Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Faculty of Biology and Psychology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Wilhelmsplatz 1, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
Infection Biology Unit, German Primate Center, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany.
Cell Host Microbe. 2022 Aug 10;30(8):1103-1111.e6. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2022.04.017. Epub 2022 May 6.
The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2 evades antibody-mediated neutralization with unprecedented efficiency. At least three Omicron sublineages have been identified-BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3-and BA.2 exhibits increased transmissibility. However, it is currently unknown whether BA.2 differs from the other sublineages regarding cell entry and antibody-mediated inhibition. Here, we show that BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 enter and fuse target cells with similar efficiency and in an ACE2-dependent manner. However, BA.2 was not efficiently neutralized by seven of eight antibodies used for COVID-19 therapy, including Sotrovimab, which robustly neutralized BA.1. In contrast, BA.2 and BA.3 (but not BA.1) were appreciably neutralized by Cilgavimab, which could constitute a treatment option. Finally, all sublineages were comparably and efficiently neutralized by antibodies induced by BNT162b2 booster vaccination after previous two-dose homologous or heterologous vaccination. Collectively, the Omicron sublineages show comparable cell entry and neutralization by vaccine-induced antibodies but differ in susceptibility to therapeutic antibodies.
SARS-CoV-2 的奥密克戎变体以空前的效率逃避了抗体介导的中和作用。目前已经确定了至少三个奥密克戎亚谱系——BA.1、BA.2 和 BA.3——并且 BA.2 表现出了更高的传染性。然而，目前尚不清楚 BA.2 在细胞进入和抗体介导的抑制方面是否与其他亚谱系有所不同。在这里，我们表明 BA.1、BA.2 和 BA.3 以相似的效率并依赖 ACE2 进入和融合靶细胞。然而，八种用于 COVID-19 治疗的抗体中有七种对 BA.2 的中和效果不佳，包括对 BA.1 具有强大中和作用的 Sotrovimab。相比之下，BA.2 和 BA.3（但不是 BA.1）被 Cilgavimab 明显中和，这可能构成一种治疗选择。最后，所有亚谱系都被 BNT162b2 加强针接种后诱导的抗体以相似的效率中和，无论之前的两剂同源还是异源接种。总的来说，奥密克戎亚谱系在细胞进入和疫苗诱导的抗体中和方面表现出相似性，但在对治疗性抗体的敏感性方面存在差异。
