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Zehner M, Alt M, Ashurov A, Goldsmith JA, Spies R, Weiler N, Lerma J, Gieselmann L, Stöhr D, Gruell H, Schultz EP, Kreer C, Schlachter L, Janicki H, Laib Sampaio K, Stegmann C, Nemetchek MD, Dähling S, Ullrich L, Dittmer U, Witzke O, Koch M, Ryckman BJ, Lotfi R, McLellan JS, Krawczyk A, Sinzger C, Klein F. Single-cell analysis of memory B cells from top neutralizers reveals multiple sites of vulnerability within HCMV Trimer and Pentamer. Immunity 2023; 56:2602-2620.e10. [PMID: 37967532 DOI: 10.1016/j.immuni.2023.10.009] [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: 03/23/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) can cause severe diseases in fetuses, newborns, and immunocompromised individuals. Currently, no vaccines are approved, and treatment options are limited. Here, we analyzed the human B cell response of four HCMV top neutralizers from a cohort of 9,000 individuals. By single-cell analyses of memory B cells targeting the pentameric and trimeric HCMV surface complexes, we identified vulnerable sites on the shared gH/gL subunits as well as complex-specific subunits UL128/130/131A and gO. Using high-resolution cryogenic electron microscopy, we revealed the structural basis of the neutralization mechanisms of antibodies targeting various binding sites. Moreover, we identified highly potent antibodies that neutralized a broad spectrum of HCMV strains, including primary clinical isolates, that outperform known antibodies used in clinical trials. Our study provides a deep understanding of the mechanisms of HCMV neutralization and identifies promising antibody candidates to prevent and treat HCMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Zehner
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
| | - Mira Alt
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Artem Ashurov
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Jory A Goldsmith
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Rebecca Spies
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Nina Weiler
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Justin Lerma
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - 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, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Dagmar Stöhr
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Henning Gruell
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Eric P Schultz
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Christoph Kreer
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Linda Schlachter
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of 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
| | | | - Cora Stegmann
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Michelle D Nemetchek
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Sabrina Dähling
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Leon Ullrich
- Laboratory of Experimental Immunology, Institute of Virology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Ulf Dittmer
- Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Oliver Witzke
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Manuel Koch
- Institute for Dental Research and Oral Musculoskeletal Biology, Center for Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany
| | - Brent J Ryckman
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA; Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA
| | - Ramin Lotfi
- Institute for Transfusion Medicine, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Jason S McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Adalbert Krawczyk
- Department of Infectious Diseases, West German Centre of Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany; Institute for Virology, University Hospital Essen, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45147 Essen, Germany
| | - Christian Sinzger
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - 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, Partner Site Bonn-Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany; Center for Molecular Medicine Cologne (CMMC), University Hospital of Cologne, 50931 Cologne, Germany.
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Valencia SM, Rochat E, Harnois MJ, Dennis M, Webster HS, Hora B, Kumar A, Wang HYS, Li L, Freed D, Zhang N, An Z, Wang D, Permar SR. Vaccination with a replication-defective cytomegalovirus vaccine elicits a glycoprotein B-specific monoclonal antibody repertoire distinct from natural infection. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:154. [PMID: 37816743 PMCID: PMC10564777 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00749-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the leading infectious congenital infection globally and the most common viral infection in transplant recipients, therefore identifying a vaccine for HCMV is a top priority. Humoral immunity is a correlate of protection for HCMV infection. The most effective vaccine tested to date, which achieved 50% reduction in acquisition of HCMV, was comprised of the glycoprotein B protein given with an oil-in-water emulsion adjuvant MF59. We characterize gB-specific monoclonal antibodies isolated from individuals vaccinated with a disabled infectious single cycle (DISC) CMV vaccine, V160, and compare these to the gB-specific monoclonal antibody repertoire isolated from naturally-infected individuals. We find that vaccination with V160 resulted in gB-specific antibodies that bound homogenously to gB expressed on the surface of a cell in contrast to antibodies isolated from natural infection which variably bound to cell-associated gB. Vaccination resulted in a similar breadth of gB-specific antibodies, with binding profile to gB genotypes 1-5 comparable to that of natural infection. Few gB-specific neutralizing antibodies were isolated from V160 vaccinees and fewer antibodies had identifiable gB antigenic domain specificity compared to that of naturally-infected individuals. We also show that glycosylation of gB residue N73 may shield binding of gB-specific antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Valencia
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Eric Rochat
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Melissa J Harnois
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Maria Dennis
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Helen S Webster
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Bhavna Hora
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Amit Kumar
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
| | - Hsuan-Yuan Sherry Wang
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, 27710, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Leike Li
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | | | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Dai Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA.
