1
|
Gao Y, Han S, Lu F, Liu Q, Yang J, Wang W, Wang Y, Zhang J, Ju R, Shen X, Zhao Y, Wang H, Tan W, Wang L. Dimethyl-Dioctadecyl-Ammonium Bromide/Poly(lactic acid) Nanoadjuvant Enhances the Immunity and Cross-Protection of an NM2e-Based Universal Influenza Vaccine. ACS NANO 2024; 18:12905-12916. [PMID: 38721835 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.4c00668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
For most frequent respiratory viruses, there is an urgent need for a universal influenza vaccine to provide cross-protection against intra- and heterosubtypes. We previously developed an Escherichia coli fusion protein expressed extracellular domain of matrix 2 (M2e) and nucleoprotein, named NM2e, and then combined it with an aluminum adjuvant, forming a universal vaccine. Although NM2e has demonstrated a protective effect against the influenza virus in mice to some extent, further improvement is still needed for the induction of immune responses ensuring adequate cross-protection against influenza. Herein, we fabricated a cationic solid lipid nanoadjuvant using poly(lactic acid) (PLA) and dimethyl-dioctadecyl-ammonium bromide (DDAB) and loaded NM2e to generate an NM2e@DDAB/PLA nanovaccine (Nv). In vitro experiments suggested that bone marrow-derived dendritic cells incubated with Nv exhibited ∼4-fold higher antigen (Ag) uptake than NM2e at 16 h along with efficient activation by NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv. In vivo experiments revealed that Ag of the Nv group stayed in lymph nodes (LNs) for more than 14 days after initial immunization and DCs in LNs were evidently activated and matured. Furthermore, the Nv primed T and B cells for robust humoral and cellular immune responses after immunization. It also induced a ratio of IgG2a/IgG1 higher than that of NM2e to a considerable extent. Moreover, NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv quickly restored body weight and improved survival of homo- and heterosubtype influenza challenged mice, and the cross-protection efficiency was over 90%. Collectively, our study demonstrated that NM2e@DDAB/PLA Nv could offer notable protection against homo- and heterosubtype influenza virus challenges, offering the potential for the development of a universal influenza vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Gao
- Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- Key Laboratory of Forest Plant Ecology, Ministry of Education, Heilongjiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Utilization of Forestry-Based Active Substances, College of Chemistry, Chemistry Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Shulan Han
- Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P.R. China
| | - Funa Lu
- School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130021, P.R. China
- Basic Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010010, P.R. China
| | - Qi Liu
- School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing 100191, China
| | - Jun Yang
- Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), Beijing Tide Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, No.8 East Rongjing Street, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Wenling Wang
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
| | - Yuanyuan Wang
- Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, P.R. China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| | - Ruijun Ju
- Beijing Institute of Petrochemical Technology, Beijing 102617, P.R. China
| | - Xiaoling Shen
- Basic Medical College, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Hohhot 010010, P.R. China
| | - Yanping Zhao
- Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), Beijing Tide Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, No.8 East Rongjing Street, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Hongjun Wang
- Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area (BDA), Beijing Tide Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd, No.8 East Rongjing Street, Beijing 100176, China
| | - Wenjie Tan
- National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, P.R. China
| | - Lianyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Green Process and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering, Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, P.R. China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, P.R. China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Sayedahmed EE, Elshafie NO, dos Santos AP, Jagannath C, Sambhara S, Mittal SK. Development of NP-Based Universal Vaccine for Influenza A Viruses. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:157. [PMID: 38400140 PMCID: PMC10892571 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12020157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2024] [Revised: 01/28/2024] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The nucleoprotein (NP) is a vital target for the heterosubtypic immunity of CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) due to its conservation among influenza virus subtypes. To further enhance the T cell immunity of NP, autophagy-inducing peptide C5 (AIP-C5) from the CFP10 protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis was used. Mice were immunized intranasally (i.n.) with human adenoviral vectors, HAd-C5-NP(H7N9) or HAd-NP(H7N9), expressing NP of an H7N9 influenza virus with or without the AIP-C5, respectively. Both vaccines developed similar levels of NP-specific systemic and mucosal antibody titers; however, there was a significantly higher number of NP-specific CD8 T cells secreting interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) in the HAd-C5-NP(H7N9) group than in the HAd-NP(H7N9) group. The HAd-C5-NP(H7N9) vaccine provided better protection following the challenge with A/Puerto Rico/8/1934(H1N1), A/Hong Kong/1/68(H3N2), A/chukkar/MN/14951-7/1998(H5N2), A/goose/Nebraska/17097/2011(H7N9), or A/Hong Kong/1073/1999(H9N2) influenza viruses compared to the HAd-NP(H7N9) group. The autophagy transcriptomic gene analysis of the HAd-C5-NP(H7N9) group revealed the upregulation of some genes involved in the positive regulation of the autophagy process. The results support further exploring the use of NP and AIP-C5 for developing a universal influenza vaccine for pandemic preparedness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ekramy E. Sayedahmed
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (E.E.S.); (N.O.E.); (A.P.d.S.)
