Article
Author: Maggi, Paolo ; Iannacone, Claudio ; Genova, Francesco ; Piano Mortari, Eva ; Battella, Simone ; Milleri, Stefano ; Lichtner, Miriam ; Mezzaroma, Ivano ; Capici, Serena ; Visani, Luigi ; Dragonetti, Rosella ; Gori, Andrea ; Carsetti, Rita ; Lanini, Simone ; Lo Caputo, Sergio ; Contino, Alessandra M ; Missale, Gabriele ; Codeluppi, Mauro ; Carbonara, Sergio ; Leone, Sebastiano ; Cauda, Roberto ; Folgori, Antonella ; Capone, Stefania ; Cascio, Antonio ; Camerini, Roberto ; Cossu, Maria V ; Pontali, Emanuele ; Parente, Gessica ; Colloca, Stefano ; Dal Zoppo, Sarah ; Gori, Giovanni ; Roda, Silvia ; Fusco, Francesco M ; Libanore, Marco ; Diani, Augusta ; Borrè, Silvio ; Bonora, Stefano ; Confalonieri, Paola
The ongoing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic and heterologous immunization approaches implemented worldwide for booster doses call for diversified vaccine portfolios. GRAd-COV2 is a gorilla adenovirus-based COVID-19 vaccine candidate encoding prefusion-stabilized spike. The safety and immunogenicity of GRAd-COV2 is evaluated in a dose- and regimen-finding phase 2 trial (COVITAR study, ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04791423) whereby 917 eligible participants are randomized to receive a single intramuscular GRAd-COV2 administration followed by placebo, or two vaccine injections, or two doses of placebo, spaced over 3 weeks. Here, we report that GRAd-COV2 is well tolerated and induces robust immune responses after a single immunization; a second administration increases binding and neutralizing antibody titers. Potent, variant of concern (VOC) cross-reactive spike-specific T cell response peaks after the first dose and is characterized by high frequencies of CD8s. T cells maintain immediate effector functions and high proliferative potential over time. Thus, GRAd vector is a valuable platform for genetic vaccine development, especially when robust CD8 response is needed.