1
|
Weinfurter JT, Bennett SN, Reynolds MR. A SMART method for isolating monoclonal antibodies from individual rhesus macaque memory B cells. J Immunol Methods 2024; 525:113602. [PMID: 38103783 PMCID: PMC10842827 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2023.113602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 12/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing antigen-specific B cells is a critical component of vaccine and infectious disease studies in rhesus macaques (RMs). However, it is challenging to capture immunoglobulin variable (IgV) genes from individual RM B cells using 5' multiplex (MTPX) primers in nested PCR reactions. In particular, the diversity within RM IgV gene leader sequences necessitates large 5' MTPX primer sets to amplify IgV genes, decreasing PCR efficiency. To address this problem, we developed a switching mechanism at the 5' ends of the RNA transcript (SMART)-based method for amplifying IgV genes from single RM B cells to capture Ig heavy and light chain pairs. We demonstrate this technique by isolating simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) envelope-specific antibodies from single-sorted RM memory B cells. This approach has several advantages over existing methods for cloning antibodies from RMs. First, optimized PCR conditions and SMART 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) reactions generate full-length cDNAs from individual B cells. Second, it appends synthetic primer binding sites to the 5' and 3' ends of cDNA during synthesis, allowing for PCR amplification of low-abundance antibody templates. Third, the nested PCR primer mixes are simplified by employing universal 5' primers, eliminating the need for complex 5' MTPX primer sets. We anticipate this method will enhance the isolation of antibodies from individual RM B cells, supporting the genetic and functional characterization of antigen-specific B cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason T Weinfurter
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Sarah N Bennett
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America
| | - Matthew R Reynolds
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America; Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, United States of America.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Toth EA, Andrianov AK, Fuerst TR. Prospects for developing an Hepatitis C virus E1E2-based nanoparticle vaccine. Rev Med Virol 2023; 33:e2474. [PMID: 37565536 PMCID: PMC10626635 DOI: 10.1002/rmv.2474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Revised: 07/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023]
Abstract
Globally, more than 58 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis C virus (HCV) with 1.5 million new infections occurring each year. An effective vaccine for HCV is therefore a major unmet medical and public health need. Since HCV rapidly accumulates mutations, vaccines must elicit the production of broadly neutralising antibodies (bnAbs) in a reproducible fashion. Decades of research have generated a number of HCV vaccine candidates. Based on the available data and research through clinical development, a vaccine antigen based on the E1E2 glycoprotein complex appears to be the best choice, but robust induction of humoral and cellular responses leading to virus neutralisation has not yet been achieved. One issue that has arisen in developing an HCV vaccine (and many other vaccines as well) is the platform used for antigen delivery. The majority of viral vaccine trials have employed subunit vaccines. However, subunit vaccines often have limited immunogenicity, as seen for HCV, and thus multiple formats must be examined in order to elicit a robust anti-HCV immune response. Nanoparticle vaccines are gaining prominence in the field due to their ability to facilitate a controlled multivalent presentation and trafficking to lymph nodes, where they can interact with both arms of the immune system. This review discusses the potential for development of a nanoparticle-based HCV E1E2 vaccine, with an emphasis on the potential benefits of such an approach along with the major challenges facing the incorporation of E1E2 into nanoparticulate delivery systems and how those challenges can be addressed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric A. Toth
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Alexander K. Andrianov
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
| | - Thomas R. Fuerst
- University of Maryland Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology Research, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
- Department of Cell Biology and Molecular Genetics, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Avula K, Singh B, Samantaray S, Syed GH. The Early Secretory Pathway Is Crucial for Multiple Aspects of the Hepatitis C Virus Life Cycle. J Virol 2023:e0018023. [PMID: 37338368 PMCID: PMC10373535 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00180-23] [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: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Although most of the early events of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) life cycle are well characterized, our understanding of HCV egress is still unclear. Some reports implicate the conventional endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-Golgi route, while some propose noncanonical secretory routes. Initially, the envelopment of HCV nucleocapsid occurs by budding into the ER lumen. Subsequently, the HCV particle exit from the ER is assumed to be mediated