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Vaccines
Special Issues
SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine
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SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine

A special issue of Vaccines (ISSN 2076-393X). This special issue belongs to the section "COVID-19 Vaccines and Vaccination".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 October 2024) | Viewed by 8792

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yasunari Matsuzaka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Division of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Center for Gene and Cell Therapy, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
Interests: exosome; extracelular vesicule; intracelllar comminication; immune tolerance; vaccine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ryu Yashiro

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Infectious Diseases, Kyorin University School of Medicine, 6-20-2 Shinkawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo 181-8611, Japan
Interests: small RNA; nuclear protein transport; cell death mechanism
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The infectuous disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus(SARS-CoV-2) is still raging through mutant strains all over the world. In order to deal with this unprecedented situation, therapeutic drugs and vaccines against COVID-19 are being commercialized faster than ever before. Along with changes in infectivity, transmissibility, antigenicity, and pathogeneicity, the efficacy of current vaccines is also of concern in the emergence of mutant strains. Multiple vaccines of different types are currently licenced, including mRNA vaccines, viral vector vaccines, and recombinant protein vaccines. At present, the following factors have been clarified regarding the preventive effects obtained by vaccines and their mechanisms of the action. Neutralizing antibodies against the S protein play an important role in the protective effects induced by commercial vaccines. It is possible that effects other than the neutralizing activity of cell-mediated immunity and humoral immunity also contribute to the preventive effect of vaccines, and these immune responses may affect the lon-term persistence of vaccine efficacy and preventive effects against severe disease. various types of immune responses are involved in the protective efficacy of vaccines, and the contribution of neutrilizing antibodies in serum produced varies by vaccine type. However, the threshold level of neutralizing antibodies in serum that reliably predicts the prevention of onset and severity of the disease has not been clarified.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest research on the effucacy, development, melrcular mechanisms, or prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. We welcome both research and review articles. We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Yasunari Matsuzaka
Dr. Ryu Yashiro
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Vaccines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • SARS-CoV-2
  • vaccines
  • COVID-19
  • diagnosis
  • treatment
  • antibodies
  • monoclonal antibodies
  • recombinant protein

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Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1627 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of the Neutralizing Capacity of Monovalent and Bivalent Formulations of Betuvax-CoV-2, a Subunit Recombinant COVID-19 Vaccine, Against Various Strains of SARS-CoV-2
by Anna V. Vakhrusheva, Ekaterina A. Romanovskaya-Romanko, Marina A. Stukova, Maria M. Sukhova, Ksenia S. Kuznetsova, Aleksandr V. Kudriavtsev, Maria E. Frolova, Taras V. Ivanishin, Igor V. Krasilnikov and Artur A. Isaev
Vaccines 2024, 12(10), 1200; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12101200 - 21 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1143
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, is characterized by rapid evolution, which poses a significant public health challenge. Effective vaccines that provide robust protection, elicit strong immune responses, exhibit favorable safety profiles, and enable cost-effective large-scale production are crucial. The RBD-Fc-based [...] Read more.
SARS-CoV-2, the causal agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, is characterized by rapid evolution, which poses a significant public health challenge. Effective vaccines that provide robust protection, elicit strong immune responses, exhibit favorable safety profiles, and enable cost-effective large-scale production are crucial. The RBD-Fc-based Betuvax-CoV-2 vaccine has previously demonstrated a favorable safety profile and induced a significant anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral immune response in clinical trials. Due to the rapid evolution and emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 strains, the relevance of bivalent vaccine formulations has increased. Methods: This study compared the neutralizing capacity of monovalent and bivalent vaccine formulations against different SARS-CoV-2 strains detected with a SARS-CoV-2 microneutralization assay (MNT). Findings: The monovalent Wuhan-based vaccine generated neutralizing antibodies against the Wuhan and Omicron BA.2 variants but not the distinct Omicron BQ.1 strain. Conversely, the monovalent BA.2-based vaccine induced neutralizing antibodies against both Omicron strains but not Wuhan. While the bivalent Wuhan and BA.2-based vaccine was effective against strains containing the same antigens, it was insufficient to neutralize the distinctive BQ.1 strain at a small dosage. Interpretation: These findings suggest that the vaccine composition should closely match the circulating SARS-CoV-2 strain to elicit the optimal neutralizing antibody response and include the appropriate dosage. Moreover, this study did not find additional advantages of using the bivalent form over the monovalent form for the vaccination against a single prevailing SARS-CoV-2 strain. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine)
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15 pages, 4981 KiB  
Article
Sequential Immunization with Vaccines Based on SARS-CoV-2 Virus-like Particles Induces Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
by Youjun Mi, Kun Xu, Wenting Wang, Weize Kong, Xiaonan Xu, Xifeng Rong and Jiying Tan
Vaccines 2024, 12(8), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12080927 - 19 Aug 2024
Viewed by 1476
Abstract
Although many people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, infections with SARS-CoV-2 seem hard to avoid. There is a need to develop more effective vaccines and immunization strategies against emerging variants of infectious diseases. To understand whether different immunization strategies using variants sequence-based virus-like [...] Read more.