| | - Nelly O. Elshafie
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (E.E.S.); (N.O.E.); (A.P.d.S.)
| | - Andrea P. dos Santos
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (E.E.S.); (N.O.E.); (A.P.d.S.)
| | - Chinnaswamy Jagannath
- Department of Pathology and Genomic Medicine, Center for Infectious Diseases and Translational Medicine, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Weill-Cornell Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Suryaprakash Sambhara
- Influenza Division, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Suresh K. Mittal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (E.E.S.); (N.O.E.); (A.P.d.S.)
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hu L, Lao G, Liu R, Feng J, Long F, Peng T. The race toward a universal influenza vaccine: Front runners and the future directions. Antiviral Res 2023; 210:105505. [PMID: 36574905 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2022.105505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Influenza virus is the pathogen of influenza (flu) and millions of people suffer from the infection worldwide, posing a significant health risk. The current influenza vaccines induce neutralizing antibodies against hemagglutinin (HA) to achieve strain-specific neutralization. The effectiveness of seasonal vaccines is usually low and unpredictable because of the antigenic variation and genetic plasticity of viruses, as well as the interference of preexisting immunity. A universal influenza vaccine is urgently needed to prevent a wide variety of influenza viruses. Nevertheless, reaching this difficult optimal goal requires a step-by-step approach. Innovative strategies and vaccine platforms are being developed in order to generate robust cross-protective immunity. In this review, we summarize candidate influenza vaccines that meet two criteria: first, they are designed to provide protection against multiple influenza viruses; second, they had passed regulatory evaluations and have entered various stages of clinical trials. We discuss these vaccine candidates based on the different vaccine-production platforms, with the focus on antigen selection, design, adjuvants, immunomodulators, and routes of vaccine delivery in the development of universal influenza vaccines.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Longbo Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Geqi Lao
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Rui Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jin Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Fei Long
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Tao Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Sino-French Hoffmann Institute, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China; Guangdong South China Vaccine, Guangzhou, China; Greater Bay Area Innovative Vaccine Technology Development Center, Guangzhou International Bio-island Laboratory, Guangzhou, China.
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Panasiuk M, Chraniuk M, Zimmer K, Hovhannisyan L, Krapchev V, Peszyńska-Sularz G, Narajczyk M, Węsławski J, Konopacka A, Gromadzka B. Characterization of surface-exposed structural loops as insertion sites for foreign antigen delivery in calicivirus-derived VLP platform. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1111947. [PMID: 36922971 PMCID: PMC10010390 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1111947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Chimeric virus-like particles (cVLPs) show great potential in improving public health as they are safe and effective vaccine candidates. The capsid protein of caliciviruses has been described previously as a self-assembling, highly immunogenic delivery platform. The ability to significantly induce cellular and humoral immunity can be used to boost the immune response to low immunogenic foreign antigens displayed on the surface of VLPs. Capsid proteins of caliciviruses despite sequence differences share similar architecture with structural loops that can be genetically modified to present foreign epitopes on the surface of cVLPs. Here, based on the VP1 protein of norovirus (NoV), we investigated the impact of the localization of the epitope in different structural loops of the P domain on the immunogenicity of the presented epitope. In this study, three distinct loops of NoV VP1 protein were genetically modified to present a multivalent influenza virus epitope consisting of a tandem repeat of M2/NP epitopes. cVLPs presenting influenza virus-conserved epitopes in different localizations were produced in the insect cells and used to immunize BALB/c mice. Specific reaction to influenza epitopes was compared in sera from vaccinated mice to determine whether the localization of the foreign epitope has an impact on the immunogenicity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mirosława Panasiuk
- Department of In Vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Gdańsk, Poland.,Nano Expo Sp z.o.o, Gdańsk, Poland.,Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Milena Chraniuk
- Department of In Vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Gdańsk, Poland.,Nano Expo Sp z.o.o, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Karolina Zimmer
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biala, Poland
| | - Lilit Hovhannisyan
- Department of In Vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Vasil Krapchev
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Grażyna Peszyńska-Sularz
- Tri-City Central Animal Laboratory Research and Service Center, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Magdalena Narajczyk
- Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Faculty of Biology, University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Jan Węsławski
- Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland.,Laboratory of Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology, International Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Konopacka
- Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| | - Beata Gromadzka
- Department of In Vitro Studies, Institute of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, Gdańsk, Poland.,Nano Expo Sp z.o.o, Gdańsk, Poland.,Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Gdańsk and Medical University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang J, Nian X, Li X, Huang S, Duan K, Li X, Yang X. The Epidemiology of Influenza and the Associated Vaccines Development in China: A Review. Vaccines (Basel) 2022; 10:1873. [PMID: 36366381 PMCID: PMC9692979 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines10111873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza prevention and control has been one of the biggest challenges encountered in the public health domain. The vaccination against influenza plays a pivotal role in the prevention of influenza, particularly for the elderly and small children. According to the epidemiology of influenza in China, the nation is under a heavy burden of this disease. Therefore, as a contribution to the prevention and control of influenza in China through the provision of relevant information, the present report discusses the production and batch issuance of the influenza vaccine, analysis of the vaccination status and vaccination rate of the influenza vaccine, and the development trend of the influenza vaccine in China.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jiayou Zhang
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Xuanxuan Nian
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Xuedan Li
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Shihe Huang
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Kai Duan
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Xinguo Li
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
| | - Xiaoming Yang
- National Engineering Technology Research Center for Combined Vaccines, Wuhan 430207, China
- Wuhan Institute of Biological Products Co., Ltd., Wuhan 430207, China
- China National Biotech Group Company Ltd., Beijing 100029, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Chen X, Sun HY, Lee CY, Rostad CA, Trost J, Abreu RB, Carlock MA, Wilson JR, Gansebom S, Ross TM, Steinhauer DA, Anderson EJ, Anderson LJ. Functional antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) responses to vaccine and circulating influenza strains following vaccination. Virology 2022; 569:44-55. [PMID: 35255298 PMCID: PMC9013517 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Novel cell-based assays were developed to assess antibody-dependence cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) antibodies against both vaccine and a representative circulation strain HA and NA proteins for the 2014-15 influenza season. The four assays using target cells stably expressing one of the four proteins worked well. In pre- and post-vaccine sera from 70 participants in a pre-season vaccine trial, we found ADCC antibodies and a rise in ADCC antibody titer against target cells expressing the 4 proteins but a much higher titer for the vaccine than the circulating HA in both pre-and post-vaccine sera. These differences in HA ADCC antibodies were not reflected in differences in HA binding antibodies. Our observations suggested that relatively minor changes on the subtype HA can result in large differences in ADCC activity.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xuemin Chen
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - He-Ying Sun
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Chun Yi Lee
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Christina A Rostad
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jessica Trost
- Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Vaccine Research Center, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Rodrigo B Abreu
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Athens, GA, USA
| | - Michael A Carlock
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Athens, GA, USA
| | - Jason R Wilson
- Molecular Virology and Vaccine Team, Influenza and Pathogenesis Branch, Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, OID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Shane Gansebom
- Molecular Virology and Vaccine Team, Influenza and Pathogenesis Branch, Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease, OID, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States; (CDC/DDID/NCIRD/ID) GDIT, Federal Civilian Division, 2 Corporate Square; Ste 100, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Ted M Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Athens, GA, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - David A Steinhauer
- Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Atlanta, GA, USA; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Evan J Anderson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Larry J Anderson
