Reduced neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617 by vaccine and convalescent serum

10.1016/j.cell.2021.06.020

Cell

Contributing to research themes:

SARS-CoV-2 has undergone progressive change with variants conferring advantage rapidly becoming dominant lineages e.g. B.1.617. With apparent increased transmissibility variant B.1.617.2 has contributed to the current wave of infection ravaging the Indian subcontinent and has been designated a variant of concern in the UK. Here we study the ability of monoclonal antibodies, convalescent and vaccine sera to neutralize B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 and complement this with structural analyses of Fab/RBD complexes and map the antigenic space of current variants. Neutralization of both viruses is reduced when compared with ancestral Wuhan related strains but there is no evidence of widespread antibody escape as seen with B.1.351. However, B.1.351 and P.1 sera showed markedly more reduction in neutralization of B.1.617.2 suggesting that individuals previously infected by these variants may be more susceptible to reinfection by B.1.617.2. This observation provides important new insight for immunisation policy with future variant vaccines in non-immune populations.

Author list:

Chang Liu, Helen M. Ginn, Wanwisa Dejnirattisai, Piyada Supasa, Beibei Wang,
Aekkachai Tuekprakhon, Rungtiwa Nutalai, Daming Zhou, Alexander J. Mentzer,
Yuguang Zhao, Helen M.E. Duyvesteyn, César López-Camacho, Jose Slon-Campos,
Thomas S. Walter, Donal Skelly, Sile Ann Johnson, Thomas G. Ritter, Chris Mason,
Sue Ann Costa Clemens, Felipe Gomes Naveca, Valdinete Nascimento, Fernanda
Nascimento, Cristiano Fernandes da Costa, Paola Cristina Resende, Alex PauvolidCorrea, Marilda M. Siqueira, Christina Dold, Nigel Temperton, Tao Dong, Andrew J.
Pollard, Julian C. Knight, Derrick Crook, Teresa Lambe, Elizabeth Clutterbuck, Sagida
Bibi, Amy Flaxman, Mustapha Bittaye, Sandra Belij-Rammerstorfer, Sarah C. Gilbert,
Tariq Malik, Miles W. Carroll, Paul Klenerman, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna J. Dunachie,
Vicky Baillie, Natali Serafin, Zanele Ditse, Kelly Da Silva, Neil G. Paterson, Mark A.
Williams, David R. Hall, Shabir Madhi, Marta C. Nunes, Philip Goulder, Elizabeth E.
Fry, Juthathip Mongkolsapaya, Jingshan Ren, David I. Stuart, Gavin R. Screaton