by coat protein complex II (COPII) vesicles. COPII vesicle biogenesis also involves the recruitment of cargo to the site of vesicle biogenesis via interaction with COPII inner coat proteins. We investigated the modulation and the specific role of the individual components of the early secretory pathway in HCV egress. We observed that HCV inhibits cellular protein secretion and triggers the reorganization of the ER exit sites and ER-Golgi intermediate compartments (ERGIC). Gene-specific knockdown of the components of this pathway such as SEC16A, TFG, ERGIC-53, and COPII coat proteins demonstrated the functional significance of these components and the distinct role played by these proteins in various aspects of the HCV life cycle. SEC16A is essential for multiple steps in the HCV life cycle, whereas TFG is specifically involved in HCV egress and ERGIC-53 is crucial for HCV entry. Overall, our study establishes that the components of the early secretory pathway are essential for HCV propagation and emphasize the importance of the ER-Golgi secretory route in this process. Surprisingly, these components are also required for the early stages of the HCV life cycle due to their role in overall intracellular trafficking and homeostasis of the cellular endomembrane system. IMPORTANCE The virus life cycle involves entry into the host, replication of the genome, assembly of infectious progeny, and their subsequent release. Different aspects of the HCV life cycle, including entry, genome replication, and assembly, are well characterized; however, our understanding of the HCV release is still not clear and subject to debate due to varied findings. Here, we attempted to address this controversy and enhance our understanding of HCV egress by evaluating the role of the different components of the early secretory pathway in the HCV life cycle. To our surprise, we found that the components of the early secretory pathway are not only essential for HCV release but also contribute to many other earlier events of the HCV life cycle. This study emphasizes the importance of the early secretory pathway for the establishment of productive HCV infection in hepatocytes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kiran Avula
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
- Regional Centre for Biotechnology, Faridabad, Delhi, India
| | - Bharati Singh
- Institute of Life Sciences, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Weinfurter JT, Bennett SN, Reynolds M. A SMART method for efficiently isolating monoclonal antibodies from individual rhesus macaque memory B cells. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.06.02.543510. [PMID: 37333083 PMCID: PMC10274751 DOI: 10.1101/2023.06.02.543510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/20/2023]
Abstract
Characterizing antigen-specific B cells is a critical component of vaccine and infectious disease studies in rhesus macaques (RMs). However, it is challenging to capture immunoglobulin variable (IgV) genes from individual RM B cells using 5' multiplex (MTPX) primers in nested PCR reactions. In particular, the diversity within RM IgV gene leader sequences necessitates the use of large 5' MTPX primer sets to amplify IgV genes, decreasing PCR efficiency. To address this problem, we developed a switching mechanism at the 5' ends of the RNA transcript (SMART)-based method for amplifying IgV genes from single RM B cells, providing unbiased capture of Ig heavy and light chain pairs for cloning antibodies. We demonstrate this technique by isolating simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV) envelope-specific antibodies from single-sorted RM memory B cells. This approach has several advantages over existing methods for PCR cloning antibodies from RMs. First, optimized PCR conditions and SMART 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) reactions generate full-length cDNAs from individual B cells. Second, it appends synthetic primer binding sites to the 5' and 3' ends of cDNA during synthesis, allowing for PCR amplification of low-abundance antibody templates. Third, universal 5' primers are employed to amplify the IgV genes from cDNA, simplifying the primer mixes in the nested PCR reactions and improving the recovery of matched heavy and light chain pairs. We anticipate this method will enhance the isolation of antibodies from individual RM B cells, supporting the genetic and functional characterization of antigen-specific B cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason T. Weinfurter
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
| | - Sarah N. Bennett
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
| | - Matthew Reynolds
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Wisconsin, Madison WI
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Ströh LJ, Krey T. Structural insights into hepatitis C virus neutralization. Curr Opin Virol 2023; 60:101316. [DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2023.101316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
|
6
|
