Human serum from SARS-CoV-2-vaccinated and COVID-19 patients shows reduced binding to the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant.
Maren SchubertFederico BertoglioStephan SteinkePhilip Alexander HeineMario Alberto Ynga-DurandHenrike MaassJosè Camilla SammartinoIrene CassanitiFanglei ZuoLikun DuJanin KornMarko MiloševićEsther Veronika WenzelFran KrstanovićSaskia PoltenMarina Pribanić-MatešićIlija BrizićFausto BaldantiLennart HammarströmStefan DübelAlan ŠustićHarold MarcotteMonika StrengertAlen ProtićAntonio PirallaQiang Pan-HammarströmLuka Čičin-ŠainMichael HustPublished in: BMC medicine (2022)
These results indicate an immune escape focused on neutralizing antibodies. Nevertheless, a boost vaccination increased the level of anti-RBD antibodies against Omicron, and neutralization of authentic Omicron SARS-CoV-2 was at least partially restored. This study adds evidence that current vaccination protocols may be less efficient against the Omicron variant.