A combination vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 and H1N1 influenza based on receptor binding domain trimerized by six-helix bundle fusion core

BACKGROUND: Increasing severe morbidity and mortality by simultaneous or sequential infections with SARS-CoV-2 and influenza A viruses (IAV), especially in the elderly and obese patients, highlight the urgency of developing a combination vaccine against COVID-19 and influenza.

METHODS: Self-assembling SARS-CoV-2 RBD-trimer and Influenza H1N1 HA1-trimer antigens were constructed, upon the stable fusion core in post-fusion conformation.

Immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD-trimer vaccine and H1N1 HA1-trimer antigens candidates were evaluated in mice.

Protection efficacy of a combination vaccine candidate against SARS-CoV-2 and IAV challenge was identified using the K18-hACE2 mouse model.

FINDINGS: Both the resultant RBD-trimer for SARS-CoV-2 and HA1-trimer for H1N1 influenza fully exposed receptor-binding motifs (RBM) or receptor-binding site (RBS).

Two-dose RBD-trimer induced significantly higher binding and neutralizing antibody titers, and also a strong Th1/Th2 balanced cellular immune response in mice.

Similarly, the HA1-trimer vaccine was confirmed to exhibit potent immunogenicity in mice.

A combination vaccine candidate, composed of RBD-trimer and HA1-trimer, afforded high protection efficacy in mouse models against stringent lethal SARS-CoV-2 and homogenous H1N1 influenza co-infection, characterized by 100% survival rate.

INTERPRETATION: Our results represent a proof of concept for a combined vaccine candidate based on trimerized receptor binding domain against co-epidemics of COVID-19 and influenza.

FUNDING: This project was funded by the Strategic Priority Research Program of CAS (XDB29040201), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81830050, 81901680, and 32070569) and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2021M703450).