Development of SARS-CoV-2 animal vaccines using a stable and efficient NDV expression system

Abstract

With the continuation of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic and the emergence of new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants, the control of the spread of the virus remains urgent. Various animals, including cats, ferrets, hamsters, nonhuman primates, minks, tree shrews, fruit bats, and rabbits, are susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection naturally or experimentally. Therefore, to avoid animals from becoming mixing vessels of the virus, vaccination of animals should be considered. In the present study, we report the establishment of an efficient and stable system using Newcastle disease virus (NDV) as a vector to express SARS-CoV-2 spike protein/subunit for the rapid generation of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 in animals. Our data showed that the S and S1 protein was sufficiently expressed in rNDV-S and rNDV-S1-infected cells, respectively. The S protein was incorporated into and displayed on the surface of rNDV-S viral particles. Intramuscular immunization with rNDV-S was found to induce the highest level of binding and neutralizing antibodies, as well as strong S-specific T-cell response in mice. Intranasal immunization with rNDV-S1 provoked a robust T-cell response but barely any detectable antibodies. Overall, the NDV-vectored vaccine candidates were able to induce profound humoral and cellular immunity, which will provide a good system for developing vaccines targeting both T-cell and antibody responses.