Skinner NE, Ogega CO, Frumento N, Clark KE, Paul H, Yegnasubramanian S, Schuebel K, Meyers J, Gupta A, Wheelan S, Cox AL, Crowe JE, Ray SC, Bailey JR. Convergent antibody responses are associated with broad neutralization of hepatitis C virus. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1135841. [PMID: 37033983 PMCID: PMC10080129 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1135841] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Early development of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) targeting the hepatitis C virus (HCV) envelope glycoprotein E2 is associated with spontaneous clearance of infection, so induction of bNAbs is a major goal of HCV vaccine development. However, the molecular antibody features important for broad neutralization are not known. Methods To identify B cell repertoire features associated with broad neutralization, we performed RNA sequencing of the B cell receptors (BCRs) of HCV E2-reactive B cells of HCV-infected individuals with either high or low plasma neutralizing breadth. We then produced a monoclonal antibody (mAb) expressed by pairing the most abundant heavy and light chains from public clonotypes identified among clearance, high neutralization subjects. Results We found distinctive BCR features associated with broad neutralization of HCV, including long heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDRH3) regions, specific VH gene usage, increased frequencies of somatic hypermutation, and particular VH gene mutations. Most intriguing, we identified many E2-reactive public BCR clonotypes (heavy and light chain clones with the same V and J-genes and identical CDR3 sequences) present only in subjects who produced highly neutralizing plasma. The majority of these public clonotypes were shared by two subjects who cleared infection. A mAb expressing the most abundant public heavy and light chains from these clearance, high neutralization subjects had features enriched in high neutralization clonotypes, such as increased somatic hypermutation frequency and usage of IGHV1-69, and was cross-neutralizing. Discussion Together, these results demonstrate distinct BCR repertoires associated with high plasma neutralizing capacity. Further characterization of the molecular features and function of these antibodies can inform HCV vaccine development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicole E. Skinner
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, United States
- Department of Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Clinton O. Ogega
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Nicole Frumento
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Kaitlyn E. Clark
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Harry Paul
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | | | - Kornel Schuebel
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Jennifer Meyers
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Anuj Gupta
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Sarah Wheelan
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Andrea L. Cox
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - James E. Crowe
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States
| | - Stuart C. Ray
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Justin R. Bailey
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Nishio A, Hasan S, Park H, Park N, Salas JH, Salinas E, Kardava L, Juneau P, Frumento N, Massaccesi G, Moir S, Bailey JR, Grakoui A, Ghany MG, Rehermann B. Serum neutralization activity declines but memory B cells persist after cure of chronic hepatitis C. Nat Commun 2022; 13:5446. [PMID: 36114169 PMCID: PMC9481596 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33035-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The increasing incidence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections underscores the need for an effective vaccine. Successful vaccines to other viruses generally depend on a long-lasting humoral response. However, data on the half-life of HCV-specific responses are lacking. Here we study archived sera and mononuclear cells that were prospectively collected up to 18 years after cure of chronic HCV infection to determine the role of HCV antigen in maintaining neutralizing antibody and B cell responses. We show that HCV-neutralizing activity decreases rapidly in potency and breadth after curative treatment. In contrast, HCV-specific memory B cells persist, and display a restored resting phenotype, normalized chemokine receptor expression and preserved ability to differentiate into antibody-secreting cells. The short half-life of HCV-neutralizing activity is consistent with a lack of long-lived plasma cells. The persistence of HCV-specific memory B cells and the reduced inflammation after cure provide an opportunity for vaccination to induce protective immunity against re-infection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Akira Nishio
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Sharika Hasan
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Heiyoung Park
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Nana Park
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Jordan H Salas
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Eduardo Salinas
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Lela Kardava
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Paul Juneau
- Division of Data Services, NIH Library, Office of Research Services, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
- Contractor- Zimmerman Associates, Inc, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Nicole Frumento
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Guido Massaccesi
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Susan Moir
- Laboratory of Immunoregulation, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Justin R Bailey
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Arash Grakoui
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Emory Vaccine Center, Division of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, 30322, USA
