1999-49232022-05-01145110110.3390/pharmaceutics14051101Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its VariantsCong Liu0Nino Rcheulishvili1Zhigao Shen2Dimitri Papukashvili3Fengfei Xie4Ziqian Wang5Xingyun Wang6Yunjiao He7Peng George Wang8School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaSchool of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518000, ChinaCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is undoubtedly the most challenging pandemic in the current century and remains a global health emergency. As the number of COVID-19 cases in the world is on the rise and variants continue to emerge, there is an urgent need for vaccines. Among all immunization approaches, mRNA vaccines have demonstrated more promising results in response to this challenge. Herein, we designed an mRNA-based vaccine encoding the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNPs). Intramuscular (i.m.) administration of the mRNA-RBD vaccine elicited broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies and cellular responses against not only the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 virus but also Delta and Omicron variants. These results indicated that two doses of mRNA-RBD immunization conferred a strong immune response in mice against the wild-type SARS-CoV-2, while the booster dose provided a sufficient immunity against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Taken together, the three-dose regimen strategy of the mRNA-RBD vaccine proposed in the present study appears to be a promising reference for the development of mRNA vaccines targeting SARS-CoV-2 variants.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/5/1101SARS-CoV-2COVID-19mRNA vaccineRBDLNPsneutralizing antibodies
spellingShingle Cong Liu
Nino Rcheulishvili
Zhigao Shen
Dimitri Papukashvili
Fengfei Xie
Ziqian Wang
Xingyun Wang
Yunjiao He
Peng George Wang
Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
Pharmaceutics
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
mRNA vaccine
RBD
LNPs
neutralizing antibodies
title Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
title_full Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
title_fullStr Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
title_full_unstemmed Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
title_short Development of an LNP-Encapsulated mRNA-RBD Vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and Its Variants
title_sort development of an lnp encapsulated mrna rbd vaccine against sars cov 2 and its variants
topic SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
mRNA vaccine
RBD
LNPs
neutralizing antibodies
url https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/5/1101
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