A cell-based ELISA as surrogate of virus neutralization assay for RBD SARS-CoV-2 specific antibodies. Issue 13 (18th March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Pi-Estopiñan, Franciscary; Pérez, María Teresa; Fraga, Anitza; Bergado, Gretchen; Díaz, Geidy D.; Orosa, Ivette; Díaz, Marianniz; Solozábal, Joaquín Antonio; Rodríguez, Laura Marta; Garcia-Rivera, Dagmar; Macías, Consuelo; Jerez, Yanet; Casadesús, Ana V.; Fernández-Marrero, Briandy; Bermúdez, Ernesto; Plasencia, Claudia A.; Sánchez, Belinda; Hernández, Tays
• Is Part Of: Vaccine. Volume 40:Issue 13(2022)
• Page Start: 1958
• Page End: 1967
• Publication Date: 2022-03-18
• Subjects: SARS-CoV-2 -- cell-based ELISA -- cVNT -- mVNT -- Vaccine; NAbs neutralizing antibodies -- cVNT conventional virus neutralization test -- mVNT molecular virus neutralization test -- PFA paraformaldehyde -- RT room temperature -- RBD-hFc RBD fused to human IgG Fc fragment -- RBD-mFc RBD fused to mouse IgG Fc fragment -- cbE-VNT cell based ELISA-virus neutralization test -- AP alkaline phosphatase; Vaccines -- Periodicals; 615.372
• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2022.02.044
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0264-410X

Abstract

Graphical abstract: Highlights: cbE-VNT is a safe, easy, highthrouput and rapid technique for the determination of NAbs against SARS-CoV-2. cbE-VNT uses ACE2 in a natural context mimicking better the interaction of RBD with the receptor. cbE-VNT is highly specific, sensitive and species independent. cbE-VNT exhibits a strong correlation with cVNT, the gold standard to detect and quantify virus-neutralizing antibodies. Abstract: SARS-CoV-2, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic, has provoked a global crisis and death of millions of people. Several serological assays to determine the quality of the immune response against SARS-CoV-2 and the efficacy of vaccines have been developed, among them the gold standard conventional virus neutralization assays. However, these tests are time consuming, require biosafety level 3 (BSL3), and are low throughput and expensive. This has motivated the development of alternative methods, including molecular inhibition assays. Herein, we present a safe cell-based ELISA-virus neutralization test (cbE-VNT) as a surrogate for the conventional viral neutralization assays that detects the inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 RBD binding to ACE2-bearing cells independently of species. Our test shows a very good correlation with the conventional and molecular neutralization assays and achieves 100% specificity and 95% sensitivity. cbE-VNT is cost-effective, fast and enables a large-scale serological evaluation that can be performed in a BSL2 laboratory, allowing its use in pre-clinical and clinical investigations.