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Istomine R, Al-Aubodah TA, Alvarez F, Smith JA, Wagner C, Piccirillo CA. The eIF4EBP-eIF4E axis regulates CD4 + T cell differentiation through modulation of T cell activation and metabolism. iScience 2023; 26:106683. [PMID: 37187701 PMCID: PMC10176268 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
CD4+ T cells are critical for adaptive immunity, differentiating into distinct effector and regulatory subsets. Although the transcriptional programs underlying their differentiation are known, recent research has highlighted the importance of mRNA translation in determining protein abundance. We previously conducted genome-wide analysis of translation in CD4+ T cells revealing distinct translational signatures distinguishing these subsets, identifying eIF4E as a central differentially translated transcript. As eIF4E is vital for eukaryotic translation, we examined how altered eIF4E activity affected T cell function using mice lacking eIF4E-binding proteins (BP-/-). BP-/- effector T cells showed elevated Th1 responses ex vivo and upon viral challenge with enhanced Th1 differentiation observed in vitro. This was accompanied by increased TCR activation and elevated glycolytic activity. This study highlights how regulating T cell-intrinsic eIF4E activity can influence T cell activation and differentiation, suggesting the eIF4EBP-eIF4E axis as a potential therapeutic target for controlling aberrant T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Istomine
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Program in Infectious Diseases and Immunology in Global Health, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Tho-Alfakar Al-Aubodah
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Program in Infectious Diseases and Immunology in Global Health, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Fernando Alvarez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Program in Infectious Diseases and Immunology in Global Health, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
| | - Jacob A. Smith
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Carston Wagner
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Ciriaco A. Piccirillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montréal, QC H3A 2B4, Canada
- Program in Infectious Diseases and Immunology in Global Health, Centre for Translational Biology, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Centre of Excellence in Translational Immunology (CETI), Montréal, QC H4A 3J1, Canada
- Corresponding author
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Hendin HE, Lavoie PO, Gravett JM, Pillet S, Saxena P, Landry N, D’Aoust MA, Ward BJ. Elimination of receptor binding by influenza hemagglutinin improves vaccine-induced immunity. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:42. [PMID: 35410323 PMCID: PMC9001741 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00463-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The binding of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) to sialic acid (SA) receptors plays a well-defined role in shaping infection but the impact of such binding on vaccine responses has not yet been explored. We generated a virus-like particle (VLP) vaccine bearing the HA of H1N1 A/California/07/09 that is unable to bind to its α(2,6)-linked SA receptor (H1Y98F-VLP) and compared its immunogenicity and efficacy to a wild-type H1-VLP (H1WT-VLP) in mice. The H1Y98F-VLP elicited significantly stronger and more durable antibody responses (hemagglutination inhibition and microneutralization titers) and greater avidity maturation, likely attributable to improved germinal center formation. H1Y98F-VLP also resulted in a robust population of IL-2+TNFα+IFNγ− CD4+ T cells that correlated with antibody responses. Compared to H1WT-VLP vaccination, mice immunized with H1Y98F-VLP had 2.3-log lower lung viral loads and significantly lower pulmonary inflammatory cytokine levels 5 days post-challenge. These findings suggest that abrogation of HA-SA interactions may be a promising strategy to improve the quality and durability of influenza vaccine-induced humoral responses.
