Whole-body visualization of SARS-CoV-2 biodistribution in vivo by immunoPET imaging in non-human primates

Whole-body visualization of SARS-CoV-2 biodistribution in vivo by immunoPET imaging in non-human primates | 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 Whole-body visualization of SARS-CoV-2 biodistribution in vivo by immunoPET imaging in non-human primates Thibaut Naninck, Alexandra Detrille, Steve Huvelle, Marit J. van Gils, and 12 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5232934/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 21 Mar, 2025 Read the published version in Nature Communications → Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The COVID-19 pandemic has caused nearly 780 million cases globally. While available treatments and vaccines have allowed a reduction of the mortality rate, the spread of the virus is still evolving quickly, resulting in the emergence of new variants. Despite extensive research, the long-term impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection is still poorly understood and requires further investigation. Routine analysis provides limited access to the tissues of patients, necessitating alternative approaches to investigate viral dissemination in the organism. We addressed this issue by implementing a whole-body in vivo imaging strategy to longitudinally assess the biodistribution of SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrate in a COVID-19 non-human primate model that a single injection of non-neutralizing radiolabeled [89Zr]COVA1-27-DFO human monoclonal antibody targeting a preserved epitope of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein allows longitudinal tracking of the virus by positron emission tomography with computed tomography (PET/CT). Convalescent animals exhibited a persistent [89Zr]COVA1-27-DFO PET signal in the lungs, as well as in the brain, three months following infection. This imaging approach also allowed detection of the virus in various organs, including the airways and kidneys, of exposed animals during the acute phase of infection. Overall, the technology we developed offers a comprehensive assessment of SARS-CoV-2 distribution in vivo and provides a new approach for the non- invasive study of long-COVID physiopathology. Health sciences/Pathogenesis/Infection Biological sciences/Microbiology/Virology/SARS-CoV-2 Full Text Additional Declarations There is NO Competing Interest. Supplementary Files Detrilleetal.VisualizationofSARSCoV2biodistributioninNHPsinitialsupportinginformation.pdf Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 21 Mar, 2025 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-5232934","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":364698313,"identity":"f37741d8-bac9-48f6-9b57-a231de0d7f58","order_by":0,"name":"Thibaut 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