mRNA vaccination boosts cross-variant neutralizing antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 infection

Emerging severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have raised concerns about resistance to neutralizing antibodies elicited by previous infection or vaccination. We examined whether sera from recovered and naive donors, collected before and after immunizations with existing messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, could neutralize the Wuhan-Hu-1 and B.1.351 variants. Prevaccination sera from recovered donors neutralized Wuhan-Hu-1 and sporadically neutralized B.1.351, but a single immunization boosted neutralizing titers against all variants and SARS-CoV-1 by up to 1000-fold. Neutralization was a result of antibodies targeting the receptor binding domain and was not boosted by a second immunization. Immunization of naive donors also elicited cross-neutralizing responses but at lower titers. Our study highlights the importance of vaccinating both uninfected and previously infected persons to elicit cross-variant neutralizing antibodies.

Automated summary

The study found that vaccination of both previously infected individuals and those who were not infected resulted in increased neutralizing antibody titers, with previously infected individuals showing a greater boost in neutralizing titers. Vaccination of naive individuals also elicited cross-neutralizing responses, but at lower titers.