Although many people have been vaccinated against COVID-19, infections with SARS-CoV-2 seem hard to avoid. There is a need to develop more effective vaccines and immunization strategies against emerging variants of infectious diseases. To understand whether different immunization strategies using variants sequence-based virus-like particles (VLPs) vaccines could offer superior immunity against future SARS-CoV-2 variants, our team constructed VLPs for the original Wuhan-Hu-1 strain (prototype), Delta (δ) variant, and Omicron (ο) variant of SARS-CoV-2, using baculovirus-insect expression system. Then we used these VLPs to assess the immune responses induced by homologous prime-boost, heterologous prime-boost, and sequential immunizations strategies in a mouse model. Our results showed that the pro+δ+ο sequential strategies elicited better neutralizing antibody responses. These sequential strategies also take advantage of inducing CD4+ T and CD8+ T lymphocytes proliferation and tendency to cytokine of Th1. Currently, our data suggest that sequential immunization with VLPs of encoding spike protein derived from SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern may be a potential vaccine strategy against emerging diseases, such as “Disease X”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine)
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21 pages, 1237 KiB  
Article
Predictors of Breakthrough SARS-CoV-2 Infection after Vaccination
by Sharon Walmsley, Majid Nabipoor, Leif Erik Lovblom, Rizani Ravindran, Karen Colwill, Alison McGeer, Roya Monica Dayam, Dorin Manase, Anne-Claude Gingras and on behalf of the STOPCoV Team
Vaccines 2024, 12(1), 36; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines12010036 - 28 Dec 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2345
Abstract
The initial two-dose vaccine series and subsequent booster vaccine doses have been effective in modulating SARS-CoV-2 disease severity and death but do not completely prevent infection. The correlates of infection despite vaccination continue to be under investigation. In this prospective decentralized study (n [...] Read more.
The initial two-dose vaccine series and subsequent booster vaccine doses have been effective in modulating SARS-CoV-2 disease severity and death but do not completely prevent infection. The correlates of infection despite vaccination continue to be under investigation. In this prospective decentralized study (n = 1286) comparing antibody responses in an older- (≥70 years) to a younger-aged cohort (aged 30–50 years), we explored the correlates of breakthrough infection in 983 eligible subjects. Participants self-reported data on initial vaccine series, subsequent booster doses and COVID-19 infections in an online portal and provided self-collected dried blood spots for antibody testing by ELISA. Multivariable survival analysis explored the correlates of breakthrough infection. An association between higher antibody levels and protection from breakthrough infection observed during the Delta and Omicron BA.1/2 waves of infection no longer existed during the Omicron BA.4/5 wave. The older-aged cohort was less likely to have a breakthrough infection at all time-points. Receipt of an original/Omicron vaccine and the presence of hybrid immunity were associated with protection of infection during the later Omicron BA.4/5 and XBB waves. We were unable to determine a threshold antibody to define protection from infection or to guide vaccine booster schedules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine)
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10 pages, 252 KiB  
Article
Uneventful COVID-19 Infection and Vaccination in a Cohort of Patients with Prior Myocarditis
by Anna Baritussio, Andrea Silvio Giordani, Cristina Basso, Cristina Vicenzetto, Giulia Lorenzoni, Matteo Gasparin, Sabino Iliceto, Bruno Scarpa, Dario Gregori, Renzo Marcolongo and Alida Linda Patrizia Caforio
Vaccines 2023, 11(12), 1742; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11121742 - 22 Nov 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1395
Abstract
Myocarditis has in rare cases been associated with COVID-19 infection and has emerged as a possible rare side effect of vaccination with anti-COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccines. However, little is known about possible COVID-19 infection- and/or vaccination-related myocarditis relapse in patients with previous clinically [...] Read more.
