Will the B.1.1.7 variant evade the vaccine/tests?
This question came up recently and I wanted to share some cutting edge information the addresses this. This was in part adapted from Akiko Iwasaki’s (Yale HHMI immunologist) Twitter discussion of this subject.1
Will B.1.1.7 evade our tests?
The UK variant commonly called lineage B.1.1.7 (officially Variant of Concern 202012/01) has 23 genetic variants that result in 17 protein coding changes.2 Most tests including the ones at our institution (Abbott) are not currently affected (see below). Only the ThermoFisher assay has declared a target that covers the 69-70del variant in the S gene (in green). This conversely makes the TaqPath® assay one way to detect a potential B.1.1.7 variant.
Will the vaccine protect against the B.1.1.7 variant?
The Pfizer and Moderna RNA vaccines create an immune response against the spike protein. We don’t know the exact sequences or reactivity of the vaccines’ spike protein. However, a recent study looked at the antibody reactivity to linear epitopes of COVID-19 in 579 patients who were naturally infected with COVID-19. For the antibodies against the spike, the major reactive linear epitopes are indicated in Red at the bottom. None of the B.1.1.7 mutations (Orange) overlap with these major reactive epitopes.3
For a closer look, see below.
A limitation of these analyses is the use of only linear epitopes. Mutations might impact a 3D epitope affecting Ab binding. However, people make multiple antibodies to the spike protein.4 So, broad coverage should arise after exposure to the either the vaccine or natural infection with COVID-19.
The vaccine should induce a polyclonal antibody response that recognizes multiple parts of the spike protein, making it effective, even against novel variants. Also, there should be few to no False Negative COVID-19 tests due to the new variant, but we will continue to monitor and test this experimentally.
References
- Prof. Akiko Iwasaki @VirusesImmunity
- Chand, Meera et al. Investigation of novel SARS-COV-2 variant: Variant of Concern 202012/01 Public Health England.
- Haynes WA et al. High-resolution mapping and characterization of epitopes in COVID-19 patients. MedRxiv. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.11.23.20235002v1#p-5
- Shrock E et al. Viral epitope profiling of COVID-19 patients reveals cross-reactivity and correlates of severity. Science 2020 370(6520). https://science.sciencemag.org/content/370/6520/eabd4250
–Jeff SoRelle, MD is Assistant Instructor of Pathology at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, TX working in the Next Generation Sequencing lab. His clinical research interests include understanding how lab medicine impacts transgender healthcare and improving genetic variant interpretation. Follow him on Twitter @Jeff_SoRelle.
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