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Muniraju M, Mutsvunguma LZ, Reidel IG, Escalante GM, Cua S, Musonda W, Calero-Landa J, Farelo MA, Rodriguez E, Li Z, Ogembo JG. Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus complement control protein (KCP) and glycoprotein K8.1 are not required for viral infection in vitro or in vivo. J Virol 2024; 98:e0057624. [PMID: 38767375 PMCID: PMC11237445 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00576-24] [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: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), also known as human herpesvirus-8, is the causal agent of Kaposi sarcoma, a cancer that appears as tumors on the skin or mucosal surfaces, as well as primary effusion lymphoma and KSHV-associated multicentric Castleman disease, which are B-cell lymphoproliferative disorders. Effective prophylactic and therapeutic strategies against KSHV infection and its associated diseases are needed. To develop these strategies, it is crucial to identify and target viral glycoproteins involved in KSHV infection of host cells. Multiple KSHV glycoproteins expressed on the viral envelope are thought to play a pivotal role in viral infection, but the infection mechanisms involving these glycoproteins remain largely unknown. We investigated the role of two KSHV envelope glycoproteins, KSHV complement control protein (KCP) and K8.1, in viral infection in various cell types in vitro and in vivo. Using our newly generated anti-KCP antibodies, previously characterized anti-K8.1 antibodies, and recombinant mutant KSHV viruses lacking KCP, K8.1, or both, we demonstrated the presence of KCP and K8.1 on the surface of both virions and KSHV-infected cells. We showed that KSHV lacking KCP and/or K8.1 remained infectious in KSHV-susceptible cell lines, including epithelial, endothelial, and fibroblast, when compared to wild-type recombinant KSHV. We also provide the first evidence that KSHV lacking K8.1 or both KCP and K8.1 can infect human B cells in vivo in a humanized mouse model. Thus, these results suggest that neither KCP nor K8.1 is required for KSHV infection of various host cell types and that these glycoproteins do not determine KSHV cell tropism. IMPORTANCE Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is an oncogenic human gamma-herpesvirus associated with the endothelial malignancy Kaposi sarcoma and the lymphoproliferative disorders primary effusion lymphoma and multicentric Castleman disease. Determining how KSHV glycoproteins such as complement control protein (KCP) and K8.1 contribute to the establishment, persistence, and transmission of viral infection will be key for developing effective anti-viral vaccines and therapies to prevent and treat KSHV infection and KSHV-associated diseases. Using newly generated anti-KCP antibodies, previously characterized anti-K8.1 antibodies, and recombinant mutant KSHV viruses lacking KCP and/or K8.1, we show that KCP and K8.1 can be found on the surface of both virions and KSHV-infected cells. Furthermore, we show that KSHV lacking KCP and/or K8.1 remains infectious to diverse cell types susceptible to KSHV in vitro and to human B cells in vivo in a humanized mouse model, thus providing evidence that these viral glycoproteins are not required for KSHV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Murali Muniraju
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Lorraine Z Mutsvunguma
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Ivana G Reidel
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Gabriela M Escalante
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Simeon Cua
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Webster Musonda
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Jonathan Calero-Landa
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Mafalda A Farelo
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Esther Rodriguez
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
- Irell & Manella Graduate School of Biological Sciences of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Zhou Li
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
| | - Javier Gordon Ogembo
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, California, USA
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Zhang M, Wang X, Li J, Peng F, Liu Z, Chen ZS. Ligands and receptors in human cytomegalovirus entry: Current therapies and new directions. Drug Discov Today 2024; 29:103833. [PMID: 37992888 DOI: 10.1016/j.drudis.2023.103833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2023] [Revised: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 11/24/2023]
Abstract
The demand for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vaccines was first raised by a committee convened during the 1990s. A comprehensive investigation into the mechanism of viral infection supports the prioritization of developing drugs or vaccines that specifically target receptors and ligands involved in the infection process. As primary targets for neutralizing antibodies to combat HCMV, viral ligands (trimer, pentamer, and glycoprotein B) have crucial roles and exhibit substantial antiviral potential, which could be exploited for breakthroughs in antiviral research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Xiaochen Wang
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Basic Medical College, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Jianshe Li
- School of Clinical Medicine, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China
| | - Fujun Peng
- School of Basic Medical Sciences, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China.
| | - Zhijun Liu
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Basic Medical College, Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261053, China.
| | - Zhe-Sheng Chen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, St John's University, Queens, NY 11439, USA.
