Intranasal delivery of adenovirus-vectored vaccine confers protective mucosal immunity against SARS-CoV-2

Abstract The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, has threatened the global health. Since first case infection was reported in December 2019, rapidly spread all over world and millions deaths. As vaccination is best way to protect host from invading pathogens, several vaccines have been developed prevent saved huge numbers lives so far. However, constantly change their antigens resulting escape vaccine-induced protection, persistence immunity induced vaccine becomes an issue. Further, traditional intramuscular COVID-19 are insufficient evoke mucosal specific immune response. Because respiratory tract primary route entry, need for strongly suggested. Using adenoviral (Ad) vector platform, we generated recombinant that encode modified-spike antigen, evaluated efficacy murine models. We found intranasal delivery Ad-vectored elicited both systemic as well responses, rescued mice lethal infection. revealed changed transcriptional landscape lung. These results indicate our potential confer protective against SARS-CoV-2. This study supported National Research Foundation Korea (NRF-2021M3A9D3026428 NRF-2021M3A9H3015688) funded Ministry Science ICT Korea. work also Mobile Clinic Module Project KAIST 2020 Joint Institutes Technology. H.E. Jung Basic Program through NRF Education (2022R1I1A1A01071399)