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Wiggins KB, Winston SM, Reeves IL, Gaevert J, Spence Y, Brimble MA, Livingston B, Morton CL, Thomas PG, Sant AJ, Ross TM, Davidoff AM, Schultz-Cherry S. rAAV expressing a COBRA-designed influenza hemagglutinin generates a protective and durable adaptive immune response with a single dose. J Virol 2024; 98:e0078124. [PMID: 39078191 PMCID: PMC11338075 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00781-24] [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: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza remains a worldwide public health threat. Although seasonal influenza vaccines are currently the best means of preventing severe disease, the standard-of-care vaccines require frequent updating due to antigenic drift and can have low efficacy, particularly in vulnerable populations. Here, we demonstrate that a single administration of a recombinant adenovirus-associated virus (rAAV) vector expressing a computationally optimized broadly reactive antigen (COBRA)-derived influenza H1 hemagglutinin (HA) induces strongly neutralizing and broadly protective antibodies in naïve mice and ferrets with pre-existing influenza immunity. Following a lethal viral challenge, the rAAV-COBRA vaccine allowed for significantly reduced viral loads in the upper and lower respiratory tracts and complete protection from morbidity and mortality that lasted for at least 5 months post-vaccination. We observed no signs of antibody waning during this study. CpG motif enrichment of the antigen can act as an internal adjuvant to further enhance the immune responses to allow for lower vaccine dosages with the induction of unique interferon-producing CD4+ and CD8+ T cells specific to HA head and stem peptide sequences. Our studies highlight the utility of rAAV as an effective platform to improve seasonal influenza vaccines. IMPORTANCE Developing an improved seasonal influenza vaccine remains an ambitious goal of researchers and clinicians alike. With influenza routinely causing severe epidemics with the potential to rise to pandemic levels, it is critical to create an effective, broadly protective, and durable vaccine to improve public health worldwide. As a potential solution, we created a rAAV viral vector expressing a COBRA-optimized influenza hemagglutinin antigen with modestly enriched CpG motifs to evoke a robust and long-lasting immune response after a single intramuscular dose without needing boosts or adjuvants. Importantly, the rAAV vaccine boosted antibody breadth to future strains in ferrets with pre-existing influenza immunity. Together, our data support further investigation into the utility of viral vectors as a potential avenue to improve our seasonal influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristin B. Wiggins
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Stephen M. Winston
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Surgery,
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Isaiah L. Reeves
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Surgery,
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Jessica Gaevert
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Yunyu Spence
- Department of Surgery,
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Mark A. Brimble
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Brandi Livingston
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Christopher L. Morton
- Department of Surgery,
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Paul G. Thomas
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Andrea J. Sant
- David H. Smith Center
for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and
Immunology, University of Rochester Medical
Center, Rochester, New
York, USA
| | - Ted M. Ross
- Department of
Infectious Biology, Cleveland Clinic,
Cleveland, Ohio, USA
- Cleveland Clinic,
Florida Research and Innovation Center,
Port St. Lucie, Florida,
USA
| | - Andrew M. Davidoff
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of Surgery,
St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
| | - Stacey Schultz-Cherry
- St. Jude Graduate
School of Biomedical Sciences,
Memphis, Tennessee, USA
- Department of
Host-Microbe Interactions, St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital, Memphis,
Tennessee, USA
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Nuñez IA, Jang H, Huang Y, Kelvin A, Ross TM. Influenza virus immune imprinting dictates the clinical outcomes in ferrets challenged with highly pathogenic avian influenza virus H5N1. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1286758. [PMID: 38170075 PMCID: PMC10759238 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1286758] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Zoonotic transmission of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) into the human population is an increasing global threat. The recent 2022 HPAIV outbreak significantly highlighted this possibility, increasing concern in the general population. The clinical outcomes of H5N1 influenza virus exposure can be determined by an individual's primary influenza virus infection (imprinting) or vaccination status. Immunological imprinting with Group 1 - (H1N1, H2N2, and H2N3) increases survival rates following H5N1 viral infection compared to Group 2 - (H3N2) imprinted individuals. Vaccination against H5N1 influenza viruses can offer protection to at-risk populations; however, stockpiled inactivated H5N1 influenza vaccines are not readily available to the public. We hypothesize that the immunological response to vaccination and subsequent clinical outcome following H5N1 influenza virus infection is correlated with the immunological imprinting status of an individual. To test this hypothesis, our lab established a ferret pre-immune model of disease. Naïve ferrets were intranasally inoculated with seasonal influenza viruses and allowed to recover for 84 days prior to H5N1 virus infection. Ferrets imprinted following H1N1 and H2N3 virus infections were completely protected against lethal H5N1 influenza virus challenge (100% survival), with few to no clinical symptoms. In comparison, H3N2 influenza virus-imprinted ferrets had severe clinical symptoms, delayed disease progression, and a sublethal phenotype (40% mortality). Consecutive infections with H1N1 influenza viruses followed by an H3N2 influenza virus infection did not abrogate the immune protection induced by the original H1N1 influenza virus infection. In addition, ferrets consecutively infected with H1N1 and H2N3 viruses had no clinical symptoms or weight loss. H3N2 pre-immune ferrets were vaccinated with a broadly reactive H5 HA-based or H1 NA-based vaccine (Hu-CO 2). These ferrets were protected against H5N1 influenza virus challenge, whereas ferrets vaccinated with the H1N1 wild-type CA/09 rHA vaccine had similar phenotypes as non-vaccinated H3N2-imprinted ferrets with 40% survival. Overall, Group 2 imprinted ferrets, which were vaccinated with heterologous Group 1 HA vaccines, had redirected immune responses to Group 1 influenza viral antigens and rescued a sublethal phenotype to complete protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivette A. Nuñez
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Hyesun Jang
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Ying Huang
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Alyson Kelvin
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Ted M. Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, United States
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Paterson J, Ryan KA, Morley D, Jones NJ, Yeates P, Hall Y, Whittaker CJ, Salguero FJ, Marriott AC. Infection with Seasonal H1N1 Influenza Results in Comparable Disease Kinetics and Host Immune Responses in Ferrets and Golden Syrian Hamsters. Pathogens 2023; 12:pathogens12050668. [PMID: 37242338 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12050668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal models of influenza are important in preclinical research for the study of influenza infection and the assessment of vaccines, drugs and therapeutics. Here, we show that Golden Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) inoculated via the intranasal route with high dose of influenza H1N1 display comparable disease kinetics and immune responses to the 'gold standard' ferret (Mustela furo) model. We demonstrate that both the hamster and ferret models have measurable disease endpoints of weight loss, temperature change, viral shedding from the upper respiratory tract and increased lung pathology. We also characterised both the humoral and cellular immune responses to infection in both models. The comparability of these data supports the Golden Syrian hamster model being useful in preclinical evaluation studies to explore the efficacy of countermeasures against influenza.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jemma Paterson
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Kathryn A Ryan
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Daniel Morley
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Nicola J Jones
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Paul Yeates
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
| | - Yper Hall
- UK Health Security Agency, Porton Down, Salisbury SP4 0JG, UK
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