Publications by authors named "Baoling Ying"
SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccines induce robust and persistent germinal centre (GC) B cell responses in humans. It remains unclear how the continuous evolution of the virus impacts the breadth of the induced GC B cell response. Using ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration, we examined draining lymph nodes of nine healthy adults following bivalent booster immunization.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe continued emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the threat of future Sarbecovirus zoonoses have spurred the design of vaccines that can induce broad immunity against multiple coronaviruses. Here, we use computational methods to infer ancestral phylogenetic reconstructions of receptor binding domain (RBD) sequences across multiple Sarbecovirus clades and incorporate them into a multivalent adenoviral-vectored vaccine. Mice immunized with this pan-Sarbecovirus vaccine are protected in the upper and lower respiratory tracts against infection by historical and contemporary SARS-CoV-2 variants, SARS-CoV, and pre-emergent SHC014 and Pangolin/GD coronavirus strains.
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- Environmental factors can worsen lung diseases, but the causes of ongoing injury and immune issues in lung tissue are not well understood.
- Researchers discovered a feedback loop linked to chitin, a substance found in airborne particles, which affects lung health after damage by disrupting normal healing processes in mice.
- The study highlights that the response from group 2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and the enzyme acidic mammalian chitinase (AMCase) is essential for lung recovery, suggesting that enhancing chitin degradation could be a possible treatment for lung injuries.
A mucosal route of vaccination could prevent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) replication at the site of infection and limit transmission. We compared protection against heterologous XBB.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAdenovirus infections of immunocompromised patients can cause life-threatening disseminated disease. While there are presently no drugs specifically approved to treat these infections, there are several compounds that showed efficacy against adenovirus in preclinical studies. For any such compound, low toxicity is an essential requirement.
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- A study examined the effects of mRNA vaccine boosting (ipsilateral vs. contralateral leg) in mice after initial vaccination, with a focus on immune responses against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
- Both boosting sites resulted in similar levels of antibody responses and immune cell activation, indicating no significant difference.
- Overall, the findings suggest that where the vaccine is injected (same side or opposite leg) does not significantly affect immune protection against the Omicron BA.1 variant.
Article Synopsis
- Vaccines have helped reduce COVID-19 severity, but their effectiveness in areas with helminth infections, like the roundworm Hpb, isn't fully understood.
- In a study involving mice, it was found that while B cell responses were similar in both Hpb-infected and uninfected mice post-vaccination, T cell responses were significantly weaker in those infected with Hpb.
- The presence of Hpb compromised the ability of the vaccine to protect against variant strains of SARS-CoV-2, indicating that helminth infections can negatively affect vaccine responses through an IL-10 mediated pathway.
A nasally delivered chimpanzee adenoviral-vectored severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccine (ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S) is currently used in India (iNCOVACC). Here, we update this vaccine by creating ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-BA.5-S, which encodes a prefusion-stabilized BA.
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- The study investigates how helminth (hookworm) infection affects the effectiveness of an mRNA vaccine designed to fight COVID-19 in mice.
- While both infected and uninfected mice showed strong antibody responses, the T cell responses were significantly weaker in the helminth-infected group.
- The presence of the helminth reduced the vaccine's ability to control newer COVID-19 variants, suggesting that helminth infections can impair vaccine-induced T cell immunity through an IL-10 mediated pathway.
Adenovirus infections of immunocompromised humans are a significant source of morbidity and mortality. Presently, there is no drug specifically approved for the treatment of adenovirus infections by the FDA. The state-of-the-art treatment of such infections is the off-label use of cidofovir, an acyclic nucleotide phosphonate.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFImmunoglobulin (IG) replacement products are used routinely in patients with immune deficiency and other immune dysregulation disorders who have poor responses to vaccination and require passive immunity conferred by commercial antibody products. The binding, neutralizing, and protective activity of intravenously administered IG against SARS-CoV-2 emerging variants remains unknown. Here, we tested 198 different IG products manufactured from December 2019 to August 2022.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWaning immunity and continued virus evolution have limited the durability of protection from symptomatic infection mediated by intramuscularly (IM)-delivered mRNA vaccines against COVID-19 although protection from severe disease remains high. Mucosal vaccination has been proposed as a strategy to increase protection at the site of SARS-CoV-2 infection by enhancing airway immunity, potentially reducing rates of infection and transmission. Here, we compared protection against XBB.