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory Vaccine Center, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA
| | - Marc G Ghany
- Clinical Research Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA
| | - Barbara Rehermann
- Immunology Section, Liver Diseases Branch, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, DHHS, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Lin T, Chi X, Liu X, Pan S, Chen W, Duan H, Zhang X, Yang W. Recombinant Full-Length Hepatitis C Virus E1E2 Dimer Elicits Pangenotypic Neutralizing Antibodies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:831285. [PMID: 35837406 PMCID: PMC9273934 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.831285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
An effective prophylactic vaccine would be beneficial for controlling and eradicating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. However, the high diversity across HCV genotypes is a major challenge for vaccine development. Selection of the appropriate immunogen is critical to elicit broad HCV neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). To increase the antigenic coverage of heterodimer glycoproteins, we designed and produced recombinant E1E2 antigens for genotypes 1a/1b/2a/3a/6a from an IgG Fc-tagged precursor protein in FreeStyle 293-F cells. The recombinant E1 and E2 antigens were localized and associated with the endoplasmic reticulum and co-purified from membrane extracts. By examining the interactions with HCV entry co-receptors and the blockade of HCV infection, we found that these purified Fc-E1E2 proteins displayed correct folding and function. Mouse immunization results showed that each recombinant E1E2 antigen could elicit a pangenotypic antibody response to itself and other genotypes. We also found that the pentavalent formula triggered a relatively higher and more uniform NAb titer and T cell response than monovalent antigens. Taken together, our findings may provide a useful strategy for the vaccine development of HCV and other viruses with highly heterogeneous surface glycoproteins.
Collapse
|
9
|
Bozhanova NG, Flyak AI, Brown BP, Ruiz SE, Salas J, Rho S, Bombardi RG, Myers L, Soto C, Bailey JR, Crowe JE, Bjorkman PJ, Meiler J. Computational identification of HCV neutralizing antibodies with a common HCDR3 disulfide bond motif in the antibody repertoires of infected individuals. Nat Commun 2022; 13:3178. [PMID: 35676279 PMCID: PMC9177688 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30865-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite recent success in hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment using antivirals, an HCV vaccine is still needed to prevent reinfections in treated patients, to avert the emergence of drug-resistant strains, and to provide protection for people with no access to the antiviral therapeutics. The early production of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) associates with HCV clearance. Several potent bNAbs bind a conserved HCV glycoprotein E2 epitope using an unusual heavy chain complementarity determining region 3 (HCDR3) containing an intra-loop disulfide bond. Isolation of additional structurally-homologous bNAbs would facilitate the recognition of key determinants of such bNAbs and guide rational vaccine design. Here we report the identification of new antibodies containing an HCDR3 disulfide bond motif using computational screening with the Rosetta software. Using the newly-discovered and already-known members of this antibody family, we review the required HCDR3 amino acid composition and propose determinants for the bent versus straight HCDR3 loop conformation observed in these antibodies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nina G Bozhanova
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Andrew I Flyak
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Benjamin P Brown
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA
| | - Stormy E Ruiz
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Jordan Salas
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - Semi Rho
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Robin G Bombardi
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Luke Myers
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Cinque Soto
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Justin R Bailey
- Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA
| | - James E Crowe
- Vanderbilt Vaccine Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
- Department of Pathology, Microbiology and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA
| | - Pamela J Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
| | - Jens Meiler
- Department of Chemistry, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
- Center for Structural Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37235, USA.
- Institute for Drug Discovery, Leipzig University Medical School, Leipzig, SAC, 04103, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
HCV neutralization goes elite. Immunity 2022; 55:195-197. [PMID: 35139349 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2022.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
A vaccine remains the most promising option to eradicate HCV. In this issue of Immunity, Weber et al. identified HCV elite neutralizers, isolated exceptionally potent and broad VH1-69 CD81-binding site neutralizing antibodies that used a shared mode of antigen recognition, and developed a computational approach that predicted mutations relevant to gain-of-function for this bnAb class, which can inform immunogen designs.
