Cross-Neutralization of Emerging SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern by Antibodies Targeting Distinct Epitopes on Spike
Siriruk Changrob, Yanbin Fu, Jenna J. Guthmiller, Peter J. Halfmann, Lei Li, Christopher T. Stamper, Haley L. Dugan, Molly Accola, William Rehrauer, Nai-Ying Zheng, Min Huang, Jiaolong Wang, Steven A. Erickson, Henry A. Utset, Hortencia M. Graves, Fatima Amanat, D. Noah Sather, Florian Krammer, Yoshihiro Kawaoka, Patrick C. Wilson
Abstract
We describe the binding and neutralization properties of a new set of human monoclonal antibodies derived from memory B cells of 10 coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent donors in the first pandemic wave of prototype SARS-CoV-2. There were 12 antibodies targeting distinct epitopes on spike, including two sites on the RBD and one on the N-terminal domain (NTD), that displayed cross-neutralization of VOCs, for which distinct antibody targets could neutralize discrete variants. This work underlines that natural infection by SARS-CoV-2 induces effective cross-neutralization against only some VOCs and supports the need for COVID-19 vaccination for robust induction of neutralizing antibodies targeting multiple epitopes of the spike protein to combat the current SARS-CoV-2 VOCs and any others that might emerge in the future.