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- The study explores new mRNA vaccine strategies to enhance effectiveness against COVID-19, focusing on specific protein domains of the virus instead of the full-length spike protein.
- The candidate vaccine mRNA-1283, combining the N-terminal domain and receptor binding domain, shows better antigen expression, stronger antibody responses, and improved stability compared to existing vaccines.
- In animal tests, mRNA-1283 elicits equal or greater immune protection against various COVID-19 variants, supporting its advancement to clinical trials for further evaluation.
We previously described a nasally delivered monovalent adenoviral-vectored SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-S, targeting Wuhan-1 spike [S]; iNCOVACC) that is currently used in India as a primary or booster immunization. Here, we updated the mucosal vaccine for Omicron variants by creating ChAd-SARS-CoV-2-BA.5-S, which encodes for a pre-fusion and surface-stabilized S protein of the BA.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe primary two-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series are strongly immunogenic in humans, but the emergence of highly infectious variants necessitated additional doses and the development of vaccines aimed at the new variants. SARS-CoV-2 booster immunizations in humans primarily recruit pre-existing memory B cells. However, it remains unclear whether the additional doses induce germinal centre reactions whereby re-engaged B cells can further mature, and whether variant-derived vaccines can elicit responses to variant-specific epitopes.
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- * Researchers tested two new bivalent vaccines (mRNA-1273.214 and mRNA-1273.222) in mice and found they produced stronger antibody responses against Omicron variants compared to the original vaccine.
- * Administering these bivalent vaccines as boosters significantly improved immune protection and reduced lung infection severity in mice, highlighting their potential effectiveness against circulating strains.
Article Synopsis
- The emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants in the Omicron lineage has led to reduced vaccine effectiveness and ongoing virus transmission due to the spike protein's ability to evade antibodies.
- Researchers evaluated two bivalent vaccines that include mRNAs for spike proteins from both the original virus and recent variants (BA.1 or BA.4/5) and found they produced stronger immune responses in mice compared to existing monovalent vaccines.
- When used as a booster after initial vaccination, these bivalent vaccines not only generated a more robust antibody response but also provided greater protection against BA.5 infections and reduced inflammation in the lungs.
Article Synopsis
- Researchers developed a new mRNA vaccine, mRNA-1283, targeting specific spike protein domains of the virus responsible for COVID-19.
- This vaccine demonstrated enhanced antigen expression, antibody responses, and stability when stored in refrigerated conditions compared to the existing mRNA-1273 vaccine.
- In preclinical tests, mRNA-1283 provided similar or better immune protection against various COVID-19 variants in mice, indicating its potential for human clinical trials.
The primary two-dose SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine series are strongly immunogenic in humans, but the emergence of highly infectious variants necessitated additional doses of these vaccines and the development of new variant-derived ones . SARS-CoV-2 booster immunizations in humans primarily recruit pre-existing memory B cells (MBCs) . It remains unclear, however, whether the additional doses induce germinal centre (GC) reactions where reengaged B cells can further mature and whether variant-derived vaccines can elicit responses to novel epitopes specific to such variants.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Since the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019, viral variants with greater transmissibility or immune-evasion properties have arisen, which could jeopardize recently deployed vaccine- and antibody-based countermeasures.
Methods: Here, we evaluated in mice and hamsters the efficacy of a pre-clinical version of the Moderna mRNA vaccine (mRNA-1273) and the Johnson & Johnson recombinant adenoviral-vectored vaccine (Ad26.COV2.
The large number of spike substitutions in Omicron lineage variants (BA.1, BA.1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFNew variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to arise and prolong the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we used a cell-free expression workflow to rapidly screen and optimize constructs containing multiple computationally designed miniprotein inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2. We found the broadest efficacy was achieved with a homotrimeric version of the 75-residue angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) mimic AHB2 (TRI2-2) designed to geometrically match the trimeric spike architecture.
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- The emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants threatens the effectiveness of immunity from previous infections or vaccinations.
- To tackle this issue, the NIH launched the SARS-CoV-2 Assessment of Viral Evolution (SAVE) program for real-time assessment of variant risks that might impact transmission and vaccine efficacy.
- The program focuses on gathering and analyzing data on emerging variants and their effects on immunity, using animal models, while also addressing future challenges in monitoring rapidly evolving viruses.