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Chiuppesi F, Salazar MD, Contreras H, Nguyen V, Martinez J, Park S, Nguyen J, Kha M, Iniguez A, Zhou Q, Kaltcheva T, Levytskyy R, Ebelt N, Kang T, Wu X, Rogers T, Manuel E, Shostak Y, Diamond D, Wussow F. Development of a Multi-Antigenic SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine Using a Synthetic Poxvirus Platform. RESEARCH SQUARE 2020:rs.3.rs-40198. [PMID: 32702732 PMCID: PMC7373143 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-40198/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) is a highly attenuated poxvirus vector that is widely used to develop vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer. We developed a novel vaccine platform based on a unique three-plasmid system to efficiently generate recombinant MVA vectors from chemically synthesized DNA. In response to the ongoing global pandemic caused by SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), we used this novel vaccine platform to rapidly produce fully synthetic MVA (sMVA) vectors co-expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antigens, two immunodominant antigens implicated in protective immunity. Mice immunized with these sMVA vectors developed robust SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses, including potent neutralizing antibodies. These results demonstrate the potential of a novel vaccine platform based on synthetic DNA to efficiently generate recombinant MVA vectors and to rapidly develop a multi-antigenic poxvirus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Tae Kang
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
| | - Xiwei Wu
- Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope
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4
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Chiuppesi F, Salazar MD, Contreras H, Nguyen VH, Martinez J, Park S, Nguyen J, Kha M, Iniguez A, Zhou Q, Kaltcheva T, Levytskyy R, Ebelt ND, Kang TH, Wu X, Rogers T, Manuel ER, Shostak Y, Diamond DJ, Wussow F. Development of a Synthetic Poxvirus-Based SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2020:2020.07.01.183236. [PMID: 32637957 PMCID: PMC7337387 DOI: 10.1101/2020.07.01.183236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Modified Vaccinia Ankara (MVA) is a highly attenuated poxvirus vector that is widely used to develop vaccines for infectious diseases and cancer. We developed a novel vaccine platform based on a unique three-plasmid system to efficiently generate recombinant MVA vectors from chemically synthesized DNA. In response to the ongoing global pandemic caused by SARS coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), we used this novel vaccine platform to rapidly produce fully synthetic MVA (sMVA) vectors co-expressing SARS-CoV-2 spike and nucleocapsid antigens, two immunodominant antigens implicated in protective immunity. Mice immunized with these sMVA vectors developed robust SARS-CoV-2 antigen-specific humoral and cellular immune responses, including potent neutralizing antibodies. These results demonstrate the potential of a novel vaccine platform based on synthetic DNA to efficiently generate recombinant MVA vectors and to rapidly develop a multi-antigenic poxvirus-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Flavia Chiuppesi
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | | | - Heidi Contreras
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Vu H Nguyen
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Joy Martinez
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Soojin Park
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Jenny Nguyen
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Mindy Kha
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Angelina Iniguez
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Qiao Zhou
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Teodora Kaltcheva
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Roman Levytskyy
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Nancy D Ebelt
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Tae Hyuk Kang
- Department of Genomic core facility, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Xiwei Wu
- Department of Genomic core facility, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Thomas Rogers
- University of California San Diego, School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093; Scripps Research, Department of Immunology and Microbiology, 10550 N Torrey Pines Rd, La Jolla, CA 92037
| | - Edwin R Manuel
- Department of Immuno-Oncology, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Yuriy Shostak
- Research Business Development, City of Hope, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Don J Diamond
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
| | - Felix Wussow
- Department of Hematology and Transplant Center, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte CA 91010, USA
