Fourth dose of microneedle array patch of SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein subunit vaccine elicits robust long-lasting humoral responses in mice.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the pressing need for safe and effective booster vaccines, particularly in considering the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants and addressing vaccine distribution inequalities. Dissolving microneedle array patches (MAP) offer a promising delivery method, enhancing immunogenicity and improving accessibility through the skin's immune potential. In this study, we evaluated a microneedle array patch-based S1 subunit protein COVID-19 vaccine candidate, which comprised a bivalent formulation targeting the Wuhan and Beta variant alongside a monovalent Delta variant spike proteins in a murine model. Notably, the second boost of homologous bivalent MAP-S1(WU + Beta) induced a 15.7-fold increase in IgG endpoint titer, while the third boost of heterologous MAP-S1RS09Delta yielded a more modest 1.6-fold increase. Importantly, this study demonstrated that the administration of four doses of the MAP vaccine induced robust and long-lasting immune responses, persisting for at least 80 weeks. These immune responses encompassed various IgG isotypes and remained statistically significant for one year. Furthermore, neutralizing antibodies against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants were generated, with comparable responses observed against the Omicron variant. Overall, these findings emphasize the potential of MAP-based vaccines as a promising strategy to combat the evolving landscape of COVID-19 and to deliver a safe and effective booster vaccine worldwide. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Eun Kim, Juyeop Shin, Alessandro Ferrari, Shaohua Huang, Eunjin An, Donghoon Han, Muhammad S Khan, Thomas W Kenniston, Irene Cassaniti, Fausto Baldanti, Dohyeon Jeong, Andrea Gambotto. Fourth dose of microneedle array patch of SARS-CoV-2 S1 protein subunit vaccine elicits robust long-lasting humoral responses in mice. International immunopharmacology. 2024 Mar 10;129:111569

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PMID: 38340419

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