A Detailed Overview of Immune Escape, Antibody Escape, Partial Vaccine Escape of SARS-CoV-2 and Their Emerging Variants With Escape Mutations

Abstract

The infective SARS-CoV-2 is more prone to immune escape. Presently, the significant variants of SARS-CoV-2 are emerging in due course of time with substantial mutations, having the immune escape property. Simultaneously, the vaccination drive against this virus is in progress worldwide. However, vaccine evasion has been noted by some of the newly emerging variants. Our review provides an overview of the emerging variants' immune escape and vaccine escape ability. We have illustrated a broad view related to viral evolution, variants, and immune escape ability. Subsequently, different immune escape approaches of SARS-CoV-2 have been discussed. Different innate immune escape strategies adopted by the SARS-CoV-2 has been discussed like, IFN-I production dysregulation, cytokines related immune escape, immune escape associated with dendritic cell function and macrophages, natural killer cells and neutrophils related immune escape, PRRs associated immune evasion, and NLRP3 inflammasome associated immune evasion. Simultaneously we have discussed the significant mutations related to emerging variants and immune escape, such as mutations in the RBD region (N439K, L452R, E484K, N501Y, K444R) and other parts (D614G, P681R) of the S-glycoprotein. Mutations in other locations such as NSP1, NSP3, NSP6, ORF3, and ORF8 have also been discussed. Finally, we have illustrated the emerging variants' partial vaccine (BioNTech/Pfizer mRNA/Oxford-AstraZeneca/BBIBP-CorV/ZF2001/Moderna mRNA/Johnson & Johnson vaccine) escape ability. This review will help gain in-depth knowledge related to immune escape, antibody escape, and partial vaccine escape ability of the virus and assist in controlling the current pandemic and prepare for the next.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; escape mutation; immune escape; vaccine escape; variants.