Project description:Here, we report the coding-complete genome sequences of 40 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) strains of the newly emerged recombinant Omicron variants XBB, XBB.1, and XBB.2. The strains were isolated from nasopharyngeal swab samples that had been collected from symptomatic patients in Bangladesh between September and October 2022 and were sequenced using an Oxford Nanopore Technologies (ONT) system.
Project description:An intelligent indoor metasurface robotic is empowered on the physical layer by programmable metasurfaces and on the cyber layer by artificial-intelligence tools.
Project description:We announce the coding-complete genomes of four different strains of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineages, XBB.1.16, XBB.2.3, FL.4 (alias of XBB.1.9.1.4), and XBB.3. These strains were obtained between October 2022 and May 2023 from nasopharyngeal swabs of four Bangladeshi individuals, while one of them had a travel history. Genomic data were produced by implementing ARTIC Network-based amplicon sequencing using the Oxford Nanopore Technology.
Project description:To gain a deeper understanding of Omicron waves in the context of vaccination, we performed scRNA-seq together with single-cell V(D)J sequencing using PBMCs from nine Omicron breakthrough infection patients and six vaccinees to identify the possible cellular and molecular response mechanisms after breakthrough infection.
Project description:The Omicron variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), first identified in November 2021 in South Africa, has initiated the 5th wave of global pandemics. Here, we systemically examined immunological and metabolic characteristics of Omicron variants infection. We found Omicron resisted to neutralizing antibody targeting receptor binding domain (RBD) of wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Omicron could not be neutralized by sera of Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent individuals who were infected with the Delta variant. Through mass spectrometry on MHC-bound peptidomes, we found that the spike protein of the Omicron variants could generate additional CD8+ T cell epitopes, compared with Delta. These epitopes could induce robust CD8+ T cell responses. Moreover, we found booster vaccination increased the cross-memory CD8+ T cell responses against Omicron. Metabolic regulome analysis of Omicron-specific T cell showed a metabolic profile that promoted memory T cell responses. Consistently, a higher fraction of memory CD8+ T cells were found in Omicron stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). In addition, CD147 was also a receptor for the Omicron variants, and CD147 antibody inhibited infection of Omicron. CD147-mediated Omicron infection in a human CD147 transgenic mouse model induced exudative alveolar pneumonia. Taken together, our data suggested that vaccination booster and receptor blocking antibody are two effective strategies against Omicron.
Project description:Antibody response following Omicron infection is reported to be less robust than that to other variants. Here we investigated how prior vaccination and/or prior infection modulates that response. Disease severity, antibody responses and immune transcriptomes were characterized in four groups of Omicron-infected outpatients (n=83): unvaccinated/no prior infection, vaccinated/no prior infection, unvaccinated/prior infection and vaccinated/prior infection. The percentage of patients with asymptomatic or mild disease was highest in the vaccinated/no prior infection group (87%) and lowest in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group (47%). Significant anti-Omicron spike antibody levels and neutralizing activity were detected in the vaccinated group immediately after infection but were not present in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group. Within two weeks, antibody levels against Omicron, increased. Omicron neutralizing activity in the vaccinated group exceeded that of the prior infection group. No increase in neutralizing activity in the unvaccinated/no prior infection group was seen. The unvaccinated/prior infection group showed an intermediate response. We then investigated the early transcriptomic response following Omicron infection in these outpatient populations and compared it to that found in unvaccinated hospitalized patients with Alpha infection. Omicron infected patients showed a gradient of transcriptional response dependent upon whether or not they were previously vaccinated or infected. Vaccinated patients showed a significantly blunted interferon response as compared to both unvaccinated Omicron infected outpatients and unvaccinated Alpha infected hospitalized patients typified by the response of specific gene classes such as OAS and IFIT that control anti-viral responses and IFI27, a predictor of disease outcome.
Project description:SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection results in a milder clinical feature compared to the Delta strain. The development of Omicron specific vaccine has also been hampered due to the low immunogenicity. By reverse-mutating the amino acids in the Omicron receptor binding domain (RBD), we identified that the mutation from Phenylalanine 375 (F375) in the Omicron spike to Serine 375 (S375) in Delta and other early strains significantly enhances the immune response in the manner of vaccines. Interestingly, the new evolution of the 371FAPF375FAF sequence in Omicron exhibited a potent inhibitory effect on macrophage uptake of the RBD nanoparticle or spike-pseudovirus particles. Omicron RBD enhances binding to Siglec-9 on macrophages to reduce the immunogenicity and increase the immune evasion, which could be abrogated by Serine 375 mutation. Based upon these observations, we further developed a bivalent Omicron RBD with S375 mutation and Delta RBD nanoparticle vaccine, which elicited potent and broad neutralizing antibodies in mice, rabbits, and rhesus macaques. Our research suggests that manipulating the Siglec-9 pathway could be a promising approach to enhancing vaccine response. Importantly, our findings suggest that Omicron subvariants have developed a new strategy to evade immune surveillance by impairing the phagocytosis and antigen presentation processes of macrophages.