Prelim study:

SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.86 is less resistant to vaccine, but may be a problem in the lung
https://news.osu.edu/sars-cov-2-ba286-is-less-resistant-to-vaccine-but-may-be-a-problem-in-the-lung/

New research shows that the recently emerged BA.2.86 omicron subvariant of the virus that causes COVID-19 can be neutralized by bivalent mRNA vaccine-induced antibodies in the blood, which explains why this variant did not cause a widespread surge as previously feared.

However, the study in cell cultures showed this SARS-CoV-2 variant can infect human cells that line the lower lung and engage in virus-host cell membrane fusion more efficiently, two features linked to severe disease symptoms.

The study is published today (Jan. 8, 2024) in the journal Cell.

The BA.2.86 variant of omicron is the ancestor of the currently dominating JN.1 and has about 60 more spike protein mutations than the original, or parent, coronavirus, including over 30 more than its close omicron relatives – the early BA.2 variant and the recently dominant XBB.1.5 variant among them. These mutations led scientists to worry that so many changes would make the variant as tough to contain as the initial omicron outbreak in 2021-22.

Shan-Lu Liu
Shan-Lu Liu

“We found that, surprisingly, despite all those 60 mutations combined together, BA.2.86 is not as immune-evasive as the XBB.1.5 variant, which until recently had been dominating the pandemic for months. That’s good news,” said Shan-Lu Liu, senior author the study and a virology professor in the Department of Veterinary Biosciences at The Ohio State University.

“But BA.2.86 appears to have increased infectivity of human lung epithelial cells compared to all omicron variants, so that’s a little worrisome. And, consistent with infectivity, it also has increased fusion activity with human lung epithelial cells,” said Liu, also a professor in the Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity. “That raises a potential concern about whether or not this virus is more pathogenic compared to recent omicron variants.”

The published findings coincide with reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that after a brief increase in BA.2.86 infections, its derived sublineage JN.1 rapidly gained ground in the United States, responsible for an estimated 62% of COVID-19 cases as of Jan. 6.

....“While bivalent vaccine can still neutralize BA.2.86, the efficiency is clearly reduced. Therefore, it is important to get the newest booster vaccine, which is formulated with only XBB.1.5 and has been shown to be effective against BA.2.86,” Liu added.

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