No abstract

The unprecedented in recent history global COVID-19 pandemic urged the implementation of all existing vaccine platforms to ensure the availability of the vaccines against COVID-19 to every country in the world. Despite the multitude of high-quality papers describing clinical trials of different vaccine products, basic detailed data on general toxicity, reproductive toxicity, immunogenicity, protective efficacy and durability of immune response in animal models are scarce. Here, we developed a β-propiolactone-inactivated whole virion vaccine CoviVac and assessed its safety, protective efficacy, immunogenicity and stability of the immune response in rodents and non-human primates. The vaccine showed no signs of acute/chronic, reproductive, embryo- and fetotoxicity, or teratogenic effects, as well as no allergenic properties in studied animal species. The vaccine induced stable and robust humoral immune response both in form of specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and NAbs in mice, Syrian hamsters, and common marmosets. The NAb levels did not decrease significantly over the course of one year. The course of two immunizations protected Syrian hamsters from severe pneumonia upon intranasal challenge with the live virus. Robustness of the vaccine manufacturing process was demonstrated as well. These data encouraged further evaluation of CoviVac in clinical trials.

Previously different authors described various flavivirus mutants with high affinity to cell glycosaminoglycans and low neuroinvasiveness in mice that were obtained consequently passages in cell cultures or in ticks. In present study the analysis of TBEV isolates has shown existence of GAG-binding variants in natural virus population. Affinity to GAG has been evaluated by sorption on heparin-Sepharose. GAG-binding phenotype corresponds to such virus properties, like small plaque phenotype in PEK cells, absence of hemagglutination at pH 6.4, and low neuroinvasiveness in mice. Mutations increasing charge of E protein were necessary but not sufficient for acquisition of GAG-binding phenotype. Molecular modeling and molecular dynamics simulation have shown that the flexibility of E protein molecule could bear influence on the phenotypic manifestation of substitutions increasing charge of the virions.

Flaviviruses form a large family of enveloped viruses affecting millions of people over the world. To date, no specific therapy was suggested for the infected people, making the treatment exclusively symptomatic. Several attempts were performed earlier for the design of fusion inhibitors for mosquito-borne flaviviruses, whereas for the tick-borne flaviviruses such design had not been performed. We have constructed homology models of envelope glycoproteins of tick-transmitted flaviviruses with the detergent binding pocket in the open state. Molecular docking of substituted 1,4-dihydropyridines and pyrido[2,1-b][1,3,5]thiadiazines was made against these models, and 89 hits were selected for the in vitro experimental evaluation. Seventeen compounds showed significant inhibition against tick-borne encephalitis virus, Powassan virus, or Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus in the 50% plaque reduction test in PEK cells. These compounds identified through rational design are the first ones possessing reproduction inhibition activity against tick-borne flaviviruses.