Publication date: Jul 29, 2025
Since the outbreak of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), a virus that has caused a high case fatality rate of 36%, other merbecoviruses have been reported to also be capable of infecting human cells. Given the threat of Merbecovirus spillover to humans, we developed virus-like particle vaccines presenting the S2 subunit proteins of MERS-CoV, NeoCoV, HKU4, or HKU25. Mice were vaccinated with the homotypic vaccines, and IgG endpoint titers were measured against S2 proteins of the same panel of viruses, confirming high cross-reactivity across all four viruses. Based on characterization by antigenic cartography, MERS-CoV and HKU4 S2 proteins were selected as optimal components for a cocktail vaccine. MERS-CoV and NeoCoV homotypic vaccines, along with the mixture vaccine, provided partial protection in transgenic mice against a MERS-CoV challenge. These findings could serve as an important step toward designing pan-Merbecovirus vaccines in preparation for future outbreaks.
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| Concepts | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Cartography | Coronavirus |
| Cocktail | Cov |
| Merbecoviruses | Cross |
| Optimal | High |
| Vaccinated | Hku4 |
| Homotypic | |
| Merbecovirus | |
| Mers | |
| Neocov | |
| Partial | |
| Protection | |
| Subunit | |
| Vaccines | |
| Virus | |
| Viruses |
Semantics
| Type | Source | Name |
|---|---|---|
| disease | MESH | Middle East respiratory syndrome |
| disease | MESH | severe acute respiratory syndrome |
| disease | MESH | mutation rate |
| disease | MESH | Influenza |
| disease | MESH | Viral Diseases |
| disease | MESH | Infection |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Coenzyme M |
| disease | IDO | host |
| disease | MESH | SD1 |
| disease | IDO | assay |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Sodium lauryl sulfate |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Tretamine |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Proline |
| disease | IDO | immune response |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Tromethamine |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trestolone |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Flunarizine |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Isoflurane |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Dextrose unspecified form |
| disease | IDO | colony |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Aspartame |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Methylcellulose |
| disease | MESH | emergencies |
| disease | IDO | cell |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Trypsin |
| disease | IDO | protein |
| disease | MESH | syndrome |
| disease | MESH | acute respiratory distress syndrome |
| drug | DRUGBANK | Biotin |
| disease | MESH | Allergy |
| disease | MESH | Infectious Diseases |
| disease | MESH | Reemerging Infectious Diseases |
| pathway | REACTOME | Reproduction |