Collapse
|
11
|
Weber T, Potthoff J, Bizu S, Labuhn M, Dold L, Schoofs T, Horning M, Ercanoglu MS, Kreer C, Gieselmann L, Vanshylla K, Langhans B, Janicki H, Ströh LJ, Knops E, Nierhoff D, Spengler U, Kaiser R, Bjorkman PJ, Krey T, Bankwitz D, Pfeifer N, Pietschmann T, Flyak AI, Klein F. Analysis of antibodies from HCV elite neutralizers identifies genetic determinants of broad neutralization. Immunity 2022; 55:341-354.e7. [PMID: 34990590 PMCID: PMC10089621 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2021.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The high genetic diversity of hepatitis C virus (HCV) complicates effective vaccine development. We screened a cohort of 435 HCV-infected individuals and found that 2%-5% demonstrated outstanding HCV-neutralizing activity. From four of these patients, we isolated 310 HCV antibodies, including neutralizing antibodies with exceptional breadth and potency. High neutralizing activity was enabled by the use of the VH1-69 heavy-chain gene segment, somatic mutations within CDRH1, and CDRH2 hydrophobicity. Structural and mutational analyses revealed an important role for mutations replacing the serines at positions 30 and 31, as well as the presence of neutral and hydrophobic residues at the tip of the CDRH3. Based on these characteristics, we computationally created a de novo antibody with a fully synthetic VH1-69 heavy chain that efficiently neutralized multiple HCV genotypes. Our findings provide a deep understanding of the generation of broadly HCV-neutralizing antibodies that can guide the design of effective vaccine candidates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Timm Weber
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Julian Potthoff
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Sven Bizu
- Methods in Medical Informatics, Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Maurice Labuhn
- Twincore, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Institute of Experimental Virology, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Leona Dold
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Till Schoofs
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Marcel Horning
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Meryem S Ercanoglu
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Christoph Kreer
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Lutz Gieselmann
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Kanika Vanshylla
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Bettina Langhans
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Hanna Janicki
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Luisa J Ströh
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Elena Knops
- Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dirk Nierhoff
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ulrich Spengler
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Rolf Kaiser
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Pamela J Bjorkman
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Thomas Krey
- Institute of Virology, Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Center of Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, Institute of Biochemistry, University of Lübeck, 23562 Luebeck, Germany; Centre for Structural Systems Biology (CSSB), 22607 Hamburg, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hamburg-Luebeck-Borstel-Riems, 23562 Luebeck, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Dorothea Bankwitz
- Twincore, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Institute of Experimental Virology, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Nico Pfeifer
- Methods in Medical Informatics, Department of Computer Science, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Pietschmann
- Twincore, Centre for Experimental and Clinical Infection Research, Institute of Experimental Virology, 30625 Hannover, Germany; Cluster of Excellence RESIST (EXC 2155), Hannover Medical School, 30625 Hannover, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Hannover-Braunschweig, 30625 Hannover, Germany
| | - Andrew I Flyak
- Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA
| | - Florian Klein
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), Faculty of Medicine and University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Chernyshev M, Kaduk M, Corcoran M, Karlsson Hedestam GB. VDJ Gene Usage in IgM Repertoires of Rhesus and Cynomolgus Macaques. Front Immunol 2022; 12:815680. [PMID: 35087534 PMCID: PMC8786739 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.815680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Macaques are frequently used to evaluate candidate vaccines and to study infection-induced antibody responses, requiring an improved understanding of their naïve immunoglobulin (IG) repertoires. Baseline gene usage frequencies contextualize studies of antigen-specific immune responses, providing information about how easily one may stimulate a response with a particular VDJ recombination. Studies of human IgM repertoires have shown that IG VDJ gene frequencies vary several orders of magnitude between the most and least utilized genes in a manner that is consistent across many individuals but to date similar analyses are lacking for macaque IgM repertoires. Here, we quantified VDJ gene usage levels in unmutated IgM repertoires of 45 macaques, belonging to two species and four commonly used subgroups: Indian and Chinese origin rhesus macaques and Indonesian and Mauritian origin cynomolgus macaques. We show that VDJ gene frequencies differed greatly between the most and least used genes, with similar overall patterns observed in macaque subgroups and individuals. However, there were also clear differences affecting the use of specific V, D and J genes. Furthermore, in contrast to humans, macaques of both species utilized IGHV4 family genes to a much higher extent and showed evidence of evolutionary expansion of genes of this family. Finally, we used the results to inform the analysis of a broadly neutralizing HIV-1 antibody elicited in SHIV-infected rhesus macaques, RHA1.V2.01, which binds the apex of the Env trimer in a manner that mimics the binding mode of PGT145. We discuss the likelihood that similar antibodies could be elicited in different macaque subgroups.
