In a new study from Northwestern Medicine, researchers found that coronavirus vaccines and prior coronavirus infections can provide broad immunity against other, similar coronaviruses.
The findings build a rationale for universal coronavirus vaccines that could prove useful in the face of future epidemics.
The three main families of coronaviruses that cause human disease are Sarbecovirus, which includes the SARS-CoV-1 strain that was responsible for the 2003 outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), as well as SARS-CoV-2, which is responsible for COVID-19; Embecovirus, which includes OC43, which is often responsible for the common cold; and Merbecovirus, which is the virus responsible for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), first reported in 2012.
In the study, the team found plasma from humans who had been vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 produced antibodies that were cross-reactive (provided protection) against SARS-CoV-1 and the common cold coronavirus (OC43).
They also found mice immunized with a SARS-CoV-1 vaccine developed in 2004 generated immune responses that protected them from intranasal exposure by SARS-CoV-2.
Lastly, the study found prior coronavirus infections can protect against subsequent infections with other coronaviruses.
The scientists say that both SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2 are genetically similar—like cousins of one another —while the common cold coronavirus is more divergent from SARS-CoV-2.
As long as the coronavirus is greater than 70% related, the vaccinated mice were protected. If they were exposed to a very different family of coronaviruses, the vaccines might confer less protection.
There may be a path forward for developing a vaccine for each coronavirus family (Sarbecovirus, Embecovirus and Merbecovirus).
The team says it is possible to have a generic vaccine for each of the main families of coronaviruses, for example a universal Sarbecovirus vaccine for SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2 and other SARS-related coronaviruses; or a universal Embecovirus for HCoV-OC43 and HKU1 that cause common colds.
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The study is published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation. One author of the study is Pablo Penaloza-MacMaster.
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