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Gao R, Zu W, Liu Y, Li J, Li Z, Wen Y, Wang H, Yuan J, Cheng L, Zhang S, Zhang Y, Zhang S, Liu W, Lan X, Liu L, Li F, Zhang Z. Quasispecies of SARS-CoV-2 revealed by single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) analysis. Virulence 2021; 12:1209-1226. [PMID: 34030593 PMCID: PMC8158041 DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2021.1911477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 01/28/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
New SARS-CoV-2 mutants have been continuously indentified with enhanced transmission ever since its outbreak in early 2020. As an RNA virus, SARS-CoV-2 has a high mutation rate due to the low fidelity of RNA polymerase. To study the single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, 158 SNPs with high confidence were identified by deep meta-transcriptomic sequencing, and the most common SNP type was C > T. Analyses of intra-host population diversity revealed that intra-host quasispecies' composition varies with time during the early onset of symptoms, which implicates viral evolution during infection. Network analysis of co-occurring SNPs revealed the most abundant non-synonymous SNP 22,638 in the S glycoprotein RBD region and 28,144 in the ORF8 region. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 variations differ in an individual's respiratory tissue (nose, throat, BALF, or sputum), suggesting independent compartmentalization of SARS-CoV-2 populations in patients. The positive selection analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 genome uncovered the positive selected amino acid G251V on ORF3a. Alternative allele frequency spectrum (AAFS) of all variants revealed that ORF8 could bear alternate alleles with high frequency. Overall, the results show the quasispecies' profile of SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory tract in the first two months after the outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rongsui Gao
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Wenhong Zu
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Junhua Li
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Unknown Pathogen Identification, BGI-Shenzhen, Shenzhen, China
| | - Zeyao Li
- School of Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanling Wen
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Haiyan Wang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Jing Yuan
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Lin Cheng
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Shengyuan Zhang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- National Supercomputing Center in Shenzhen (Shenzhen Cloud Computing Center), Shenzhen, China
| | - Shuye Zhang
- Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Weilong Liu
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Xun Lan
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences at School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Feng Li
- Guangzhou Eighth People’s Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Zheng Zhang
- Institute for Hepatology, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People’s Hospital, the Second Affiliated Hospital, School of Medicine, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Shenzhen Research Center for Communicable Disease Diagnosis and Treatment of Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
- Guangdong Key Laboratory for Anti-infection Drug Quality Evaluation, Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China
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Lobato Gómez M, Huang X, Alvarez D, He W, Baysal C, Zhu C, Armario‐Najera V, Blanco Perera A, Cerda Bennasser P, Saba‐Mayoral A, Sobrino‐Mengual G, Vargheese A, Abranches R, Abreu IA, Balamurugan S, Bock R, Buyel J, da Cunha NB, Daniell H, Faller R, Folgado A, Gowtham I, Häkkinen ST, Kumar S, Ramalingam SK, Lacorte C, Lomonossoff GP, Luís IM, Ma JK, McDonald KA, Murad A, Nandi S, O’Keefe B, Oksman‐Caldentey K, Parthiban S, Paul MJ, Ponndorf D, Rech E, Rodrigues JCM, Ruf S, Schillberg S, Schwestka J, Shah PS, Singh R, Stoger E, Twyman RM, Varghese IP, Vianna GR, Webster G, Wilbers RHP, Capell T, Christou P. Contributions of the international plant science community to the fight against human infectious diseases - part 1: epidemic and pandemic diseases. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2021; 19:1901-1920. [PMID: 34182608 PMCID: PMC8486245 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.13657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 06/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Infectious diseases, also known as transmissible or communicable diseases, are caused by pathogens or parasites that spread in communities by direct contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials, through droplets and aerosols, or via vectors such as insects. Such diseases cause ˜17% of all human deaths and their management and control places an immense burden on healthcare systems worldwide. Traditional approaches for the prevention and control of infectious diseases include vaccination programmes, hygiene measures and drugs that suppress the pathogen, treat the disease symptoms or attenuate aggressive