Collapse
|
13
|
Sangesland M, Lingwood D. Public Immunity: Evolutionary Spandrels for Pathway-Amplifying Protective Antibodies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:708882. [PMID: 34956170 PMCID: PMC8696009 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.708882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2021] [Accepted: 11/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Humoral immunity is seeded by affinity between the B cell receptor (BCR) and cognate antigen. While the BCR is a chimeric display of diverse antigen engagement solutions, we discuss its functional activity as an ‘innate-like’ immune receptor, wherein genetically hardwired antigen complementarity can serve as reproducible templates for pathway-amplifying otherwise immunologically recessive antibody responses. We propose that the capacity for germline reactivity to new antigen emerged as a set of evolutionary spandrels or coupled traits, which can now be exploited by rational vaccine design to focus humoral immunity upon conventionally immune-subdominant antibody targets. Accordingly, we suggest that evolutionary spandrels account for the necessary but unanticipated antigen reactivity of the germline antibody repertoire.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maya Sangesland
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Daniel Lingwood
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
Antibody immunodominance refers to the preferential and asymmetric elicitation of antibodies against specific epitopes on a complex protein antigen. Traditional vaccination approaches for rapidly evolving pathogens have had limited success in part because of this phenomenon, as elicited antibodies preferentially target highly variable regions of antigens, and thus do not confer long lasting protection. While antibodies targeting functionally conserved epitopes have the potential to be broadly protective, they often make up a minority of the overall repertoire. Here, we discuss recent protein engineering strategies used to favorably alter patterns of immunodominance, and selectively focus antibody responses toward broadly protective epitopes in the pursuit of next-generation vaccines for rapidly evolving pathogens.
Collapse
|
15
|
Zhang YN, Paynter J, Sou C, Fourfouris T, Wang Y, Abraham C, Ngo T, Zhang Y, He L, Zhu J. Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabj3107. [PMID: 34669468 PMCID: PMC8528426 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abj3107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines that induce potent neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are essential for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We demonstrated that mouse plasma induced by self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SApNPs) that present 20 rationally designed S2GΔHR2 spikes of the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain can neutralize the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617 variants with comparable potency. The adjuvant effect on vaccine-induced immunity was investigated by testing 16 formulations for the multilayered I3-01v9 SApNP. Using single-cell sorting, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with diverse neutralization breadth and potency were isolated from mice immunized with the receptor binding domain (RBD), S2GΔHR2 spike, and SApNP vaccines. The mechanism of vaccine-induced immunity was examined in the mouse model. Compared with the soluble spike, the I3-01v9 SApNP showed sixfold longer retention, fourfold greater presentation on follicular dendritic cell dendrites, and fivefold stronger germinal center reactions in lymph node follicles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Zhang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jennifer Paynter
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Cindy Sou
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Tatiana Fourfouris
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Ciril Abraham
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Timothy Ngo
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19140, USA
| | - Linling He
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ronsard L, Yousif AS, Peabody J, Okonkwo V, Devant P, Mogus AT, Barnes RM, Rohrer D, Lonberg N, Peabody D, Chackerian B, Lingwood D. Engineering an Antibody V Gene-Selective Vaccine. Front Immunol 2021; 12:730471. [PMID: 34566992 PMCID: PMC8459710 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.730471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The ligand-binding surface of the B cell receptor (BCR) is formed by encoded and non-encoded antigen complementarity determining regions (CDRs). Genetically reproducible or ‘public’ antibodies can arise when the encoded CDRs play deterministic roles in antigen recognition, notably within human broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV and influenza virus. We sought to exploit this by engineering virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccines that harbor multivalent affinity against gene-encoded moieties of the BCR antigen binding site. As proof of concept, we deployed a library of RNA bacteriophage VLPs displaying random peptides to identify a multivalent antigen that selectively triggered germline BCRs using the human VH gene IGVH1-2*02. This VLP selectively primed IGHV1-2*02 BCRs that were present within a highly diversified germline antibody repertoire within humanized mice. Our approach thus provides methodology to generate antigens that engage specific BCR configurations of interest, in the absence of structure-based information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Larance Ronsard
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ashraf S Yousif
