Two-component spike nanoparticle vaccine protects macaques from SARS-CoV-2 infection

Brouwer, Philip J.M.; Brinkkemper, Mitch; Maisonnasse, Pauline; Dereuddre-Bosquet, Nathalie; Grobben, Marloes; Claireaux, Mathieu; de Gast, Marlon; Marlin, Romain; Chesnais, Virginie; Diry, Ségolène; Allen, Joel D.; Watanabe, Yasunori; Giezen, Julia M.; Kerster, Gius; Turner, Hannah L.; van der Straten, Karlijn; van der Linden, Cynthia A.; Aldon, Yoann; Naninck, Thibaut; Bontjer, Ilja; Burger, Judith A.; Poniman, Meliawati; Mykytyn, Anna Z.; Okba, Nisreen M.A.; Schermer, Edith E.; van Breemen, Marielle J.; Ravichandran, Rashmi; Caniels, Tom G.; van Schooten, Jelle; Kahlaoui, Nidhal; Contreras, Vanessa; Lemaître, Julien; Chapon, Catherine; Tsong Fang, Raphaël Ho; Villaudy, Julien; Sliepen, Kwinten; van der Velden, Yme U.; Haagmans, Bart L.; de Bree, Godelieve J.; Ginoux, Eric; Ward, Andrew B.; Crispin, Max; King, Neil P.; van der Werf, Sylvie; van Gils, Marit J.; Le Grand, Roger; Sanders, Rogier W.

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is continuing to disrupt personal lives, global healthcare systems and economies. Hence, there is an urgent need for a vaccine that prevents viral infection, transmission and disease. Here, we present a two-component protein-based nanoparticle vaccine that displays multiple copies of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Immunization studies show that this vaccine induces potent neutralizing antibody responses in mice, rabbits and cynomolgus macaques. The vaccine-induced immunity protected macaques against a high dose challenge, resulting in strongly reduced viral infection and replication in upper and lower airways. These nanoparticles are a promising vaccine candidate to curtail the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.