{
  "abstract": "The first-generation Spike-based COVID-19 vaccines reduced the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death from SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, waning immunity failed to prevent immune escape, resulting in multiple variants of concern (VOCs) and prolonging the pandemic. We hypothesize that next-generation CoV vaccines incorporating highly conserved SARS-CoV-2 T cell antigens would confer potent, broad, long-lasting cross-protective immunity against multiple VOCs. In this study, we identified 10 non-Spike antigens common and highly conserved across 8.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains, prior VOCs, SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, seasonal human cold CoVs, and animal CoVs. Seven antigens were preferentially recognized by CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells from unvaccinated asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, irrespective of VOC. Three conserved antigens (NSP2, NSP14, Nucleoprotein) administered to golden Syrian hamsters: (i) induced high frequencies of lung-resident polyfunctional CXCR5⁺CD4⁺ TFH cells, GzmB⁺CD4⁺/CD8⁺ cytotoxic T cells, and CD69⁺IFN-γ⁺TNFα⁺CD4⁺/CD8⁺ effector T cells; (ii) reduced morbidity, viral load, lung pathology, and COVID-19-like symptoms from various VOCs, including the pathogenic B.1.617.2 Delta and the recent KP.3 Omicron variants; (iii) improved protection conferred by spike-alone mRNA; and (iv) conferred protection that lasted for more than 1 year. This multi-antigen CoV vaccine could provide potent, broad-spectrum, and durable cross-protective immunity against current and future variants of concern in the clinic.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA.",
    "Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, USA.",
    "BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, USA.",
    "Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.",
    "Department of Surgery, Divisions of Trauma, Burns & Critical Care, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA.",
    "Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. Lbenmoha@uci.edu.",
    "Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA, USA. Lbenmoha@uci.edu.",
    "Institute for Immunology, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. Lbenmoha@uci.edu."
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 13,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Swayam Prakash"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Nisha R Dhanushkodi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Afshana Quadiri"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Hawa Vahed"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Aziz A Chentoufi"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Pierre-Gregoire Coulon"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2
      ],
      "name": "Izabela Coimbra Ibraim"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Assia El Babsiri"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Delia F Tifrea"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Cesar J Figueroa"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Daniel Gil"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jeffrey B Ulmer"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6,
        7
      ],
      "name": "Lbachir BenMohamed"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8w0qsz2nybwzv.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1038/s41541-026-01549-y",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13638991",
  "id": "8w0qsz2nybwzv",
  "issns": [
    "2059-0105"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834091",
  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY",
  "licence_label": "CC BY",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2725|SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7203695392",
  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13638991?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13638991",
  "pmid": "42834091",
  "published": "2026-08-18",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8w0qsz2nybwzv.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
      "native_id": "MED:42834091",
      "source": "europepmc",
      "url": "https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42834091"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2725|SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research",
      "subfield": "infectious-disease"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Multi-antigen coronavirus vaccine induces potent and durable cross-protection against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants.",
  "title_text": "Multi-antigen coronavirus vaccine induces potent and durable cross-protection against multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:18:10Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/8w0qsz2nybwzv",
  "venue": "NPJ vaccines",
  "versions": []
}