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Julianne Peabody
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Vintus Okonkwo
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Pascal Devant
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Alemu Tekewe Mogus
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | | | - Daniel Rohrer
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - Nils Lonberg
- Bristol-Myers Squibb, Redwood City, CA, United States
| | - David Peabody
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Bryce Chackerian
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, United States
| | - Daniel Lingwood
- The Ragon Institute of Massachusetts General Hospital, The Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Zhang YN, Paynter J, Sou C, Fourfouris T, Wang Y, Abraham C, Ngo T, Zhang Y, He L, Zhu J. Mechanism of a COVID-19 nanoparticle vaccine candidate that elicits a broadly neutralizing antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021:2021.03.26.437274. [PMID: 33791704 PMCID: PMC8010731 DOI: 10.1101/2021.03.26.437274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Vaccines that induce potent neutralizing antibody (NAb) responses against emerging variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) are essential for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We demonstrated that mouse plasma induced by self-assembling protein nanoparticles (SApNPs) that present 20 rationally designed S2GΔHR2 spikes of the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 strain can neutralize the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, P.1, and B.1.617 variants with the same potency. The adjuvant effect on vaccine-induced immunity was investigated by testing 16 formulations for the multilayered I3-01v9 SApNP. Using single-cell sorting, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) with diverse neutralization breadth and potency were isolated from mice immunized with the receptor binding domain (RBD), S2GΔHR2 spike, and SApNP vaccines. The mechanism of vaccine-induced immunity was examined in mice. Compared with the soluble spike, the I3-01v9 SApNP showed 6-fold longer retention, 4-fold greater presentation on follicular dendritic cell dendrites, and 5-fold stronger germinal center reactions in lymph node follicles.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Nan Zhang
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jennifer Paynter
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Cindy Sou
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Tatiana Fourfouris
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Ying Wang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Ciril Abraham
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Timothy Ngo
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Fels Institute for Cancer Research and Molecular Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19140, USA
| | - Linling He
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| | - Jiang Zhu
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Where to Next? Research Directions after the First Hepatitis C Vaccine Efficacy Trial. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071351. [PMID: 34372558 PMCID: PMC8310243 DOI: 10.3390/v13071351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Thirty years after its discovery, the hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a leading cause of liver disease worldwide. Given that many countries continue to experience high rates of transmission despite the availability of potent antiviral therapies, an effective vaccine is seen as critical for the elimination of HCV. The recent failure of the first vaccine efficacy trial for the prevention of chronic HCV confirmed suspicions that this virus will be a challenging vaccine target. Here, we examine the published data from this first efficacy trial along with the earlier clinical and pre-clinical studies of the vaccine candidate and then discuss three key research directions expected to be important in ongoing and future HCV vaccine development. These include the following: 1. design of novel immunogens that generate immune responses to genetically diverse HCV genotypes and subtypes, 2. strategies to elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against envelope glycoproteins in addition to cytotoxic and helper T cell responses, and 3. consideration of the unique immunological status of individuals most at risk for HCV infection, including those who inject drugs, in vaccine platform development and early immunogenicity trials.
Collapse
|
19
|
Structural and Biophysical Characterization of the HCV E1E2 Heterodimer for Vaccine Development. Viruses 2021; 13:v13061027. [PMID: 34072451 PMCID: PMC8227786 DOI: 10.3390/v13061027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
An effective vaccine for the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major unmet medical and public health need, and it requires an antigen that elicits immune responses to multiple key conserved epitopes. Decades of research have generated a number of vaccine candidates; based on these data and research through clinical development, a vaccine antigen based on the E1E2 glycoprotein complex appears to be the best choice. One bottleneck in the development of an E1E2-based vaccine is that the antigen is challenging to produce in large quantities and at high levels of purity and antigenic/functional integrity. This review describes the production and characterization of E1E2-based vaccine antigens, both membrane-associated and a novel secreted form of E1E2, with a particular emphasis on the major challenges facing the field and how those challenges can be addressed.