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Center for Childhood Infections and Vaccines, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA, United States; Emory-UGA Center of Excellence of Influenza Research and Surveillance (CEIRS), Atlanta, GA, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Richard HB, Minder S, Sidhu A, Juba AN, Jancovich JK, Jacobs BL, Wellensiek BP. Optimization of translation enhancing element use to increase protein expression in a vaccinia virus system. J Gen Virol 2021; 102. [PMID: 34382930 PMCID: PMC8513643 DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Since the successful use of vaccinia virus (VACV) in the immunization strategies to eliminate smallpox, research has been focused on the development of recombinant VACV strains expressing proteins from various pathogens. Attempts at decreasing the side effects associated with exposure to recombinant, wild-type viral strains have led to the development of attenuated viruses. Yet while these attenuated VACV's have improved safety profiles compared to unmodified strains, their clinical use has been hindered due to efficacy issues in stimulating a host immune response. This deficiency has largely been attributed to decreased production of the target protein for immunization. Efforts to increase protein production from attenuated VACV strains has largely centered around modulation of viral factors, while manipulation of the translation of viral mRNAs has been largely unexplored. In this study we evaluate the use of translation enhancing element hTEE-658 to increase recombinant protein production in an attenuated VACV system. Optimization of the use of this motif is also attempted by combining it with strategies that have demonstrated effectiveness in previous research. We show that extension of the 5' leader sequence containing hTEE-658 does not improve motif function, nor does the combination with other known translation enhancing elements. However, the sole use of hTEE-658 in an attenuated VACV system is shown to increase protein expression levels beyond those of a standard viral promoter when used with a wild-type virus. Taken together these results highlight the potential for hTEE-658 to improve the effectiveness of attenuated VACV vaccine candidates and give insights into the optimal sequence context for its use in vaccine design.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Harold B Richard
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Stephanie Minder
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Amandeep Sidhu
- Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - Amber N Juba
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| | - James K Jancovich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University-San Marcos, San Marcos, CA 92078, USA
| | - Bertram L Jacobs
- Biodesign Center for Immunotherapy, Vaccines and Virotherapy, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA.,School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Brian P Wellensiek
- Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Graduate Studies, Midwestern University, Glendale, AZ 85308, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Broadly Protective CD8 + T Cell Immunity to Highly Conserved Epitopes Elicited by Heat Shock Protein gp96-Adjuvanted Influenza Monovalent Split Vaccine. J Virol 2021; 95:JVI.00507-21. [PMID: 33827939 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00507-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, immunization with inactivated influenza virus vaccines is the most prevalent method to prevent infections. However, licensed influenza vaccines provide only strain-specific protection and need to be updated and administered yearly; thus, new vaccines that provide broad protection against multiple influenza virus subtypes are required. In this study, we demonstrated that intradermal immunization with gp96-adjuvanted seasonal influenza monovalent H1N1 split vaccine could induce cross-protection against both group 1 and group 2 influenza A viruses in BALB/c mouse models. Vaccination in the presence of gp96 induced an apparently stronger antigen-specific T cell response than split vaccine alone. Immunization with the gp96-adjuvanted vaccine also elicited an apparent cross-reactive CD8+ T cell response that targeted the conserved epitopes across different influenza virus strains. These cross-reactive CD8+ T cells might be recalled from a pool of memory cells established after vaccination and recruited from extrapulmonary sites to facilitate viral clearance. Of note, six highly conserved CD8+ T epitopes from the viral structural proteins hemagglutinin (HA), M1, nucleoprotein (NP), and PB1 were identified to play a synergistic role in gp96-mediated cross-protection. Comparative analysis showed that most of conservative epitope-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) apparently induced by heterologous virus infection were also activated by gp96-adjuvanted vaccine, thus resulting in broader protective CD8+ T cell responses. Our results demonstrated the advantage of adding gp96 to an existing seasonal influenza vaccine to improve its ability to provide better cross-protection.IMPORTANCE Owing to continuous mutations in hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) or recombination of the gene segments between different strains, influenza viruses can escape the immune responses developed by vaccination. Thus, new strategies aimed to efficiently activate immune response that targets to conserved regions among different influenza viruses are urgently needed in designing broad-spectrum influenza vaccine. Heat shock protein gp96 is currently the only natural T cell adjuvant with special ability to cross-present coupled antigen to major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) molecule and activate the downstream antigen-specific CTL response. In this study, we demonstrated the advantages of adding gp96 to monovalent split influenza virus vaccine to improve its ability to provide cross-protection in the BALB/c mouse model and proved that a gp96-activated cross-reactive CTL response is indispensable in our vaccine strategy. Due to its unique adjuvant properties, gp96 might be a promising adjuvant for designing new broad-spectrum influenza vaccines.
Collapse
|