Article
Author: Cauda, Roberto ; Confalonieri, Paola ; Gori, Andrea ; Libanore, Marco ; Genova, Francesco ; Codeluppi, Mauro ; Battella, Simone ; Milleri, Stefano ; Dal Zoppo, Sarah ; Piano Mortari, Eva ; Parente, Gessica ; Folgori, Antonella ; Missale, Gabriele ; Capone, Stefania ; Lichtner, Miriam ; Gori, Giovanni ; Roda, Silvia ; Bonora, Stefano ; Fusco, Francesco M ; Lanini, Simone ; Mezzaroma, Ivano ; Dragonetti, Rosella ; Colloca, Stefano ; Capici, Serena ; Visani, Luigi ; Iannacone, Claudio ; Carbonara, Sergio ; Carsetti, Rita ; Contino, Alessandra M ; Cossu, Maria V ; Diani, Augusta ; Camerini, Roberto ; Leone, Sebastiano ; Lo Caputo, Sergio ; Cascio, Antonio ; Borrè, Silvio ; Pontali, Emanuele ; Maggi, Paolo
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.