Myocarditis has in rare cases been associated with COVID-19 infection and has emerged as a possible rare side effect of vaccination with anti-COVID-19 messenger RNA vaccines. However, little is known about possible COVID-19 infection- and/or vaccination-related myocarditis relapse in patients with previous clinically suspected or biopsy-proven myocarditis. Myocarditis may relapse, particularly in females with immune-mediated/autoimmune features and a predisposing immunogenetic background. We aimed to assess the prevalence of myocarditis relapse during the COVID-19 outbreak and following COVID-19 vaccination in a cohort of patients with prior myocarditis. We included in the analysis myocarditis patients on active follow-up, for whom COVID-19 infection and vaccination statuses were known, and collected data on clinical, laboratory and echocardiographic findings, and myocarditis relapse. We enrolled 409 patients, of whom 114 (28%) reported COVID-19 infection and 347 (85%) completed the vaccination scheme. Only one patient, having COVID-19 infection before the vaccination campaign started, was admitted to hospital because of pneumonia; the remaining patients had an uneventful COVID-19 infection course, with only mild symptoms. No myocarditis relapse was recorded following COVID-19 infection or vaccination. Moreover, the frequency of new myocarditis cases following the COVID-19 outbreak was not different compared to the three-year period preceding the COVID-19 era. In conclusion, in our cohort of patients with prior myocarditis, both COVID-19 infection and vaccination were uneventful. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine)
21 pages, 985 KiB  
Article
A Profile of Adult Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Pneumonia Patients According to Pneumococcal Vaccination Status
by María Morales-Suárez-Varela, Diana Toledo, María Amelia Fernández-Sierra, María Liébana, Gerardo Rubiera, Gema Navarro, Concepción Prados, Judith Chamarro, Isabel Peraita-Costa, Angela Domínguez and Working Group of Project FIS PI19/00354
Vaccines 2023, 11(11), 1630; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines11111630 - 24 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1630
Abstract
Certain patient profile characteristics, such as preexisting medical conditions, can modify the risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia among adults vaccinated and not vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. This retrospective cohort study aimed to quantify the risk of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 among individuals from [...] Read more.
Certain patient profile characteristics, such as preexisting medical conditions, can modify the risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia among adults vaccinated and not vaccinated against pneumococcal disease. This retrospective cohort study aimed to quantify the risk of pneumonia caused by SARS-CoV-2 among individuals from 15 to 64 years old with and without pneumococcal vaccination in Spain during the 2020–2021 influenza season and establish a risk profile of patients more likely to develop SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Data (demographic information, patient medical history, and lifestyle habits) were gathered both directly from the patient via personal interview and by reviewing electronic medical records. In an adjusted analysis for pneumococcal vaccinated patients, visits to hospital outpatient clinics were protective while visits to primary health care services, being widowed, obese, and not using masks in outdoor open spaces were identified as risk factors. For patients who had not received a pneumococcal vaccine, visits to hospital outpatient clinics were protective, while being overweight or obese, alcohol consumption, and not using masks in outdoor open spaces were identified as risk factors. Concerning comorbidities, in the pneumococcal vaccinated group none were found to be protective but having diabetes or other respiratory diseases were identified as risk factors. In the unvaccinated group, undergoing immunosuppressive treatment and having metastatic tumors were protective factors, while cerebrovascular disease and obesity with a BMI ≥ 40 were risk factors. A similar risk profile for developing SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in pneumococcal vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals was found. Generally, vaccinated individuals had a lower risk of developing SARS-CoV-2. The findings suggest that vaccination against S. pneumoniae could prevent and reduce SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia. Additionally, this study has identified individuals with other medical conditions, such as obesity, underweight, diabetes, and a history of respiratory diseases, who are at an increased risk of developing SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia and could benefit from vaccination and supervision. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue SARS-CoV-2 Infections; Treatment and Development of Vaccine)
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