Rapid test to assess the escape of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern
Jacob T. Heggestad, Rhett J. Britton, David Kinnamon, Simone A. Wall, Daniel Y. Joh, Angus Hucknall, Lyra B. Olson, Jack Anderson, Anna Mazur, Cameron R. Wolfe, Thomas H. Oguin, Bruce A. Sullenger, Thomas W. Burke, Bryan Kraft, Gregory D. Sempowski, Christopher W. Woods, Ashutosh Chilkoti
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants are concerning in the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Here, we developed a rapid test, termed CoVariant-SCAN, that detects neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) capable of blocking interactions between the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and the spike protein of wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 and three other variants: B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1. Using CoVariant-SCAN, we assessed neutralization/blocking of monoclonal antibodies and plasma from COVID-19–positive and vaccinated individuals. For several monoclonal antibodies and most plasma samples, neutralization against B.1.351 and P.1 variants is diminished relative to WT, while B.1.1.7 is largely cross-neutralized. We also showed that we can rapidly adapt the platform to detect nAbs against an additional variant—B.1.617.2 (Delta)—without reengineering or reoptimizing the assay. Results using CoVariant-SCAN are consistent with live virus neutralization assays and demonstrate that this easy-to-deploy test could be used to rapidly assess nAb response against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants.