The great escape? SARS-CoV-2 variants evading neutralizing responses

Article Immunology

Antibody potency, effector function, and combinations in protection and therapy for SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo

Alexandra Schafer et al.

Summary: The study shows that combined use of hu-mAbs is effective for prevention and therapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but in vivo protection is influenced by intact effector function.

JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Prospective mapping of viral mutations that escape antibodies used to treat COVID-19

Tyler N. Starr et al.

Summary: Research has found that mutations in the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 may potentially escape the action of the REGN-COV2 cocktail, providing important information for interpreting mutations observed during viral surveillance.

SCIENCE (2021)

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Article Biochemistry & Molecular Biology

Circulating SARS-CoV-2 spike N439K variants maintain fitness while evading antibody-mediated immunity

Emma C. Thomson et al.

Summary: SARS-CoV-2 virus can mutate and evade immunity, with mutations like N439K conferring resistance against neutralizing monoclonal antibodies and enhancing binding affinity to hACE2 receptor. Despite similar in vitro replication fitness and clinical outcomes compared to wild type, N439K mutation highlights the importance of ongoing molecular surveillance for guiding vaccine and therapeutic development and usage.

CELL (2021)

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Article Microbiology

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations that attenuate monoclonal and serum antibody neutralization

Zhuoming Liu et al.

Summary: The study found that antibodies targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein have escape mutations, different monoclonal antibodies have unique resistance profiles, some mutants are resistant to multiple antibodies while some variants can escape neutralization by convalescent sera. Comparing antibody-mediated mutations with circulating SARS-CoV-2 sequences revealed substitutions that may weaken neutralizing immune responses in some individuals, warranting further investigation.

CELL HOST & MICROBE (2021)

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Article Cell Biology

Comprehensive analysis of T cell immunodominance and immunoprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 epitopes in COVID-19 cases

Alison Tarke et al.

Summary: By studying T cell responses in 99 convalescent COVID-19 cases, we identified various HLA-restricted epitopes derived from SARS-CoV-2 and observed distinct patterns of immunodominance. The epitopes were combined into megapools to facilitate the identification and quantification of virus-specific CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells.

CELL REPORTS MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences