Binding of Natural Antibodies Generated after COVID-19 and Vaccination with Individual Peptides Corresponding to the SARS-CoV-2 S-Protein

Abstract

The rapid development of vaccines is a crucial objective in modern biotechnology and molecular pharmacology. In this context, conducting research to expedite the selection of a potent immunogen is imperative. The candidate vaccine should induce the production of antibodies that can recognize the immunogenic epitopes of the target protein, resembling the ones found in recovered patients. One major challenge in vaccine development is the absence of straightforward and reliable techniques to determine the extent to which the spectrum of antibodies produced after vaccination corresponds to antibodies found after recovery. This paper describes a newly developed method to detect antibodies specific to immunogenic epitopes of the target protein in blood plasma and to compare them with antibody spectra generated post vaccination. Comparing the antibody pool generated in the human body after recovering from an infectious disease with the pool formed through vaccination can become a universal method for screening candidate vaccines. This method will enable the identification of candidate vaccines that can induce the production of antibodies similar to those generated in response to a natural infection. Implementing this approach will facilitate the rapid development of new vaccines, even when faced with a pandemic.