reactions of the host immune system. The provision of vaccines and biologic drugs such as antibodies is hampered by the high cost and limited scalability of traditional manufacturing platforms based on microbial and animal cells, particularly in developing countries where infectious diseases are prevalent and poorly controlled. Molecular farming, which uses plants for protein expression, is a promising strategy to address the drawbacks of current manufacturing platforms. In this review article, we consider the potential of molecular farming to address healthcare demands for the most prevalent and important epidemic and pandemic diseases, focussing on recent outbreaks of high-mortality coronavirus infections and diseases that disproportionately affect the developing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Lobato Gómez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Xin Huang
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Derry Alvarez
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Wenshu He
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Can Baysal
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Changfu Zhu
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Victoria Armario‐Najera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Amaya Blanco Perera
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Pedro Cerda Bennasser
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Andera Saba‐Mayoral
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | | | - Ashwin Vargheese
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Rita Abranches
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Isabel Alexandra Abreu
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Shanmugaraj Balamurugan
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Ralph Bock
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Johannes.F. Buyel
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for Molecular BiotechnologyRWTH Aachen UniversityAachenGermany
| | - Nicolau B. da Cunha
- Centro de Análise Proteômicas e Bioquímicas de BrasíliaUniversidade Católica de BrasíliaBrasíliaBrazil
| | - Henry Daniell
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Roland Faller
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - André Folgado
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Iyappan Gowtham
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Suvi T. Häkkinen
- Industrial Biotechnology and Food SolutionsVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland LtdEspooFinland
| | - Shashi Kumar
- International Centre for Genetic Engineering and BiotechnologyNew DelhiIndia
| | - Sathish Kumar Ramalingam
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Cristiano Lacorte
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | | | - Ines M. Luís
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
| | - Julian K.‐C. Ma
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Karen. A. McDonald
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Andre Murad
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Somen Nandi
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Global HealthShare InitiativeUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Barry O’Keefe
- Molecular Targets ProgramCenter for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, and Natural Products BranchDevelopmental Therapeutics ProgramDivision of Cancer Treatment and DiagnosisNational Cancer Institute, NIHFrederickMDUSA
| | | | - Subramanian Parthiban
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Mathew J. Paul
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Daniel Ponndorf
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António XavierUniversidade Nova de LisboaOeirasPortugal
- Department of Biological ChemistryJohn Innes CentreNorwichUK
| | - Elibio Rech
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Julio C. M. Rodrigues
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Stephanie Ruf
- Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant PhysiologyPotsdam‐GolmGermany
| | - Stefan Schillberg
- Fraunhofer Institute for Molecular Biology and Applied Ecology IMEAachenGermany
- Institute for PhytopathologyJustus‐Liebig‐University GiessenGiessenGermany
| | - Jennifer Schwestka
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | - Priya S. Shah
- Department of Chemical EngineeringUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular GeneticsUniversity of California, DavisDavisCAUSA
| | - Rahul Singh
- School of Dental MedicineUniversity of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaPAUSA
| | - Eva Stoger
- Institute of Plant Biotechnology and Cell BiologyUniversity of Natural Resources and Life SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | - Inchakalody P. Varghese
- Plant Genetic Engineering LaboratoryDepartment of BiotechnologyBharathiar UniversityCoimbatoreIndia
| | - Giovanni R. Vianna
- Brazilian Agriculture Research CorporationEmbrapa Genetic Resources and Biotechnology and National Institute of Science and Technology Synthetic in BiologyParque Estação BiológicaBrasiliaBrazil
| | - Gina Webster
- Institute for Infection and ImmunitySt. George’s University of LondonLondonUK
| | - Ruud H. P. Wilbers