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MVA-Vectored Pentameric Complex (PC) and gB Vaccines Improve Pregnancy Outcome after Guinea Pig CMV Challenge, but Only gB Vaccine Reduces Vertical Transmission. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7040182. [PMID: 31739399 PMCID: PMC6963609 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7040182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2019] [Revised: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: A congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) vaccine is a major research priority, but the essential glycoprotein target(s) remain unclear. We compared CMV gB (gpgB), gH/gL (gp75/gL), and pentameric complex (gpPC, composed of gH/gL/GP129/GP131/GP133) vaccines in a guinea pig CMV (GPCMV) congenital infection model. (2) Methods: Modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vaccines expressing GPCMV glycoproteins were used to immunize GPCMV-seronegative, female Hartley guinea pigs (three-dose series, 3 × 107 pfu/dose). After pregnancy was established, the dams underwent an early third-trimester challenge with salivary gland (SG)-adapted GPCMV. (3) Results: All vaccines elicited GPCMV-specific binding and neutralizing antibodies. Preconception immunization resulted in 19.5-, 4.9-, and 698-fold reductions in maternal DNAemia in MVA-gp75/gL, MVA-gpPC and MVA-gpgB groups, respectively, at day 14, post-SG challenge. Vaccination improved pups’ birth weight and reduced mortality and congenital CMV transmission. In controls, cCMV infection was observed in 100% of pups (mean viral load in all visceral organs, 2.4 × 104 genomes/mg), versus 50% in the gB group (visceral viral load, 9.4 × 102 genomes/mg; p < 0.05). No significant reductions in congenital transmission were noted in the MVA-gp75/gL and MVA-gpPC groups. (4) Conclusions: MVA-vectored gB, gH/gL, and PC vaccines were immunogenic, and protected against maternal DNAemia and pup mortality. These results support the inclusion of multiple glycoprotein complexes in a cCMV vaccine.
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Foglierini M, Marcandalli J, Perez L. HCMV Envelope Glycoprotein Diversity Demystified. Front Microbiol 2019; 10:1005. [PMID: 31156572 PMCID: PMC6529531 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2019] [Accepted: 04/18/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading viral cause of congenital birth defects and is responsible for morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed individuals. Considerable efforts have been deployed over the last decade to develop a vaccine capable of preventing HCMV infection. However, in recent clinical trials, vaccines showed at best modest efficacy in preventing infection. These findings might be explained by the high level of sequence polymorphism at the genomic level. To investigate if genomic variation also leads to antigenic variation, we performed a bioinformatic sequence analysis and evaluated the percentage of conservation at the amino acid level of all the proteins present in the virion envelope. Using more than two hundred sequences per envelope glycoprotein and analyzing their degree of conservation, we observe that antigenic variation is in large part limited to three proteins. In addition, we demonstrate that the two leading vaccine candidates, the pentamer and gB complexes, are well conserved at the amino acid level. These results suggest that despite genomic polymorphism, antigenic variability is not involved in the modest efficacy observed in the recent clinical trials for a HCMV vaccine. We therefore propose that next-generation vaccines should focus on stabilizing and refining the gB domains needed to induce a protective humoral response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Foglierini
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Marcandalli
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Perez
- Faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera Italiana, Bellinzona, Switzerland
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7
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Diamond DJ, LaRosa C, Chiuppesi F, Contreras H, Dadwal S, Wussow F, Bautista S, Nakamura R, Zaia JA. A fifty-year odyssey: prospects for a cytomegalovirus vaccine in transplant and congenital infection. Expert Rev Vaccines 2018; 17:889-911. [PMID: 30246580 PMCID: PMC6343505 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2018.1526085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2018] [Accepted: 09/17/2018] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION It has been almost fifty years since the Towne strain was used by Plotkin and collaborators as the first vaccine candidate for cytomegalovirus (CMV). While that approach showed partial efficacy, there have been a multitude of challenges to improve on the promise of a CMV vaccine. Efforts have been dichotomized into a therapeutic vaccine for patients with CMV-infected allografts, either stem cells or solid organ, and a prophylactic vaccine for congenital infection. AREAS COVERED This review will evaluate research prospects for a therapeutic vaccine for transplant recipients that recognizes CMV utilizing primarily T cell responses. Similarly, we will provide an extensive discussion on attempts to develop a vaccine to prevent the manifestations of congenital infection, based on eliciting a humoral anti-CMV protective response. The review will also describe newer developments that have upended the efforts toward such a vaccine through the discovery of a second pathway of CMV infection that utilizes an alternative receptor for entry using a series of antigens that have been determined to be important for prevention of infection. EXPERT COMMENTARY There is a concerted effort to unify separate therapeutic and prophylactic vaccine strategies into a single delivery agent that would be effective for both transplant-related and congenital infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Don J. Diamond
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Corinna LaRosa
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Flavia Chiuppesi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Heidi Contreras
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Sanjeet Dadwal
- Department of Medical Specialties, City of Hope National
Medical Center, Duarte, CA
| | - Felix Wussow
