Analysis of cell-mediated and antibody-mediated immunity to the COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2 virus following treatment with mRNA vaccine, in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) who are treated with immune modulating medication. Each consenting subject will provide approximately 30 mL of whole blood via venipuncture before their first vaccine injection (those who meet inclusion 3a only), 45 (those who meet inclusion 3a or 3b), 90 and 180 days after the first vaccine injection (those who meet inclusion 3a, 3b, or 3c). If they receive a booster vaccine injection, they will also be asked to provide 30 mL of whole blood 28-42 days after the booster injection date. These samples, obtained at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center, will be transferred to the Laboratory of Molecular and Tumor Immunology at the Earle A. Chiles Cancer Research Institute, where the blood will be processed and cryopreserved. Serum samples will be analyzed for the presence and titer of neutralizing antibodies to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Isolated peripheral blood lymphocytes will be used for analyses of T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 spike peptides. Responses will be compared to the immune responses of 10 subjects who have been enrolled in the CORVax spike plasmid DNA vaccine study and are subsequently referred to in this protocol as healthy controls. The unused portion of the samples will be stored for future deep cytokine and genomic analyses if funding becomes available to perform these latter studies.~This study will include 4 cohorts, each will enroll 10 subjects who are being treated with an immunomodulating therapy for MS. The 4 immunomodulating medications selected, because each differs in their mechanisms of action, include ocrelizumab (B-cell lytic), fingolimod (prevents mobilization of B and T cells from peripheral lymphoid organs), natalizumab (blocks transmigration of monocytes, and lymphocytes into the central nervous system), and dimethyl fumarate/diroximel fumarate (reduces inflammation-induce oxidative stress).
The primary objective is to determine whether the use of immunomodulating medications have an impact on the ability to mount and sustain an immune response to SARS-CoV-2 spike protein following mRNA vaccination in patients with MS when compared to healthy controls not receiving immunomodulating medications.~We hypothesize that the use of immunomodulators in MS patients may eliminate or reduce the level of protective immune response, and/or shorten the duration of the protective response.