Collapse
|
20
|
Brasher NA, Adhikari A, Lloyd AR, Tedla N, Bull RA. Hepatitis C Virus Epitope Immunodominance and B Cell Repertoire Diversity. Viruses 2021; 13:v13060983. [PMID: 34070572 PMCID: PMC8229270 DOI: 10.3390/v13060983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2021] [Revised: 05/19/2021] [Accepted: 05/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the advent of effective, curative treatments for hepatitis C virus (HCV), a preventative vaccine remains essential for the global elimination of HCV. It is now clear that the induction of broadly neutralising antibodies (bNAbs) is essential for the rational design of such a vaccine. This review details the current understanding of epitopes on the HCV envelope, characterising the potency, breadth and immunodominance of antibodies induced against these epitopes, as well as describing the interactions between B-cell receptors and HCV infection, with a particular focus on bNAb heavy and light chain variable gene usage. Additionally, we consider the importance of a public repertoire for antibodies against HCV, compiling current knowledge and suggesting that further research in this area may be critical to the rational design of an effective HCV vaccine.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Brasher
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (N.A.B.); (A.A.); (N.T.)
- The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - Anurag Adhikari
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (N.A.B.); (A.A.); (N.T.)
- The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
- Department of Infection and Immunology, Kathmandu Research Institute for Biological Sciences, Lalitpur 44700, Nepal
| | - Andrew R. Lloyd
- The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - Nicodemus Tedla
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (N.A.B.); (A.A.); (N.T.)
| | - Rowena A. Bull
- Faculty of Medicine, School of Medical Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (N.A.B.); (A.A.); (N.T.)
- The Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Structure-Based and Rational Design of a Hepatitis C Virus Vaccine. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050837. [PMID: 34063143 PMCID: PMC8148096 DOI: 10.3390/v13050837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A hepatitis C virus (HCV) vaccine is a critical yet unfulfilled step in addressing the global disease burden of HCV. While decades of research have led to numerous clinical and pre-clinical vaccine candidates, these efforts have been hindered by factors including HCV antigenic variability and immune evasion. Structure-based and rational vaccine design approaches have capitalized on insights regarding the immune response to HCV and the structures of antibody-bound envelope glycoproteins. Despite successes with other viruses, designing an immunogen based on HCV glycoproteins that can elicit broadly protective immunity against HCV infection is an ongoing challenge. Here, we describe HCV vaccine design approaches where immunogens were selected and optimized through analysis of available structures, identification of conserved epitopes targeted by neutralizing antibodies, or both. Several designs have elicited immune responses against HCV in vivo, revealing correlates of HCV antigen immunogenicity and breadth of induced responses. Recent studies have elucidated the functional, dynamic and immunological features of key regions of the viral envelope glycoproteins, which can inform next-generation immunogen design efforts. These insights and design strategies represent promising pathways to HCV vaccine development, which can be further informed by successful immunogen designs generated for other viruses.
Collapse
|
22
|
From Structural Studies to HCV Vaccine Design. Viruses 2021; 13:v13050833. [PMID: 34064532 PMCID: PMC8147963 DOI: 10.3390/v13050833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2021] [Revised: 04/21/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a serious and growing public health problem despite recent developments of antiviral therapeutics. To achieve global elimination of HCV, an effective cross-genotype vaccine is needed. The failure of previous vaccination trials to elicit an effective cross-reactive immune response demands better vaccine antigens to induce a potent cross-neutralizing response to improve vaccine efficacy. HCV E1 and E2 envelope (Env) glycoproteins are the main targets for neutralizing antibodies (nAbs), which aid in HCV clearance and protection. Therefore, a molecular-level understanding of the nAb responses against HCV is imperative for the rational design of cross-genotype vaccine antigens. Here we summarize the recent advances in structural studies of HCV Env and Env-nAb complexes and how they improve our understanding of immune recognition of HCV. We review the structural data defining HCV neutralization epitopes and conformational plasticity of the Env proteins, and the knowledge applicable to rational vaccine design.
Collapse
|