- Laboratory of NematologyPlant Sciences GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Teresa Capell
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
| | - Paul Christou
- Department of Crop and Forest SciencesUniversity of Lleida‐Agrotecnio CERCA CenterLleidaSpain
- ICREACatalan Institute for Research and Advanced StudiesBarcelonaSpain
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Ward BJ, Gobeil P, Séguin A, Atkins J, Boulay I, Charbonneau PY, Couture M, D'Aoust MA, Dhaliwall J, Finkle C, Hager K, Mahmood A, Makarkov A, Cheng MP, Pillet S, Schimke P, St-Martin S, Trépanier S, Landry N. Phase 1 randomized trial of a plant-derived virus-like particle vaccine for COVID-19. Nat Med 2021; 27:1071-1078. [PMID: 34007070 PMCID: PMC8205852 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-021-01370-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 179] [Impact Index Per Article: 59.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) vaccines are being deployed, but the global need greatly exceeds the supply, and different formulations might be required for specific populations. Here we report Day 42 interim safety and immunogenicity data from an observer-blinded, dose escalation, randomized controlled study of a virus-like particle vaccine candidate produced in plants that displays the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein (CoVLP: NCT04450004). The co-primary outcomes were the short-term tolerability/safety and immunogenicity of CoVLP formulations assessed by neutralizing antibody (NAb) and cellular responses. Secondary outcomes in this ongoing study include safety and immunogenicity assessments up to 12 months after vaccination. Adults (18–55 years, n = 180) were randomized at two sites in Quebec, Canada, to receive two intramuscular doses of CoVLP (3.75 μg, 7.5 μg, and 15 μg) 21 d apart, alone or adjuvanted with AS03 or CpG1018. All formulations were well tolerated, and adverse events after vaccination were generally mild to moderate, transient and highest in the adjuvanted groups. There was no CoVLP dose effect on serum NAbs, but titers increased significantly with both adjuvants. After the second dose, NAbs in the CoVLP + AS03 groups were more than tenfold higher than titers in Coronavirus 2019 convalescent sera. Both spike protein-specific interferon-γ and interleukin-4 cellular responses were also induced. This pre-specified interim analysis supports further evaluation of the CoVLP vaccine candidate. Safety and immunogenicity results in humans of a two-dose SARS-CoV-2 vaccine made from plants support further assessment of potential efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Ward
- Medicago Inc., Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. .,Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Matthew P Cheng
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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6
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Ward BJ, Makarkov A, Séguin A, Pillet S, Trépanier S, Dhaliwall J, Libman MD, Vesikari T, Landry N. Efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of a plant-derived, quadrivalent, virus-like particle influenza vaccine in adults (18-64 years) and older adults (≥65 years): two multicentre, randomised phase 3 trials. Lancet 2020; 396:1491-1503. [PMID: 33065035 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(20)32014-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Seasonal influenza remains a substantial public health threat despite the availability of egg-derived and other vaccines. Plant-based manufacturing might address some of the limitations of current vaccines. We describe two phase 3 efficacy studies of a recombinant quadrivalent virus-like particle (QVLP) influenza vaccine manufactured in plants, one in adults aged 18-64 years (the 18-64 study) and one in older people aged 65 years and older (the 65-plus study). METHODS We did two randomised, observer-blind, multinational studies in the northern hemisphere in the 2017-18 (the 18-64 study) and 2018-19 (the 65-plus study) influenza seasons. The 18-64 study was done at 73 sites and the 65-plus study was done at 104 sites, both across Asia, Europe, and North America. In the 18-64 study, inclusion criteria were body-mass index less than 40 kg/m2; age 18-64 years at screening visit; and good health. In the 65-plus study, inclusion criteria were body-mass index of maximum 35 kg/m2; aged 65 years or older at screening visit; not living in a rehabilitation centre or care home; and no acute or evolving medical problems. Participants in the 18-64 study were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either QVLP vaccine (30 μg haemagglutinin per strain) or placebo. Participants in the 65-plus study were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive QVLP vaccine (30 μg haemagglutinin per strain) or quadrivalent inactivated vaccine (QIV; 15 μg haemagglutinin per strain). The primary outcome in the 18-64 study was absolute vaccine efficacy to prevent laboratory-confirmed, respiratory illness caused by antigenically matched influenza strains. The primary outcome in the 65-plus study was relative vaccine efficacy to prevent laboratory-confirmed influenza-like illness caused by any influenza strain. The primary analyses were done in the per-protocol population and safety was assessed in all participants who received the assigned treatment. These studies are registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (18-64 study NCT03301051; 65-plus study NCT03739112). FINDINGS In the 18-64 study, between Aug 30, 2017, and Jan 15, 2018, 10 160 participants were randomly assigned to receive either QVLP vaccine (5077 participants) or placebo (5083 participants). The per-protocol population consisted of 4814 participants in the QVLP group and 4812 in the placebo group. The study did not meet its primary endpoint of 70% absolute vaccine efficacy for the QVLP vaccine (35·1% [95% CI 17·9 to 48·7]) against respiratory illness caused by matched strains. 