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3
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Jenks JA, Amin S, Sponholtz MR, Kumar A, Wrapp D, Venkatayogi S, Tu JJ, Karthigeyan K, Valencia SM, Connors M, Harnois MJ, Hora B, Rochat E, McLellan JS, Wiehe K, Permar SR. A single, improbable B cell receptor mutation confers potent neutralization against cytomegalovirus. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011107. [PMID: 36662906 PMCID: PMC9891502 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2022] [Revised: 02/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a leading cause of infant hearing loss and neurodevelopmental delay, but there are no clinically licensed vaccines to prevent infection, in part due to challenges eliciting neutralizing antibodies. One of the most well-studied targets for CMV vaccines is the viral fusogen glycoprotein B (gB), which is required for viral entry into host cells. Within gB, antigenic domain 2 site 1 (AD-2S1) is a target of potently neutralizing antibodies, but gB-based candidate vaccines have yet to elicit robust responses against this region. We mapped the genealogy of B cells encoding potently neutralizing anti-gB AD-2S1 antibodies from their inferred unmutated common ancestor (UCA) and characterized the binding and function of early lineage ancestors. Surprisingly, we found that a single amino acid heavy chain mutation A33N, which was an improbable mutation rarely generated by somatic hypermutation machinery, conferred broad CMV neutralization to the non-neutralizing UCA antibody. Structural studies revealed that this mutation mediated key contacts with the gB AD-2S1 epitope. Collectively, these results provide insight into potently neutralizing gB-directed antibody evolution in a single donor and lay a foundation for using this B cell-lineage directed approach for the design of next-generation CMV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A. Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sharmi Amin
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Madeline R. Sponholtz
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Amit Kumar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Daniel Wrapp
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Sravani Venkatayogi
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Joshua J. Tu
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Krithika Karthigeyan
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Sarah M. Valencia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Megan Connors
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Melissa J. Harnois
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bhavna Hora
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Eric Rochat
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Jason S. McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Kevin Wiehe
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
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4
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Harnois MJ, Dennis M, Stöhr D, Valencia SM, Rodgers N, Semmes EC, Webster HS, Jenks JA, Barfield R, Pollara J, Chan C, Sinzger C, Permar SR. Characterization of Plasma Immunoglobulin G Responses in Elite Neutralizers of Human Cytomegalovirus. J Infect Dis 2022; 226:1667-1677. [PMID: 35970817 PMCID: PMC10205896 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiac341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common infectious complication of organ transplantation and cause of birth defects worldwide. There are limited therapeutic options and no licensed vaccine to prevent HCMV infection or disease. To inform development of HCMV antibody-based interventions, a previous study identified individuals with potent and broad plasma HCMV-neutralizing activity, termed elite neutralizers (ENs), from a cohort of HCMV-seropositive (SP) blood donors. However, the specificities and functions of plasma antibodies associated with EN status remained undefined. METHODS We sought to determine the plasma antibody specificities, breadth, and Fc-mediated antibody effector functions associated with the most potent HCMV-neutralizing responses in plasma from ENs (n = 25) relative to that from SP donors (n = 19). We measured antibody binding against various HCMV strains and glycoprotein targets and evaluated Fc-mediated effector functions, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP). RESULTS We demonstrate that ENs have elevated immunoglobulin G binding responses against multiple viral glycoproteins, relative to SP donors. Our study also revealed potent HCMV-specific antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis activity of plasma from ENs. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that antibody responses against multiple glycoprotein specificities may be needed to achieve potent plasma neutralization and that potently HCMV elite-neutralizing plasma antibodies can also mediate polyfunctional responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa J Harnois
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Immunology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Maria Dennis
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Dagmar Stöhr
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Sarah M Valencia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nicole Rodgers
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eleanor C Semmes
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Helen S Webster
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer A Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Richard Barfield
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Justin Pollara
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Cliburn Chan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Center for Human Systems Immunology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Christian Sinzger
- Institute for Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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5
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Hu X, Wang HY, Otero CE, Jenks JA, Permar SR. Lessons from Acquired Natural Immunity and Clinical Trials to Inform Next-Generation Human Cytomegalovirus Vaccine Development. Annu Rev Virol 2022; 9:491-520. [PMID: 35704747 PMCID: PMC10154983 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-virology-100220-010653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, the most common cause of congenital disease globally, affecting an estimated 1 million newborns annually, can result in lifelong sequelae in infants, such as sensorineural hearing loss and brain damage. HCMV infection also leads to a significant disease burden in immunocompromised individuals. Hence, an effective HCMV vaccine is urgently needed to prevent infection and HCMV-associated diseases. Unfortunately, despite more than five decades of vaccine development, no successful HCMV vaccine is available. This review summarizes what we have learned from acquired natural immunity, including innate and adaptive immunity; the successes and failures of HCMV vaccine human clinical trials; the progress in related animal models; and the analysis of protective immune responses during natural infection and vaccination settings. Finally, we propose novel vaccine strategies that will harness the knowledge of protective immunity and employ new technology and vaccine concepts to inform next-generation HCMV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xintao Hu
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA;
| | - Hsuan-Yuan Wang
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA;
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Claire E Otero
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA;
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer A Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, New York, USA;
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Semmes EC, Miller IG, Wimberly CE, Phan CT, Jenks JA, Harnois MJ, Berendam SJ, Webster H, Hurst JH, Kurtzberg J, Fouda GG, Walsh KM, Permar SR. Maternal Fc-mediated non-neutralizing antibody responses correlate with protection against congenital human cytomegalovirus infection. J Clin Invest 2022; 132:e156827. [PMID: 35763348 PMCID: PMC9374380 DOI: 10.1172/jci156827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection and a leading cause of stillbirth, neurodevelopmental impairment, and pediatric hearing loss worldwide. Development of a maternal vaccine or therapeutic to prevent congenital HCMV has been hindered by limited knowledge of the immune responses that protect against HCMV transmission in utero. To identify protective antibody responses, we measured HCMV-specific IgG binding and antiviral functions in paired maternal and cord blood sera from HCMV-seropositive transmitting (n = 41) and non-transmitting (n = 40) mother-infant dyads identified via a large, US-based, public cord blood bank. We found that high-avidity IgG binding to HCMV and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) were associated with reduced risk of congenital HCMV infection. We also determined that HCMV-specific IgG activation of FcγRI and FcγRII was enhanced in non-transmitting dyads and that increased ADCP responses were mediated through both FcγRI and FcγRIIA expressed on human monocytes. These findings suggest that engagement of FcγRI/FcγRIIA and Fc effector functions including ADCP may protect against congenital HCMV infection. Taken together, these data can guide future prospective studies on immune correlates against congenital HCMV transmission and inform HCMV vaccine and immunotherapeutic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor C. Semmes
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Itzayana G. Miller
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Courtney E. Wimberly
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery and
| | - Caroline T. Phan
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer A. Jenks
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology and
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Melissa J. Harnois
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stella J. Berendam
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Helen Webster
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jillian H. Hurst
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Genevieve G. Fouda
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyle M. Walsh
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery and
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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7
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Mokhtary P, Pourhashem Z, Mehrizi AA, Sala C, Rappuoli R. Recent Progress in the Discovery and Development of Monoclonal Antibodies against Viral Infections. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081861. [PMID: 36009408 PMCID: PMC9405509 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081861] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), the new revolutionary class of medications, are fast becoming tools against various diseases thanks to a unique structure and function that allow them to bind highly specific targets or receptors. These specialized proteins can be produced in large quantities via the hybridoma technique introduced in 1975 or by means of modern technologies. Additional methods have been developed to generate mAbs with new biological properties such as humanized, chimeric, or murine. The inclusion of mAbs in therapeutic regimens is a major medical advance and will hopefully lead to significant improvements in infectious disease management. Since the first therapeutic mAb, muromonab-CD3, was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1986, the list of approved mAbs and their clinical indications and applications have been proliferating. New technologies have been developed to modify the structure of mAbs, thereby increasing efficacy and improving delivery routes. Gene delivery technologies, such as non-viral synthetic plasmid DNA and messenger RNA vectors (DMabs or mRNA-encoded mAbs), built to express tailored mAb genes, might help overcome some of the challenges of mAb therapy, including production restrictions, cold-chain storage, transportation requirements, and expensive manufacturing and distribution processes. This paper reviews some of the recent developments in mAb discovery against viral infections and illustrates how mAbs can help to combat viral diseases and outbreaks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pardis Mokhtary
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery Laboratory, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy
| | - Zeinab Pourhashem
- Student Research Committee, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran;
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran;
| | - Akram Abouei Mehrizi
- Malaria and Vector Research Group, Biotechnology Research Center, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran 1316943551, Iran;
| | - Claudia Sala
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery Laboratory, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (R.R.)
| | - Rino Rappuoli
- Monoclonal Antibody Discovery Laboratory, Fondazione Toscana Life Sciences, 53100 Siena, Italy;
- Correspondence: (C.S.); (R.R.)
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8
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Semmes EC, Li SH, Hurst JH, Yang Z, Niedzwiecki D, Fouda GG, Kurtzberg J, Walsh KM, Permar SR. Congenital Human Cytomegalovirus Infection Is Associated With Decreased Transplacental IgG Transfer Efficiency Due to Maternal Hypergammaglobulinemia. Clin Infect Dis 2022; 74:1131-1140. [PMID: 34260701 PMCID: PMC8994583 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciab627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Placentally transferred maternal immunoglobulin G (IgG) protects against pathogens in early life, yet vertically transmitted infections can interfere with transplacental IgG transfer. Although human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common placentally-transmitted viral infection worldwide, the impact of congenital HCMV (cCMV) infection on transplacental IgG transfer has been underexplored. METHODS We evaluated total and antigen-specific maternal and cord blood IgG levels and transplacental IgG transfer efficiency in a US-based cohort of 93 mother-infant pairs including 27 cCMV-infected and 66 cCMV-uninfected pairs, of which 29 infants were born to HCMV-seropositive nontransmitting mothers and 37 to HCMV-seronegative mothers. Controls were matched on sex, race/ethnicity, maternal age, and delivery year. RESULTS Transplacental IgG transfer efficiency was decreased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI] 10-36%, P = .0079) in cCMV-infected pairs and 75% of this effect (95% CI 28-174%, P = .0085) was mediated by elevated maternal IgG levels (ie, hypergammaglobulinemia) in HCMV-transmitting women. Despite reduced transfer efficiency, IgG levels were similar in cord blood from infants with and without cCMV infection. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that cCMV infection moderately reduces transplacental IgG transfer efficiency due to maternal hypergammaglobulinemia; however, infants with and without cCMV infection had similar antigen-specific IgG levels, suggesting comparable protection from maternal IgG acquired via transplacental transfer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor C Semmes
- Medical Scientist Training Program, Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Shuk Hang Li
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jillian H Hurst
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Zidanyue Yang
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Donna Niedzwiecki
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Genevieve G Fouda
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Joanne Kurtzberg
- Carolinas Cord Blood Bank, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kyle M Walsh
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Neurosurgery, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Duke Children’s Health & Discovery Initiative, Department of Pediatrics, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
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9
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Recent progress in development of monoclonal antibodies against human cytomegalovirus. Curr Opin Virol 2021; 52:166-173. [PMID: 34952264 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2021.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 11/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen that can cause permanent childhood disabilities following in utero infection and life threatening diseases in immune-compromised individuals such as those post transplantation. Without an effective vaccine, small molecule antiviral drugs are routinely used in high-risk transplant recipients, but the effectiveness of which is limited by side effects and drug resistance. The potentials of antibody-based passive immune therapies alone or in combination with the small molecule antivirals to treat or prevent HCMV infection have been actively studied. In this review, we focus on the recent publications on identification and characterization of monoclonal antibodies that have the potential to be developed as anti-HCMV therapies. We review the progress in clinical evaluation of antibody-based therapies to prevent HCMV-associated diseases.
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10
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Cytomegalovirus Infections in Children with Primary and Secondary Immune Deficiencies. Viruses 2021; 13:v13102001. [PMID: 34696432 PMCID: PMC8538792 DOI: 10.3390/v13102001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Cytomegalovirus (CMV) is a human herpes virus that causes significant morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed children. CMV primary infection causes a clinically mild disease in healthy children, usually in early childhood; the virus then utilises several mechanisms to establish host latency, which allows for periodic reactivation, particularly when the host is immunocompromised. It is this reactivation that is responsible for the significant morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised children. We review CMV infection in the primary immunodeficient host, including early identification of these infants by newborn screening to allow for CMV infection prevention strategies. Furthermore, clinical CMV is discussed in the context of children treated with secondary immunodeficiency, particularly paediatric cancer patients and children undergoing haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). Treatments for CMV are highlighted and include CMV immunotherapy.
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11
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Jenks JA, Nelson CS, Roark HK, Goodwin ML, Pass RF, Bernstein DI, Walter EB, Edwards KM, Wang D, Fu TM, An Z, Chan C, Permar SR. Antibody binding to native cytomegalovirus glycoprotein B predicts efficacy of the gB/MF59 vaccine in humans. Sci Transl Med 2021; 12:12/568/eabb3611. [PMID: 33148624 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abb3611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (CMV) is the most common infectious cause of infant brain damage and posttransplant complications worldwide. Despite the high global burden of disease, vaccine development to prevent infection remains hampered by challenges in generating protective immunity. The most efficacious CMV vaccine candidate tested to date is a soluble glycoprotein B (gB) subunit vaccine with MF59 adjuvant (gB/MF59), which achieved 50% protection in multiple historical phase 2 clinical trials. The vaccine-elicited immune responses that conferred this protection have remained unclear. We investigated the humoral immune correlates of protection from CMV acquisition in populations of CMV-seronegative adolescent and postpartum women who received the gB/MF59 vaccine. We found that gB/MF59 immunization elicited distinct CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG)-binding profiles and IgG-mediated functional responses in adolescent and postpartum vaccinees, with heterologous CMV strain neutralization observed primarily in adolescent vaccinees. Using penalized multiple logistic regression analysis, we determined that protection against primary CMV infection in both cohorts was associated with serum IgG binding to gB present on a cell surface but not binding to the soluble vaccine antigen, suggesting that IgG binding to cell-associated gB is an immune correlate of vaccine efficacy. Supporting this, we identified gB-specific monoclonal antibodies that differentially recognized soluble or cell-associated gB, revealing that there are structural differences in cell-associated and soluble gB are relevant to the generation of protective immunity. Our results highlight the importance of the native, cell-associated gB conformation in future CMV vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer A Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Cody S Nelson
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA.,Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Hunter K Roark
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Matthew L Goodwin
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Robert F Pass
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama of Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA
| | - David I Bernstein
- Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45229, USA
| | - Emmanuel B Walter
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Kathryn M Edwards
- Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA
| | - Dai Wang
- Merck & Co. Inc., Kenilworth, NJ 07033, USA
| | - Tong-Ming Fu
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Cliburn Chan
- Department of Biostatistics and Bioinformatics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA. .,Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27705, USA
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12
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Siddiqui S, Hackl S, Ghoddusi H, McIntosh MR, Gomes AC, Ho J, Reeves MB, McLean GR. IgA binds to the AD-2 epitope of glycoprotein B and neutralizes human cytomegalovirus. Immunology 2021; 162:314-327. [PMID: 33283275 PMCID: PMC7884650 DOI: 10.1111/imm.13286] [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: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a ubiquitous pathogen that is potentially pathogenic in immunosuppressed individuals and pregnant females during primary infection. The HCMV envelope glycoprotein B (gB) facilitates viral entry into all cell types and induces a potent immune response. AD-2 epitope is a highly conserved linear neutralizing epitope of gB and a critical target for antibodies; however, only 50% of sero-positive individuals make IgG antibodies to this site and IgA responses have not been fully investigated. This study aimed to compare IgG and IgA responses against gB and the AD-2 epitope in naturally exposed individuals and those receiving a recombinant gB/MF59 adjuvant vaccine. Thus, vaccination of sero-positive individuals improved pre-existing gB-specific IgA and IgG levels and induced de novo gB-specific IgA and IgG responses in sero-negative recipients. Pre-existing AD-2 IgG and IgA responses were boosted with vaccination, but de novo AD-2 responses were not detected. Naturally exposed individuals had dominant IgG responses towards gB and AD-2 compared with weaker and variable IgA responses, although a significant IgA binding response to AD-2 was observed within human breastmilk samples. All antibodies binding AD-2 contained kappa light chains, whereas balanced kappa/lambda light chain usage was found for those binding to gB. V region-matched AD-2-specific recombinant IgG and IgA bound both to gB and to AD-2 and neutralized HCMV infection in vitro. Overall, these results indicate that although human IgG responses dominate, IgA class antibodies against AD-2 are a significant component of human milk, which may function to protect neonates from HCMV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saima Siddiqui
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research CentreLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondonUK
| | - Sarah Hackl
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research CentreLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondonUK
| | - Hamid Ghoddusi
- Microbiology Research UnitLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondonUK
| | - Megan R. McIntosh
- Institute for Immunity and TransplantationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Ariane C. Gomes
- Institute for Immunity and TransplantationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Joshua Ho
- Institute for Immunity and TransplantationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Matthew B. Reeves
- Institute for Immunity and TransplantationUniversity College LondonLondonUK
| | - Gary R. McLean
- Cellular and Molecular Immunology Research CentreLondon Metropolitan UniversityLondonUK,National Heart and Lung InstituteImperial College LondonLondonUK
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13
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Acosta E, Bowlin T, Brooks J, Chiang L, Hussein I, Kimberlin D, Kauvar LM, Leavitt R, Prichard M, Whitley R. Advances in the Development of Therapeutics for Cytomegalovirus Infections. J Infect Dis 2021; 221:S32-S44. [PMID: 32134483 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The development of therapeutics for cytomegalovirus (CMV) infections, while progressing, has not matched the pace of new treatments of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections; nevertheless, recent developments in the treatment of CMV infections have resulted in improved human health and perhaps will encourage the development of new therapeutic approaches. First, the deployment of ganciclovir and valganciclovir for both the prevention and treatment of CMV infections and disease in transplant recipients has been further improved with the licensure of the efficacious and less toxic letermovir. Regardless, late-onset CMV disease, specifically pneumonia, remains problematic. Second, the treatment of congenital CMV infections with valganciclovir has beneficially improved both hearing and neurologic outcomes, both fundamental advances for these children. In these pediatric studies, viral load was decreased but not eliminated. Thus, an important lesson learned from studies in both populations is the need for new antiviral agents and the necessity for combination therapies as has been shown to be beneficial in the treatment of HIV infections, among others. The development of monoclonal antibodies, sirtuins, and cyclopropovir may provide new treatment options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Acosta
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - David Kimberlin
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | | | | | - Mark Prichard
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Richard Whitley
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
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14
