COVID-19 Vaccine Research: New Findings on SARS-CoV-2 Infection in African Green Monkeys

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh have published a study on the SARS-CoV-2 infection in African green monkeys, providing new insights into the virus's pathogenesis. The study found that infection in the monkeys resulted in mild respiratory disease, with lesions detectable by PET/CT imaging and shedding of infectious virus from both respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts. This research highlights the importance of using non-human primate models for evaluating candidate vaccines and therapeutic interventions against COVID-19.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study found that SARS-CoV-2 infection in African green monkeys resulted in mild clinical infection, with a transient decrease in lung tidal volume.
  • Imaging with human clinical-grade F-18-FDG PET co-registered with CT revealed pulmonary lesions at 4 days post-infection that resolved over time.
  • Infectious virus was shed from both respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts in all animals, with a biphasic manner, first between 2-7 days post-infection, followed by a recrudescence at 14-21 days post-infection.
  • Viral RNA (vRNA) was found throughout both respiratory and gastrointestinal systems at necropsy, with higher levels of vRNA found within the GI tract tissues.
  • All animals seroconverted simultaneously for IgM and IgG, which has also been documented in human COVID-19 cases.
  • The study concluded that African green monkeys represent a suitable species for studying mild/subclinical COVID-19 disease and live virus shedding.
  • Future vaccine evaluation can be performed in AGM with correlates of efficacy being lung lesions by PET/CT, virus shedding, and tissue viral load.

Statistics:

  • 100% of African green monkeys (AGM) showed shedding of infectious virus from both respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts.
  • 100% of monkeys showed seroconversion for IgM and IgG antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.
  • 4 days post-infection, pulmonary lesions were detectable by PET/CT imaging in all monkeys.
  • 14-21 days post-infection, a recrudescence of virus shedding was observed in all animals.

Sources:

  • Sars-cov-2 Infection of African Green Monkeys Results In Mild Respiratory Disease Discernible By Pet/ct Imaging and Shedding of Infectious Virus From Both Respiratory and Gastrointestinal Tracts. PLoS Pathogens, 2020;16(9):.
  • NewsRx. Findings from University of Pittsburgh Reveals New Findings on COVID-19 (Sars-cov-2 Infection of African Green Monkeys Results In Mild Respiratory Disease Discernible By Pet/ct Imaging and Shedding of Infectious Virus From Both Respiratory and ...). Vaccine Weekly. October 21, 2020; p 1064.