A nasal vaccine elicits protective CD8+ T cell immunity against antigen shifted SARS-CoV-2 virus

摘要

In this study, we developed an adenoviral-vectored vaccine that targets the spike protein of BA.5 Omicron SARS-CoV-2. When nasally delivered in mice and hamsters, the vaccine stimulated mucosal antibody production and CD8+ T cell responses, and demonstrated protection against several SARS-CoV-2 strains, including the antigenically distant Omicron XBB.1.5 strain. Immune cell depletion studies showed that cross-reactive memory CD8+ T cells contribute to the cross-protection that is conferred by nasal vaccines against respiratory infection with antigenically shifted SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strains.