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Perotti M, Marcandalli J, Demurtas D, Sallusto F, Perez L. Rationally designed Human Cytomegalovirus gB nanoparticle vaccine with improved immunogenicity. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1009169. [PMID: 33370407 PMCID: PMC7794029 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1009169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the primary viral cause of congenital birth defects and causes significant morbidity and mortality in immune-suppressed transplant recipients. Despite considerable efforts in vaccine development, HCMV infection still represents an unmet clinical need. In recent phase II trials, a MF59-adjuvanted gB vaccine showed only modest efficacy in preventing infection. These findings might be attributed to low level of antibodies (Abs) with a neutralizing activity induced by this vaccine. Here, we analyzed the immunogenicity of each gB antigenic domain (AD) and demonstrated that domain I of gB (AD5) is the main target of HCMV neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, we designed, characterized and evaluated immunogenic responses to two different nanoparticles displaying a trimeric AD5 antigen. We showed that mice immunization with nanoparticles induces sera neutralization titers up to 100-fold higher compared to those obtained with the gB extracellular domain (gBECD). Collectively, these results illustrate with a medically relevant example the advantages of using a general approach combining antigen discovery, protein engineering and scaffold presentation for modern development of subunit vaccines against complex pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michela Perotti
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica Marcandalli
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland
| | - Davide Demurtas
- BioEM Facility, School of Life Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne (EPFL), Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Federica Sallusto
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,Institute of Microbiology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Laurent Perez
- Institute for Research in Biomedicine, Università della Svizzera italiana, faculty of Biomedical Sciences, Bellinzona, Switzerland.,University of Lausanne (UNIL), Lausanne University Hospital (CHUV), Department of Medicine, Division of Immunology and Allergy, Center for Human Immunology (CHIL), Lausanne, Switzerland
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15
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Singh T, Otero CE, Li K, Valencia SM, Nelson AN, Permar SR. Vaccines for Perinatal and Congenital Infections-How Close Are We? Front Pediatr 2020; 8:569. [PMID: 33384972 PMCID: PMC7769834 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2020.00569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Congenital and perinatal infections are transmitted from mother to infant during pregnancy across the placenta or during delivery. These infections not only cause pregnancy complications and still birth, but also result in an array of pediatric morbidities caused by physical deformities, neurodevelopmental delays, and impaired vision, mobility and hearing. Due to the burden of these conditions, congenital and perinatal infections may result in lifelong disability and profoundly impact an individual's ability to live to their fullest capacity. While there are vaccines to prevent congenital and perinatal rubella, varicella, and hepatitis B infections, many more are currently in development at various stages of progress. The spectrum of our efforts to understand and address these infections includes observational studies of natural history of disease, epidemiological evaluation of risk factors, immunogen design, preclinical research of protective immunity in animal models, and evaluation of promising candidates in vaccine trials. In this review we summarize this progress in vaccine development research for Cytomegalovirus, Group B Streptococcus, Herpes simplex virus, Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Toxoplasma, Syphilis, and Zika virus congenital and perinatal infections. We then synthesize this evidence to examine how close we are to developing a vaccine for these infections, and highlight areas where research is still needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulika Singh
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Claire E. Otero
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Katherine Li
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sarah M. Valencia
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ashley N. Nelson
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Duke University Medical Center, Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Durham, NC, United States
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University, Durham, NC, United States
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16
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Goodwin ML, Webster HS, Wang HY, Jenks JA, Nelson CS, Tu JJ, Mangold JF, Valencia S, Pollara J, Edwards W, McLellan JS, Wrapp D, Fu TM, Zhang N, Freed DC, Wang D, An Z, Permar SR. Specificity and effector functions of non-neutralizing gB-specific monoclonal antibodies isolated from healthy individuals with human cytomegalovirus infection. Virology 2020; 548:182-191. [PMID: 32838941 PMCID: PMC7447913 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2020.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenital infection. A glycoprotein B (gB) subunit vaccine (gB/MF59) is the most efficacious clinically tested to date, having achieved 50% protection against primary infection of HCMV-seronegative women. We previously identified that gB/MF59 vaccination primarily elicits non-neutralizing antibody responses, with variable binding to gB genotypes, and protection associated with binding to membrane-associated gB. We hypothesized that gB-specific non-neutralizing antibody binding breadth and function are dependent on epitope and genotype specificity, and ability to interact with membrane-associated gB. We mapped twenty-four gB-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) from naturally HCMV-infected individuals for gB domain specificity, genotype preference, and ability to mediate phagocytosis or NK cell activation. gB-specific mAbs were primarily specific for Domain II and demonstrated variable binding to gB genotypes. Two mAbs facilitated phagocytosis with binding specificities of Domain II and AD2. This investigation provides novel understanding on the relationship between gB domain specificity and antigenic variability on gB-specific antibody effector functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew L Goodwin
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Helen S Webster
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hsuan-Yuan Wang
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jennifer A Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cody S Nelson
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Joshua J Tu
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jesse F Mangold
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sarah Valencia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Justin Pollara
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Whitney Edwards
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Jason S McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Daniel Wrapp
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Tong-Ming Fu
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA; Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA
| | | | - Dai Wang
- Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, NJ, USA
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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17
