SARS-CoV Subunit Vaccines Based on RBD
SARS-CoV RBD contains multiple conformation-dependent epitopes capable of eliciting high-titer neutralizing antibodies; thus, it is a major target for the development of SARS vaccines (He et al., 2004, 2005a; Jiang et al., 2012; Zhu et al., 2013). Subunit vaccines based on the SARS-CoV RBD have been extensively explored. Studies have found that a fusion protein containing RBD and the fragment crystallizable (Fc) region of human IgG1 (RBD-Fc) elicited highly potent neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV in the immunized rabbits and mice, which strongly blocked the binding between S1 protein and SARS-CoV receptor ACE2 (He et al., 2004). This RBD protein induced long-term, high-level SARS-CoV S-specific antibodies and neutralizing antibodies that could be maintained for 12 months after immunization, protecting most of the vaccinated mice against SARS-CoV infection (Du et al., 2007). In addition, recombinant RBDs (residues 318–510 or 318–536) stably or transiently expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells bound strongly to RBD-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), elicited high-titer anti-SARS-CoV neutralizing antibodies, and protected most, or all, of the SARS-CoV-challenged mice, with undetectable viral RNA and undetectable or significantly reduced viral load (Du et al., 2009c, 2010). Significantly, a 293T cell-expressed RBD protein maintains excellent conformation and good antigenicity to bind SARS-CoV RBD-specific neutralizing mAbs. It elicited highly potent neutralizing antibodies that completely protected immunized mice against SARS-CoV challenge (Du et al., 2009b). Particularly, RBDs from the S proteins of Tor2, GD03, and SZ3, representative strains of SARS-CoV isolated from human 2002–2003, 2003–2004, and palm civet strains, can induce high-titer cross-neutralizing antibodies against pseudotyped SARS-CoV expressing respective S proteins (He et al., 2006c). Different from the full-length S protein-based SARS subunit vaccines, no obvious pathogenic effects have been identified in the RBD-based SARS subunit vaccines (Kam et al., 2007; Jaume et al., 2012).