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Supriya Bautista
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research
Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA
| | - Ryotaro Nakamura
- Department of Hematology & Hematopoetic Cell
Transplantation, City of Hope National Medical Center, Duarte, CA
| | - John A. Zaia
- Center for Gene Therapy, Hematological Malignancy and Stem
Cell Transplantation Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA
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8
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Multiantigenic Modified Vaccinia Virus Ankara Vaccine Vectors To Elicit Potent Humoral and Cellular Immune Reponses against Human Cytomegalovirus in Mice. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.01012-18. [PMID: 30045984 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01012-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
As human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a common cause of disease in newborns and transplant recipients, developing an HCMV vaccine is considered a major public health priority. Yet an HCMV vaccine candidate remains elusive. Although the precise HCMV immune correlates of protection are unclear, both humoral and cellular immune responses have been implicated in protection against HCMV infection and disease. Here we describe a vaccine approach based on the well-characterized modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vector to stimulate robust HCMV humoral and cellular immune responses by an antigen combination composed of the envelope pentamer complex (PC), glycoprotein B (gB), and phosphoprotein 65 (pp65). We show that in mice, multiantigenic MVA vaccine vectors simultaneously expressing all five PC subunits, gB, and pp65 elicit potent complement-independent and complement-dependent HCMV neutralizing antibodies as well as mouse and human MHC-restricted, polyfunctional T cell responses by the individual antigens. In addition, we demonstrate that the PC/gB antigen combination of these multiantigenic MVA vectors can enhance the stimulation of humoral immune responses that mediate in vitro neutralization of different HCMV strains and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. These results support the use of MVA to develop a multiantigenic vaccine candidate for controlling HCMV infection and disease in different target populations, such as pregnant women and transplant recipients.IMPORTANCE The development of a human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vaccine to prevent congenital disease and transplantation-related complications is an unmet medical need. While many HCMV vaccine candidates have been developed, partial success in preventing or controlling HCMV infection in women of childbearing age and transplant recipients has been observed with an approach based on envelope glycoprotein B (gB). We introduce a novel vaccine strategy based on the clinically deployable modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) vaccine vector to elicit potent humoral and cellular immune responses by multiple immunodominant HCMV antigens, including gB, phosphoprotein 65, and all five subunits of the pentamer complex. These findings could contribute to development of a multiantigenic vaccine strategy that may afford more protection against HCMV infection and disease than a vaccine approach employing solely gB.
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Wussow F, Chiuppesi F, Contreras H, Diamond DJ. Neutralization of Human Cytomegalovirus Entry into Fibroblasts and Epithelial Cells. Vaccines (Basel) 2017; 5:E39. [PMID: 29088098 PMCID: PMC5748606 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines5040039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2017] [Revised: 10/26/2017] [Accepted: 10/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a leading cause of permanent birth defects, highlighting the need to develop an HCMV vaccine candidate. However, HCMV vaccine development is complicated by the varying capacity of neutralizing antibodies (NAb) to interfere in vitro with the HCMV entry routes mediating infection of fibroblast (FB) and epithelial cells (EC). While HCMV infection of FB and EC requires glycoprotein complexes composed of gB and gH/gL/gO, EC infection depends additionally on the envelope pentamer complex (PC) composed of gH, gL, UL128, UL130 and UL131A. Unlike NAb to gB or gH epitopes that can interfere with both FB and EC infection, NAb targeting predominantly conformational epitopes of the UL128/130/131A subunits are unable to prevent FB entry, though they are highly potent in blocking EC infection. Despite the selective requirement of the PC for EC entry, the PC is exceptionally immunogenic as vaccine antigen to stimulate both EC- and FB-specific NAb responses due to its capacity to elicit NAb that target epitopes of the UL128/130/131A subunits and gH. These findings suggest that the PC could be sufficient in a subunit vaccine formulation to induce robust FB- and EC-specific NAb responses. In this short review, we discuss NAb responses induced through natural infection and vaccination that interfere in vitro with HCMV infection of FB and EC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Wussow
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
| | - Flavia Chiuppesi
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
| | - Heidi Contreras
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
| | - Don J Diamond
- Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Beckman Research Institute of the City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.
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