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Itell HL, Berenz A, Mangan RJ, Permar SR, Kaufman DA. Systemic and mucosal levels of lactoferrin in very low birth weight infants supplemented with bovine lactoferrin. Biochem Cell Biol 2020; 99:25-34. [PMID: 32841570 DOI: 10.1139/bcb-2020-0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Lactoferrin supplementation may help prevent infections in preterm infants, but the efficacy has varied with different doses and products. We assessed the absorption and excretion of bovine lactoferrin (bLF) in 31 infants receiving 100, 200, or 300 mg·kg-1·day-1 of enteral bLF for 30 days. bLF and human lactoferrin (hLF) in infant saliva, blood, urine, and stool, as well as expressed (EBM) or donor breast milk (DBM) that were collected (i) before the treatment was initiated, (ii) at study day 22, and (iii) one week after treatment cessation, were measured using ELISA. During treatment, bLF was absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and detected in plasma, saliva, and urine, as well as excreted in stool. Levels of bLF in the saliva and stool began to decline within 12 h after dosing, and bLF was undetectable in all samples one week after treatment. The concentrations of hLF exceeded those of bLF across sample types and time-points. Infants receiving EBM demonstrated higher levels of hLF in the saliva and stool than those receiving DBM. Neither bLF nor hLF levels varied by patient characteristics, bLF dosage, or infection status. This is the first study demonstrating bLF absorption into the bloodstream and distribution to saliva and urine in preterm infants. Future studies should further explore LF pharmacokinetics because higher and more frequent dosing may improve the clinical benefit of LF supplementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Itell
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Andrew Berenz
- Department of Pediatrics, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Riley J Mangan
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David A Kaufman
- Division of Neonatology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, USA
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18
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Ye X, Su H, Wrapp D, Freed DC, Li F, Yuan Z, Tang A, Li L, Ku Z, Xiong W, Jaijyan D, Zhu H, Wang D, McLellan JS, Zhang N, Fu TM, An Z. Recognition of a highly conserved glycoprotein B epitope by a bivalent antibody neutralizing HCMV at a post-attachment step. PLoS Pathog 2020; 16:e1008736. [PMID: 32745149 PMCID: PMC7425986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1008736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2020] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is one of the main causative agents of congenital viral infection in neonates. HCMV infection also causes serious morbidity and mortality among organ transplant patients. Glycoprotein B (gB) is a major target for HCMV neutralizing antibodies, yet the underlying neutralization mechanisms remain largely unknown. Here we report that 3–25, a gB-specific monoclonal antibody previously isolated from a healthy HCMV-positive donor, efficiently neutralized 14 HCMV strains in both ARPE-19 cells and MRC-5 cells. The core epitope of 3–25 was mapped to a highly conserved linear epitope on antigenic domain 2 (AD-2) of gB. A 1.8 Å crystal structure of 3–25 Fab in complex with the peptide epitope revealed the molecular determinants of 3–25 binding to gB at atomic resolution. Negative-staining electron microscopy (EM) 3D reconstruction of 3–25 Fab in complex with de-glycosylated postfusion gB showed that 3–25 Fab fully occupied the gB trimer at the N-terminus with flexible binding angles. Functionally, 3–25 efficiently inhibited HCMV infection at a post-attachment step by interfering with viral membrane fusion, and restricted post-infection viral spreading in ARPE-19 cells. Interestingly, bivalency was required for HCMV neutralization by AD-2 specific antibody 3–25 but not the AD-4 specific antibody LJP538. In contrast, bivalency was not required for HCMV binding by both antibodies. Taken together, our results reveal the structural basis of gB recognition by 3–25 and demonstrate that inhibition of viral membrane fusion and a requirement of bivalency may be common for gB AD-2 specific neutralizing antibody. HCMV infection is usually asymptomatic in healthy individuals. However, life-threatening diseases frequently accompany HCMV infection in individuals with under-developed or compromised immune systems. Glycoprotein B antigenic domain 2 (AD-2) is a major target for HCMV-neutralizing antibodies that potentially provide immune protection. We report the structure-based study of gB recognition by a potent neutralizing antibody named 3–25 that binds a highly conserved epitope on AD-2. Functionally, 3–25 efficiently inhibited HCMV infection at a post-attachment step by interfering with viral membrane fusion, and restricted post-infection viral spreading. Furthermore, bivalency of 3–25 is required for viral neutralization but not for binding. Our findings advance understanding of gB antibody-mediated HCMV neutralization and facilitate development of gB-targeted vaccines and antibody drugs against HCMV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohua Ye
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Hang Su
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Wuya College of Innovation, Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Shenyang, China
| | - Daniel Wrapp
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Daniel C. Freed
- Merck Research Laboratory, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Fengsheng Li
- Merck Research Laboratory, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Zihao Yuan
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Aimin Tang
- Merck Research Laboratory, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Leike Li
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Zhiqiang Ku
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Wei Xiong
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
| | - Dabbu Jaijyan
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Hua Zhu
- Department of Microbiology, Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Dai Wang
- Merck Research Laboratory, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
| | - Jason S. McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ningyan Zhang
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NZ); (TMF); (ZA)
| | - Tong-Ming Fu
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- Merck Research Laboratory, Merck & Co., Inc., Kenilworth, New Jersey, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NZ); (TMF); (ZA)
| | - Zhiqiang An
- Texas Therapeutics Institute, Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, United States of America
- * E-mail: (NZ); (TMF); (ZA)
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19
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Forrest C, Gomes A, Reeves M, Male V. NK Cell Memory to Cytomegalovirus: Implications for Vaccine Development. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030394. [PMID: 32698362 PMCID: PMC7563466 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030394] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural killer (NK) cells are innate lymphoid cells that recognize and eliminate virally-infected and cancerous cells. Members of the innate immune system are not usually considered to mediate immune memory, but over the past decade evidence has emerged that NK cells can do this in several contexts. Of these, the best understood and most widely accepted is the response to cytomegaloviruses, with strong evidence for memory to murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV) and several lines of evidence suggesting that the same is likely to be true of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). The importance of NK cells in the context of HCMV infection is underscored by the armory of NK immune evasion genes encoded by HCMV aimed at subverting the NK cell immune response. As such, ongoing studies that have utilized HCMV to investigate NK cell diversity and function have proven instructive. Here, we discuss our current understanding of NK cell memory to viral infection with a focus on the response to cytomegaloviruses. We will then discuss the implications that this will have for the development of a vaccine against HCMV with particular emphasis on how a strategy that can harness the innate immune system and NK cells could be crucial for the development of a vaccine against this high-priority pathogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Calum Forrest
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, UCL, Royal Free Campus, London NW3 2PF, UK; (C.F.); (A.G.)
| | - Ariane Gomes
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, UCL, Royal Free Campus, London NW3 2PF, UK; (C.F.); (A.G.)
| | - Matthew Reeves
- Institute of Immunity & Transplantation, UCL, Royal Free Campus, London NW3 2PF, UK; (C.F.); (A.G.)
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (V.M.)
| | - Victoria Male
- Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Chelsea and Westminster Campus, London SW10 9NH, UK
- Correspondence: (M.R.); (V.M.)
