Browsing by Subject "mRNA vaccine"

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    2022 World AIDS day: Past achievements and future optimism
    (Elsevier, 2022-12-17) Al-Tawfiq, Jaffar A.; Alhumaid, Saad; Altawfiq, Kauthar J.; Bearman, Gonzalo; Medicine, School of Medicine
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    Ipsilateral immunization after a prior SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccination elicits superior B cell responses compared to contralateral immunization
    (Elsevier, 2024) Jiang, Wenxia; Maldeney, Alexander R.; Yuan, Xue; Richer, Martin J.; Renshaw, Scott E.; Luo, Wei; Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine
    mRNA vaccines have proven to be pivotal in the fight against COVID-19. A recommended booster, given 3 to 4 weeks post the initial vaccination, can substantially amplify protective antibody levels. Here, we show that, compared to contralateral boost, ipsilateral boost of the SARS-CoV-2 mRNA vaccine induces more germinal center B cells (GCBCs) specific to the receptor binding domain (RBD) and generates more bone marrow plasma cells. Ipsilateral boost can more rapidly generate high-affinity RBD-specific antibodies with improved cross-reactivity to the Omicron variant. Mechanistically, the ipsilateral boost promotes the positive selection and plasma cell differentiation of pre-existing GCBCs from the prior vaccination, associated with the expansion of T follicular helper cells. Furthermore, we show that ipsilateral immunization with an unrelated antigen after a prior mRNA vaccination enhances the germinal center and antibody responses to the new antigen compared to contralateral immunization. These findings propose feasible approaches to optimize vaccine effectiveness.