Resistance of SARS-CoV-2 variants to neutralization by monoclonal and serum-derived polyclonal antibodies

• Published in: Nature medicine Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 717 - 726
• Main Authors: Chen, Rita E., Zhang, Xianwen, Case, James Brett, Winkler, Emma S., Liu, Yang, VanBlargan, Laura A., Liu, Jianying, Errico, John M., Xie, Xuping, Suryadevara, Naveenchandra, Gilchuk, Pavlo, Zost, Seth J., Tahan, Stephen, Droit, Lindsay, Turner, Jackson S., Kim, Wooseob, Schmitz, Aaron J., Thapa, Mahima, Wang, David, Boon, Adrianus C. M., Presti, Rachel M., O’Halloran, Jane A., Kim, Alfred H. J., Deepak, Parakkal, Pinto, Dora, Fremont, Daved H., Crowe, James E., Corti, Davide, Virgin, Herbert W., Ellebedy, Ali H., Shi, Pei-Yong, Diamond, Michael S.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York Nature Publishing Group US 01.04.2021; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 631/250/2152/2153/1291; 631/326/596/4130; Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies, Monoclonal - immunology; Antibodies, Neutralizing - immunology; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antisera; Binding; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; BNT162 Vaccine; Cancer Research; Chlorocebus aethiops; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - prevention & control; COVID-19 Vaccines - immunology; Cricetinae; Domains; Humans; Infectious Diseases; Metabolic Diseases; Mice; Molecular Medicine; Monoclonal antibodies; mRNA; mRNA vaccines; Mutation; Neurosciences; Neutralization; Neutralization Tests; Neutralizing; Pandemics; Receptors; SARS-CoV-2 - immunology; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - chemistry; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - genetics; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - immunology; Spikes; Vaccines; Vero Cells; Viral diseases; Viral drug resistance; Virus research; United States
• ISSN: 1078-8956; 1546-170X; 1546-170X
• DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01294-w

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused the global COVID-19 pandemic. Rapidly spreading SARS-CoV-2 variants may jeopardize newly introduced antibody and vaccine countermeasures. Here, using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), animal immune sera, human convalescent sera and human sera from recipients of the BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine, we report the impact on antibody neutralization of a panel of authentic SARS-CoV-2 variants including a B.1.1.7 isolate, chimeric strains with South African or Brazilian spike genes and isogenic recombinant viral variants. Many highly neutralizing mAbs engaging the receptor-binding domain or N-terminal domain and most convalescent sera and mRNA vaccine-induced immune sera showed reduced inhibitory activity against viruses containing an E484K spike mutation. As antibodies binding to spike receptor-binding domain and N-terminal domain demonstrate diminished neutralization potency in vitro against some emerging variants, updated mAb cocktails targeting highly conserved regions, enhancement of mAb potency or adjustments to the spike sequences of vaccines may be needed to prevent loss of protection in vivo. A comprehensive analysis of antibody neutralization activity against a panel of authentic isolates and chimeric SARS-CoV-2 variants shows markedly diminished neutralizing activity against the variant B.1.351, first identified in South Africa.