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Saccoccio FM, Jenks JA, Itell HL, Li SH, Berry M, Pollara J, Casper C, Gantt S, Permar SR. Humoral Immune Correlates for Prevention of Postnatal Cytomegalovirus Acquisition. J Infect Dis 2020; 220:772-780. [PMID: 31107951 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Development of a cytomegalovirus (CMV) vaccine is a high priority. However, the ability of antibodies to protect against CMV infection is not well characterized. Studies of maternal antibodies in infants offer the potential to identify humoral correlates of protection against postnatal acquisition. METHODS This hypothesis-generating study analyzed 29 Ugandan mother-infant pairs that were followed weekly for CMV acquisition. Seventeen mothers and no infants were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We evaluated the association between CMV-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) responses in mothers at the time of delivery and their infants' CMV status at 6 months of age. We also assessed levels of CMV-specific IgG in infants at 6 weeks of age. CMV-specific IgG responses in the mother-infant pairs were then analyzed on the basis of perinatal HIV exposure. RESULTS We found similar levels of multiple CMV glycoprotein-specific IgG binding specificities and functions in mothers and infants, irrespective of perinatal HIV exposure or infant CMV status at 6 months of age. However, the glycoprotein B-specific IgG titer, measured by 2 distinct assays, was higher in infants without CMV infection and was moderately associated with delayed CMV acquisition. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that high levels of glycoprotein B-specific IgG may contribute to the partial protection against postnatal CMV infection afforded by maternal antibodies, and they support the continued inclusion of glycoprotein B antigens in CMV vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances M Saccoccio
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Jennifer A Jenks
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Hannah L Itell
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Shuk Hang Li
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Madison Berry
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Justin Pollara
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Corey Casper
- Infectious Disease Research Institute, Seattle, Washington
| | - Soren Gantt
- BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.,Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
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21
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Nelson CS, Jenks JA, Pardi N, Goodwin M, Roark H, Edwards W, McLellan JS, Pollara J, Weissman D, Permar SR. Human Cytomegalovirus Glycoprotein B Nucleoside-Modified mRNA Vaccine Elicits Antibody Responses with Greater Durability and Breadth than MF59-Adjuvanted gB Protein Immunization. J Virol 2020; 94:e00186-20. [PMID: 32051265 PMCID: PMC7163130 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00186-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
A vaccine to prevent maternal acquisition of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) during pregnancy is a primary strategy to reduce the incidence of congenital disease. The MF59-adjuvanted glycoprotein B (gB) protein subunit vaccine (gB/MF59) is the most efficacious vaccine tested to date for this indication. We previously identified that gB/MF59 vaccination elicited poor neutralizing antibody responses and an immunodominant response against gB antigenic domain 3 (AD-3). Thus, we sought to test novel gB vaccines to improve functional antibody responses and reduce AD-3 immunodominance. Groups of juvenile New Zealand White rabbits were administered 3 sequential doses of the full-length gB protein with an MF59-like squalene-based adjuvant, the gB ectodomain protein (lacking AD-3) with squalene adjuvant, or lipid nanoparticle (LNP)-encapsulated nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding full-length gB. All vaccines were highly immunogenic with similar kinetics and comparable peak gB-binding and functional antibody responses. The AD-3-immunodominant IgG response following human gB/MF59 vaccination was closely mimicked in rabbits. Though gB ectodomain subunit vaccination eliminated targeting of epitopes in AD-3, it did not improve vaccine-elicited neutralizing or nonneutralizing antibody functions. gB nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNP-immunized rabbits exhibited an enhanced durability of vaccine-elicited antibody responses. Furthermore, the gB mRNA-LNP vaccine enhanced the breadth of IgG binding responses against discrete gB peptides. Finally, low-magnitude gB-specific T cell activity was observed in the full-length gB protein and mRNA-LNP groups, though not in ectodomain-vaccinated rabbits. Altogether, these data suggest that the use of gB nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNP vaccines is a viable strategy for improving on the partial efficacy of gB/MF59 vaccination and should be further evaluated in preclinical models.IMPORTANCE Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common infectious cause of infant birth defects, resulting in permanent neurological disability for one newborn child every hour in the United States. After more than a half century of research and development, we remain without a clinically licensed vaccine or immunotherapeutic to reduce the burden of HCMV-associated disease. In this study, we sought to improve upon the glycoprotein B protein vaccine (gB/MF59), the most efficacious HCMV vaccine evaluated in a clinical trial, via targeted modifications to either the protein structure or vaccine formulation. Utilization of a novel vaccine platform, nucleoside-modified mRNA formulated in lipid nanoparticles, increased the durability and breadth of vaccine-elicited antibody responses. We propose that an mRNA-based gB vaccine may ultimately prove more efficacious than the gB/MF59 vaccine and should be further evaluated for its ability to elicit antiviral immune factors that can prevent HCMV-associated disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S Nelson
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jennifer A Jenks
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Matthew Goodwin
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hunter Roark
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Whitney Edwards
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Jason S McLellan
- Department of Molecular Biosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Justin Pollara
- Department of Surgery, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
| | - Drew Weissman
- Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA
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Nelson CS, Baraniak I, Lilleri D, Reeves MB, Griffiths PD, Permar SR. Immune Correlates of Protection Against Human Cytomegalovirus Acquisition, Replication, and Disease. J Infect Dis 2020; 221:S45-S59. [PMID: 32134477 PMCID: PMC7057792 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiz428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common infectious cause of infant birth defects and an etiology of significant morbidity and mortality in solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. There is tremendous interest in developing a vaccine or immunotherapeutic to reduce the burden of HCMV-associated disease, yet after nearly a half-century of research and development in this field we remain without such an intervention. Defining immune correlates of protection is a process that enables targeted vaccine/immunotherapeutic discovery and informed evaluation of clinical performance. Outcomes in the HCMV field have previously been measured against a variety of clinical end points, including virus acquisition, systemic replication, and progression to disease. Herein we review immune correlates of protection against each of these end points in turn, showing that control of HCMV likely depends on a combination of innate immune factors, antibodies, and T-cell responses. Furthermore, protective immune responses are heterogeneous, with no single immune parameter predicting protection against all clinical outcomes and stages of HCMV infection. A detailed understanding of protective immune responses for a given clinical end point will inform immunogen selection and guide preclinical and clinical evaluation of vaccines or immunotherapeutics to prevent HCMV-mediated congenital and transplant disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S Nelson
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina,Correspondence: Cody S. Nelson, Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, 2 Genome Ct, Durham, NC 27710 ()
| | - Ilona Baraniak
- Institute for Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Daniele Lilleri
- Laboratory of Genetics, Transplantation, and Cardiovascular Diseases, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy
| | - Matthew B Reeves
- Institute for Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Paul D Griffiths
- Institute for Immunity and Transplantation, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina
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23
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Virus-Like Particles and Nanoparticles for Vaccine Development against HCMV. Viruses 2019; 12:v12010035. [PMID: 31905677 PMCID: PMC7019358 DOI: 10.3390/v12010035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 12/21/2019] [Accepted: 12/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infects more than 70% of the human population worldwide. HCMV is responsible for high morbidity and mortality in immunocompromised patients and remains the leading viral cause of congenital birth defects. Despite considerable efforts in vaccine and therapeutic development, HCMV infection still represents an unmet clinical need and a life-threatening disease in immunocompromised individuals and newborns. Immune repertoire interrogation of HCMV seropositive patients allowed the identification of several potential antigens for vaccine design. However, recent HCMV vaccine clinical trials did not lead to a satisfactory outcome in term of efficacy. Therefore, combining antigens with orthogonal technologies to further increase the induction of neutralizing antibodies could improve the likelihood of a vaccine to reach protective efficacy in humans. Indeed, presentation of multiple copies of an antigen in a repetitive array is known to drive a more robust humoral immune response than its soluble counterpart. Virus-like particles (VLPs) and nanoparticles (NPs) are powerful platforms for multivalent antigen presentation. Several self-assembling proteins have been successfully used as scaffolds to present complex glycoprotein antigens on their surface. In this review, we describe some key aspects of the immune response to HCMV and discuss the scaffolds that were successfully used to increase vaccine efficacy against viruses with unmet medical need.
