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Ancestral SARS-CoV-2, but not Omicron, replicates less efficiently in primary pediatric nasal epithelial cells

Yanshan Zhu1, Keng Yih Chew1, Melanie Wu1

  • 1School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.

Plos Biology
|August 1, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Children

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Pediatric Infectious Diseases
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Children generally exhibit milder Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms and lower susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection compared to adults.
  • Emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) correlates with increased pediatric infections, prompting investigation into underlying causes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate differences in SARS-CoV-2 replication and antiviral responses in pediatric versus adult nasal epithelial cells (NECs).
  • To compare the susceptibility of pediatric NECs to ancestral SARS-CoV-2 and its VOCs, including Delta and Omicron variants.

Main Methods:

  • Primary nasal epithelial cells (NECs) from children and adults were differentiated at an air-liquid interface.
  • These NECs were infected with ancestral SARS-CoV-2, Delta, and Omicron variants to assess viral replication and host antiviral responses.

Main Results:

  • Ancestral SARS-CoV-2 replicated to significantly lower titers in pediatric NECs compared to adult NECs, associated with a heightened antiviral response.
  • The Delta variant also showed reduced replication in pediatric NECs, whereas Omicron replicated more efficiently in pediatric NECs than Delta or the ancestral strain.
  • Omicron variant demonstrated higher viral RNA levels in pediatric NECs compared to Delta and ancestral SARS-CoV-2.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric nasal epithelium inherently supports lower replication of ancestral SARS-CoV-2, linked to a robust antiviral defense.
  • The evolving SARS-CoV-2 landscape, particularly with variants like Omicron, may alter this differential susceptibility in children's nasal passages.

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