Yilmaz Ismail Cem, Ipekoglu Emre Mert, Golcuklu Berfu Saraydar, Bildik Tugce, Aksoy Aslı Gulce Bartan, Evcili Irem, Turay Nilsu, Surucu Naz, Bulbul Artun, Guvencli Nese, Yildirim Muzaffer, Canavar Yildirim Tugce, Atalay Yagmur Aydin, Abras Irem, Ceylan Yasemin, Ozsurekci Yasemin, Tigen Elif Tukenmez, Korten Volkan, Gursel Mayda, Gursel Ihsan
Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center, DEU Saglik Kampusu, Balcova, Izmir, Turkiye; Middle East Technical University, Department of Biological Sciences, Ankara, Turkiye.
Middle East Technical University, Department of Biological Sciences, Ankara, Turkiye.
Vaccine. 2025 Mar 7;49:126787. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.126787. Epub 2025 Jan 31.
BACKGROUND: Waning Spike-elicited immunity and emerging COVID-19 variants underscore the need for vaccines leveraging multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens, rapidly adaptable to evolving strains. Herein, we evaluated the safety and immunogenicity of a CpG ODN-adjuvanted, alum-adsorbed, virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine displaying the hexaproline stabilized Spike (S) protein and the Nucleocapsid, Membrane, and Envelope proteins of SARS-CoV-2. METHODS: In phase 1 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-escalation trial, participants (N = 38, aged 18-59) received two subcutaneous injections of either 10 μg or 40 μg of VLP or placebo, 21 days apart. The primary and secondary objectives of the study was to evaluate the safety, reactogenicity and immunogenicity, respectively. In the double blind, multi-center phase-2 study, participants (N = 349, aged 18-55) were randomized into three cohorts receiving two doses of 40 μg VLPs displaying Wuhan-Spike, Alpha-Spike, or a combination. The primary and secondary objectives were humoral, and cell mediated immunogenicity (CMI) and safety, respectively. Antibody responses were analyzed using ELISA while ELIspot and CBA assays were used to assess the CMI. RESULTS: The VLP vaccine demonstrated a good safety profile, with 255 non-serious adverse events in phase 1 and 308 in phase 2. Five serious AEs were reported in phase 2, all of which were resolved completely. The VLP vaccine, in phase 2, was well-tolerated, elicited moderate but sustained anti-S and anti-N antibody titers for 180 days and induced T-helper-1 biased cellular responses in participants. CONCLUSIONS: The VLP platform is rapidly adaptable to accommodate stabilized Spike proteins from emerging variants and inclusion of other structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins could broaden the breadth of T cell-mediated immunity. CLINICALTRIALS: gov; NCT04818281 and NCT04962893.
背景:新冠病毒刺突蛋白引发的免疫力下降以及新出现的新冠病毒变种凸显了开发利用多种严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2)抗原、能快速适应不断演变毒株的疫苗的必要性。在此,我们评估了一种含有CpG寡脱氧核苷酸佐剂、明矾吸附、展示六脯氨酸稳定化刺突(S)蛋白以及SARS-CoV-2核衣壳蛋白、膜蛋白和包膜蛋白的病毒样颗粒(VLP)疫苗的安全性和免疫原性。 方法:在1期随机、双盲、安慰剂对照、剂量递增试验中,参与者(N = 38,年龄18 - 59岁)接受两次皮下注射,分别注射10μg或40μg的VLP或安慰剂,间隔21天。该研究的主要和次要目标分别是评估安全性、反应原性和免疫原性。在双盲、多中心2期研究中,参与者(N = 349,年龄18 - 55岁)被随机分为三个队列,接受两剂展示武汉株刺突蛋白、阿尔法株刺突蛋白或二者组合的40μg VLP。主要和次要目标分别是体液免疫、细胞介导免疫原性(CMI)和安全性。使用酶联免疫吸附测定(ELISA)分析抗体反应,同时使用酶联免疫斑点试验(ELIspot)和细胞因子珠阵列(CBA)测定评估CMI。 结果:VLP疫苗显示出良好的安全性,1期有255例非严重不良事件,2期有308例。2期报告了5例严重不良事件,所有事件均完全解决。2期的VLP疫苗耐受性良好,在180天内引发了中等但持续的抗S和抗N抗体滴度,并在参与者中诱导了以辅助性T细胞1为主的细胞反应。 结论:VLP平台能够快速适应,以容纳新出现变种的稳定化刺突蛋白,纳入其他SARS-CoV-2结构蛋白可以拓宽T细胞介导免疫的广度。 临床试验:美国国立医学图书馆临床试验注册库;NCT04818281和NCT04962893。
J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2025-6