Broad anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody immunity induced by heterologous ChAdOx1/mRNA-1273 vaccination

Science. 2022 Mar 4;375(6584):1041-1047. doi: 10.1126/science.abn2688. Epub 2022 Feb 10.

Abstract

Heterologous prime-boost immunization strategies have the potential to augment COVID-19 vaccine efficacy. We longitudinally profiled severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike (S)-specific serological and memory B cell (MBC) responses in individuals who received either homologous (ChAdOx1:ChAdOx1) or heterologous (ChAdOx1:mRNA-1273) prime-boost vaccination. Heterologous messenger RNA (mRNA) booster immunization induced higher serum neutralizing antibody and MBC responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) compared with that of homologous ChAdOx1 boosting. Specificity mapping of circulating B cells revealed that mRNA-1273 boost immunofocused ChAdOx1-primed responses onto epitopes expressed on prefusion-stabilized S. Monoclonal antibodies isolated from mRNA-1273-boosted participants displayed overall higher binding affinities and increased breadth of reactivity against VOCs relative to those isolated from ChAdOx1-boosted individuals. Overall, the results provide molecular insight into the enhanced quality of the B cell response induced after heterologous mRNA booster vaccination.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 / administration & dosage
  • 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273 / immunology*
  • Adult
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / immunology
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology*
  • Antibody Specificity
  • COVID-19 Vaccines / immunology*
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 / administration & dosage
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 / immunology*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Immunization Schedule
  • Immunization, Secondary
  • Immunogenicity, Vaccine
  • Male
  • Memory B Cells / immunology*
  • Middle Aged
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Domains
  • SARS-CoV-2 / immunology*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / chemistry
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / immunology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
  • ChAdOx1 nCoV-19
  • 2019-nCoV Vaccine mRNA-1273

Supplementary concepts

  • COVID-19 vaccine booster shot
  • SARS-CoV-2 variants