Study on Animals Shows Intranasally Delivered Sputnik V Vaccine Give Robust Immune Response Against Covid

The Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology (Gamaleya Center) and the Russian Direct Investment Fund announce a publication in Emerging Microbes & Infections, a peer-reviewed medical journal, sharing the results of a study on intranasally delivered Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. The study shows this type of the vaccine induces a strong and durable immune response in animals. 

The intranasal Sputnik V was studied in in mice and in non-human primates (common marmosets). High immunogenic properties of the vaccine were verified by marked IgG and neutralizing antibody (NtAb) production in blood serum, antigen-specific T-cell proliferation and formation of IgA antibodies in the nasal mucosa.

The vaccine induced a robust (no less than 180 days) systemic and local immune response. Study’s findings demonstrate that in the mouse model, intranasal and intramuscular administration of Sputnik V vaccine elicits comparable magnitude of central antigen-specific immunity, while only intranasal vaccination forms humoral and cell-mediated response in lungs.

Lungs are more vulnerable to infection by the novel strains of coronavirus, including BA4 and BA5 sub-strains of Omicron. The ability of intranasal vaccine to elicit protective immunity at the entry gates of infection provided by mucosal vaccination is key to block virus infection and transmission and may become a “silver bullet” that could bring the pandemic to an end.

Intranasal administration of Sputnik V is well-tolerated and effective for developing both local and systemic immune responses, as well as providing protection against lethal virus challenge, which is comparable to that of the initially developed intramuscular vaccine.

An earlier study conducted by a team of Russian scientists including representatives of the City Clinical Hospital No. 67 named after L.A. Vorokhobov and the Gamaleya Center has demonstrated Sputnik V’s efficacy against hospitalisation caused by Omicron for those vaccinated with 3 or 4 components (re-vaccination with Sputnik Light or Sputnik V after Sputnik V) was 97 per cent and 99.4 per cent against critical cases. These results have been published in June 2022 in the Vaccines leading peer-reviewed medical journal.