Omicron: What Makes the Latest SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Concern So Concerning?

Journal of Virology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 96(6)

Published: Feb. 28, 2022

Emerging strains of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, that show increased transmission fitness and/or immune evasion are classified as "variants concern" (VOCs). Recently, a SARS-CoV-2 variant first identified in November 2021 South Africa has been recognized fifth VOC, termed "Omicron." What makes this VOC so alarming is high number changes, especially viral Spike protein, and accumulating evidence for efficiency escape from neutralizing antibodies. In an amazingly short time, Omicron outcompeted previously dominating Delta VOC. However, it seems overall less pathogenic than other VOCs. Here, we provide overview mutations genome resulting changes proteins compared to discuss their potential functional consequences.

Language: Английский

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Efficient recall of Omicron-reactive B cell memory after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine

Cell, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 185(11), P. 1875 - 1887.e8

Published: April 8, 2022

Language: Английский

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Imprinted SARS-CoV-2-specific memory lymphocytes define hybrid immunity

Cell, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 185(9), P. 1588 - 1601.e14

Published: March 17, 2022

Language: Английский

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Analysis of memory B cells identifies conserved neutralizing epitopes on the N-terminal domain of variant SARS-Cov-2 spike proteins

Immunity, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 55(6), P. 998 - 1012.e8

Published: April 7, 2022

SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination produces neutralizing antibody responses that contribute to better clinical outcomes. The receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the N-terminal (NTD) of spike trimer (S) constitute two major targets for antibodies. Here, we use NTD-specific probes capture anti-NTD memory B cells in a longitudinal cohort infected individuals, some whom were vaccinated. We found 6 complementation groups 58% targeted epitopes outside NTD supersite, neutralized either Gamma Omicron, 14% broad neutralizers also Omicron. Structural characterization revealed broadly active antibodies three supersite including class recognized both SD2 domain. Rapid recruitment producing these into plasma cell compartment upon re-infection likely contributes relatively benign course subsequent infections with variants,

Language: Английский

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An antibody-escape estimator for mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain

Virus Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 8(1)

Published: Jan. 1, 2022

Abstract A key goal of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) surveillance is to rapidly identify viral variants with mutations that reduce neutralization by polyclonal antibodies elicited vaccination or infection. Unfortunately, direct experimental characterization new lags their sequence-based identification. Here we help address this challenge aggregating deep mutational scanning data into an ‘escape estimator’ estimates the antigenic effects arbitrary combinations virus’s spike receptor-binding domain. The estimator can be used intuitively visualize how impact antibody recognition and score expected effect mutations. These scores correlate assays performed on SARS-CoV-2 emphasize ominous properties recently described Omicron variant. An interactive version at https://jbloomlab.github.io/SARS2_RBD_Ab_escape_maps/escape-calc/ (last accessed 11 March 2022), provide a Python module for batch processing. Currently calculator uses primarily Wuhan-Hu-1-like infection so work best calculating escape from such immunity relative early strains.

Language: Английский

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Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant: What we know and what we don’t

Anaesthesia Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 41(1), P. 100998 - 100998

Published: Dec. 10, 2021

Language: Английский

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Antibody-mediated neutralization of SARS-CoV-2

Immunity, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 55(6), P. 925 - 944

Published: May 13, 2022

Language: Английский

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Molecular characteristics, immune evasion, and impact of SARS-CoV-2 variants

Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: June 28, 2022

Abstract The persistent COVID-19 pandemic since 2020 has brought an enormous public health burden to the global society and is accompanied by various evolution of virus genome. consistently emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring critical mutations impact molecular characteristics viral proteins display heterogeneous behaviors in immune evasion, transmissibility, clinical manifestation during infection, which differ each strain endow them with distinguished features populational spread. Several variants, identified as Variants Concern (VOC) World Health Organization, challenged efforts on control due rapid worldwide spread enhanced evasion from current antibodies vaccines. Moreover, recent Omicron variant even exacerbated anxiety continuous pandemic. Its significant medical treatment disease highlights necessity combinatory investigation mutational pattern influence dynamics against immunity, would greatly facilitate drug vaccine development benefit policymaking. Hence this review, we summarized characteristics, impacts focused parallel comparison different profile, transmissibility tropism alteration, effectiveness, manifestations, order provide a comprehensive landscape for research.

Language: Английский

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Impaired detection of omicron by SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests

Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 211(2-3), P. 105 - 117

Published: Feb. 20, 2022

Since autumn 2020, rapid antigen tests (RATs) have been implemented in several countries as an important pillar of the national testing strategy to rapidly screen for infections on site during SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. The current surge infection rates around globe is driven by variant concern (VoC) omicron (B.1.1.529). Here, we evaluated performance nine RATs a single-centre laboratory study. We examined total 115 PCR-negative and 166 PCR-positive respiratory swab samples (101 omicron, 65 delta (B.1.617.2)) collected from October 2021 until January 2022 well cell culture-expanded clinical isolates both VoCs. In assessment analytical sensitivity specimen, 50% limit detection (LoD50) ranged 1.77 × 10

Language: Английский

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Durability of Antibody Levels After Vaccination With mRNA SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Individuals With or Without Prior Infection

JAMA, Journal Year: 2021, Volume and Issue: 326(24), P. 2524 - 2524

Published: Nov. 1, 2021

Association of Prior SARS-CoV-2 Infection With Risk Breakthrough Following mRNA Vaccination in Qatar

Language: Английский

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