Single spike mutation differentiating XBB.1 and XBB.1.5 enhances SARS-CoV-2 cell-to-cell transmission and facilitates serum-mediated enhancement.

Introduction: The ongoing emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants poses significant challenges to existing therapeutics. The spike (S) glycoprotein is central to both viral entry and cell-to-cell transmission via syncytia formation, a process that confers resistance to neutralizing antibodies. The mechanisms underlying this resistance, particularly in relation to spike-mediated fusion, remain poorly understood.

Multiplexed Antibody Sequencing and Profiling of the Human Hemagglutinin-specific Memory B Cell Response following Influenza Vaccination.

Influenza virus is a highly contagious respiratory pathogen causing between 9.4 and 41 million infections per year in the United States in the last decade. Annual vaccination is recommended by the World Health Organization, with the goal to reduce influenza severity and transmission.