An intranasal influenza virus-vectored vaccine blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication in respiratory tissues of mice and hamsters | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article An intranasal influenza virus-vectored vaccine blocks SARS-CoV-2 replication in respiratory tissues of mice and hamsters Shaofeng Deng, Ying Liu, Rachel Tam, Pin Chen, Jinxia Zhang, Bobo Mok, and 11 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1880060/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Apr, 2023 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract We have developed an intranasal vaccine candidate based on a live attenuated influenza virus (LAIV) with a deleted NS1 gene that encodes cell surface expression of the receptor-binding-domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, designated DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF. Immune responses and protection against virus challenge following intranasal administration of DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF vaccines were analyzed in mice and compared with intramuscular injection of the BioNTech BNT162b2 mRNA vaccine in hamsters. DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIVs induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies against various SARS-CoV-2 variants in mice and hamsters and stimulated robust T cell responses in mice. Notably, vaccination with DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIVs, but not BNT162b2 mRNA, blocked replication of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Delta and Omicron BA.2, in the respiratory tissues of animals. The DelNS1-RBD4N-DAF LAIV system warrants further evaluation in humans for the control of SARS-CoV-2 transmission and, more significantly, for creating dual function vaccines against both influenza and COVID-19 for use in annual vaccination strategies. Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 12 Apr, 2023 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-1880060","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":122997310,"identity":"7bf299c3-6639-4dff-93b2-f833f03d2c7a","order_by":0,"name":"Shaofeng Deng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Hong Kong","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shaofeng","middleName":"","lastName":"Deng","suffix":""},{"id":122997311,"identity":"8c21e6e9-0d6a-469d-a683-4d4d25be5766","order_by":1,"name":"Ying Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"University of Hong 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