A linear DNA vaccine candidate encoding the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain elicits potent immune response and neutralizing antibodies in domestic cats

• Published in: Molecular therapy. Methods & clinical development
• Main Authors: Conforti, Antonella, Sanchez, Elisa, Salvatori, Erika, Lione, Lucia, Compagnone, Mirco, Pinto, Eleonora, Palombo, Fabio, D’Acunto, Emanuela, Muzi, Alessia, Roscilli, Giuseppe, Sun, Yuhua, Viscount, Brian, Hayward, James, Shorrock, Clay, Diel, Diego G., Impellizeri, Joseph A., Aurisicchio, Luigi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Authors 02.01.2023
• Subjects: Original
• ISSN: 2329-0501
• DOI: 10.1016/j.omtm.2022.12.015

SARS-CoV-2, the etiologic agent of COVID-19 pandemic, has been shown to infect a wide range of animal species, especially mammals, and besides human-to-human transmission, also human-to-animal transmission has been observed in some wild animals and pets, especially in cats. It has been demonstrated that cats are permissive to COVID-19 and are susceptible to airborne infections. Given the high transmissibility potential of SARS-CoV-2 to different host species and the close contact between humans and animals, it is crucial to find mechanisms to prevent the transmission chain and reduce the risk of spillover to susceptible species. Here, we show results from a clinical trial conducted in domestic cats to assess safety and immunogenicity of a linear DNA (“linDNA”) vaccine encoding the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD) from SARS-CoV-2 (Lin-Covid-eVax). Lin-Covid-eVax proved to be safe, with no significant adverse events and able to elicit both RBD-specific antibodies and T cells. Also, the linDNA vaccine induced neutralizing antibody titers against ancestral SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants. These findings demonstrate the safety and immunogenicity of a genetic vaccine against COVID-19 administered to cats and strongly support the development of vaccines for preventing viral spread in susceptible species, especially those in close contact with humans. This work reports about the safety and immunogenicity of anti-SARS-CoV-2 genetic vaccine, based on linear DNA technology, in domestic cats and highlights the crucial importance of a One Heatlf approach to in keeping under control SARS-CoV-2 dissemination in susceptible species.