Intranasal Immunization with a Lentiviral Vector Coding for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Confers Vigorous Protection in Pre-Clinical Animal Models

We confirmed the vaccine efficacy and inhibition of lung inflammation using both integrative and non-integrative LV platforms in golden hamsters, naturally permissive to SARS-CoV2 replication and restituting human COVID-19 physiopathology. Our results provide the proof-of-principle evidence of marked prophylactic effects of an LV-based vaccination strategy against SARS-CoV-2 in two pre-clinical animal models and designate the intranasal LV::S-based immunization as a vigorous and promising vaccine approach against COVID-19.