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A Native Human Monoclonal Antibody Targeting HCMV gB (AD-2 Site I). Int J Mol Sci 2018; 19:ijms19123982. [PMID: 30544903 PMCID: PMC6321246 DOI: 10.3390/ijms19123982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperimmune globulin (HIG) has shown efficacy against human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) for both transplant and congenital transmission indications. Replicating that activity with a monoclonal antibody (mAb) offers the potential for improved consistency in manufacturing, lower infusion volume, and improved pharmacokinetics, as well as reduced risk of off-target reactivity leading to toxicity. HCMV pathology is linked to its broad cell tropism. The glycoprotein B (gB) envelope protein is important for infections in all cell types. Within gB, the antigenic determinant (AD)-2 Site I is qualitatively more highly-conserved than any other region of the virus. TRL345, a high affinity (Kd = 50 pM) native human mAb to this site, has shown efficacy in neutralizing the infection of fibroblasts, endothelial and epithelial cells, as well as specialized placental cells including trophoblast progenitor cells. It has also been shown to block the infection of placental fragments grown ex vivo, and to reduce syncytial spread in fibroblasts in vitro. Manufacturing and toxicology preparation for filing an IND (investigational new drug) application with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are expected to be completed in mid-2019.
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Nelson CS, Herold BC, Permar SR. A new era in cytomegalovirus vaccinology: considerations for rational design of next-generation vaccines to prevent congenital cytomegalovirus infection. NPJ Vaccines 2018; 3:38. [PMID: 30275984 PMCID: PMC6148244 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-018-0074-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/07/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), a member of the beta-herpesvirus family, is the most common cause of congenital infection worldwide as well as an important cause of morbidity in transplant recipients and immunosuppressed individuals. An estimated 1 in 150 infants are infected with HCMV at birth, which can result in lifelong, debilitating neurologic sequelae including microcephaly, sensorineural hearing loss, and cognitive impairment. Natural maternal immunity to HCMV decreases the frequency of reinfection and reduces risk of congenital transmission but does not completely protect against neonatal disease. Thus, a vaccine to reduce the incidence and severity of infant infection is a public health priority. A variety of candidate HCMV vaccine approaches have been tried previously, including live-attenuated viruses, glycoprotein subunit formulations, viral vectors, and single/bivalent DNA plasmids, but all have failed to reach target endpoints in clinical trials. Nevertheless, there is a great deal to be learned from the successes and failures of the HCMV vaccine field (both congenital and transplant-associated), as well as from vaccine development efforts for other herpesvirus pathogens including herpes simplex virus 1 and 2, varicella zoster virus, and Epstein-Barr virus. Here, we review those successes and failures, evaluating recent cutting-edge discoveries that have shaped the HCMV vaccine field and identifying topics of critical importance for future investigation. These considerations will inform rational design and evaluation of next-generation vaccines to prevent HCMV-associated congenital infection and disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cody S. Nelson
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA
| | - Betsy C. Herold
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY USA
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC USA
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26
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Advancing Our Understanding of Protective Maternal Immunity as a Guide for Development of Vaccines To Reduce Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infections. J Virol 2018; 92:JVI.00030-18. [PMID: 29343580 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00030-18] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenitally transmitted pathogen worldwide, impacting an estimated 1 million newborns annually. Congenital HCMV (cCMV) infection is a major global contributor to long-term neurologic deficits, including deafness, microcephaly, and neurodevelopmental delay, as well as to fetal loss and occasional infant mortality. Accordingly, design of a maternal vaccine to prevent cCMV continues to be a top public health priority. Nevertheless, we remain without a licensed vaccine. Maternal immunity provides partial protection, as the risk of vertical HCMV transmission from chronically infected mothers is reduced compared to settings in which the mother is newly infected during pregnancy. Therefore, an understanding of the maternal immune correlates of protection against cCMV is critical to informing design of an efficacious maternal vaccine. Although vaccine development is being assiduously pursued by a large number of pharmaceutical manufacturers, biotechnology organizations, and academic researchers, some pessimism has been expressed regarding the issue of whether a vaccine to protect against cCMV is possible. This pessimism is based on observations that natural immunity is not completely protective against maternal reinfection and congenital transmission. However, we assert that optimism regarding vaccine development is indeed justified, on the basis of accruing evidence of immune correlates of protection-readily achievable by vaccination-that are associated with reduced transmission of HCMV to the fetus in seronegative women. In light of the substantial burden on society conferred by cCMV infection, even a modest reduction in the occurrence of this fetal disease is an important public health goal and justifies aggressive clinical evaluation of vaccines currently in the pipeline.
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27
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Itell HL, Nelson CS, Martinez DR, Permar SR. Maternal immune correlates of protection against placental transmission of cytomegalovirus. Placenta 2017; 60 Suppl 1:S73-S79. [PMID: 28456432 PMCID: PMC5650553 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/13/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common congenitally transmitted pathogen worldwide, impacting an estimated 1 million newborns annually. In a subset of infected infants, congenital HCMV causes severe, long-lasting sequelae, including deafness, microcephaly, neurodevelopmental delay, and even death. Accordingly, a maternal vaccine to prevent congenital HCMV infection continues to be a top public health priority. Nevertheless, all vaccines tested to date have failed to meet clinical trial endpoints. Maternal immunity provides partial protection against congenital HCMV transmission, as vertical transmission from seropositive mothers is relatively rare. Therefore, an understanding of the maternal immune correlates of protection against HCMV congenital infection will be critical to inform design of an efficacious maternal vaccine. This review summarizes our understanding of the innate and adaptive immune correlates of protection against congenital transmission of HCMV, and discusses the advantages and applications of a novel nonhuman primate model of congenital CMV transmission to aid in rational vaccine design and evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah L Itell
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Cody S Nelson
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - David R Martinez
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Sallie R Permar
- Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA; Department of Pediatrics, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA.
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