Publication: SARS CoV subunit vaccine: antibody-mediated neutralisation and enhancement.

Published in: Hong Kong Med J 2012 Feb; 18 Suppl 2(): 31-6

Authors: Jaume M, Yip MS, Kam YW, Cheung CY, Kien F, Roberts A, Li PH, Dutry I, Escriou N, Daeron M, Bruzzone R, Subbarao K, Peiris JS, Nal B, Altmeyer R

Summary

1. A SARS vaccine was produced based on recombinant native full-length Spike-protein trimers (triSpike) and efficient establishment of a vaccination procedure in rodents. 2. Antibody-mediated enhancement of SARS-CoV infection with anti-SARS-CoV Spike immune-serum was observed in vitro. 3. Antibody-mediated infection of SARS-CoV triggers entry into human haematopoietic cells via an FcγR-dependent and ACE2-, pH-, cysteine-protease-independent pathways. 4. The antibody-mediated enhancement phenomenon is not a mandatory component of the humoral immune response elicited by SARS vaccines, as pure neutralising antibody only could be obtained. 5. Occurrence of immune-mediated enhancement of SARS-CoV infection raises safety concerns regarding the use of SARS-CoV vaccine in humans and enables new ways to investigate SARS pathogenesis (tropism and immune response deregulation).

Link to Pubmed [PMID] – 22311359