55 (1·1%) of 5064 participants in the QVLP group versus 51 (1·0%) of 5072 in the placebo group had a serious adverse event. Four (0·1%) and six [0·1%] participants had severe treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events. In the 65-plus study, between Sept 18, 2018, and Feb 22, 2019, 12 794 participants were randomly assigned to receive either QVLP vaccine (6396 participants) or QIV (6398 participants). The per-protocol population consisted of 5996 participants in the QVLP group and 6026 in the QIV group. The study met its primary non-inferiority endpoint with a relative vaccine efficacy of the QVLP vaccine for the prevention of influenza-like illness caused by any strain of 8·8% (-16·7 to 28·7). 263 (4·1%) of 6352 participants in the QVLP group versus 266 (4·2%) of 6366 in the QIV group had serious adverse events (one [<0·1%] vs two [<0·1%] were considered treatment-related); one (<0·1%) versus three (<0·1%) participants had severe treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events. INTERPRETATION These efficacy studies are the first large-scale studies of any plant-derived human vaccine. Together, they show that the plant-derived QVLP vaccine can provide substantial protection against respiratory illness and influenza-like illness caused by influenza viruses in adults. QVLP vaccine was well tolerated and no major safety signal arose in participants who received QVLP vaccine across the two studies. FUNDING Medicago.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian J Ward
- Medicago, Quebec, QC, Canada; Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Michael D Libman
- Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
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7
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Wang SH, Chen J, Smith D, Cao Z, Acosta H, Fan Y, Ciotti S, Fattom A, Baker J. A novel combination of intramuscular vaccine adjuvants, nanoemulsion and CpG produces an effective immune response against influenza A virus. Vaccine 2020; 38:3537-3544. [PMID: 32245642 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Vaccination is the most effective approach to prevent infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Adjuvants are often used to induce effective immune responses and overcome the immunological weakness of recombinant HPAI antigens. Given the logistical challenges of immunization to HPAI during pandemic situations, vaccines administered via the intramuscular (I.M.) route would be of value. METHODS A new formulation of nanoemulsion adjuvant (NE02) suitable for I.M. vaccination was developed. This NE02 was evaluated alone and in combination with CpG to develop H5 immune responses in mouse and ferret models. Measures of recombinant H5 (rH5) specific immunity evaluated included serum IgG and IgG subclasses, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid IgA, and cytokines. The activation of NF-kB was also analyzed. The efficacy of the vaccine was assessed by performing hemagglutination inhibition (HAI), virus neutralization (VN) assays, and viral challenges in ferrets. RESULTS I.M. vaccination with rH5-NE02 significantly increased rH5-specific IgG and protected ferrets in the viral challenge model providing complete protection and sterile immunity in all animals tested. Combining NE02 and CpG produced accelerated antibody responses and this was accompanied by an elevation of IFN-γ and IL-17 responses and the downregulation of IL-5. The combination also caused a synergistic effect on NF-kB activation. In immunized ferrets after viral challenge, the rH5-NE02 + CpG vaccine via I.M. achieved at least 75% and 88% seroconversion of HAI and VN antibody responses, respectively, and improved body temperature stabilization and weight loss over NE02 alone. CONCLUSIONS The I.M. injection of NE02 adjuvanted rH5 elicits strong and broad immune responses against H5 antigens and effectively protects animals from lethal H5 challenge. Combining this adjuvant with CpG enhanced immune responses and provided improvements in outcomes to viral challenge in ferrets. The results suggest that combinations of adjuvants may be useful to enhance H5 immune responses and improve protection against influenza infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su He Wang
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Jesse Chen
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | | | - Zhengyi Cao
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Hugo Acosta
- BlueWillow Biologic, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Yongyi Fan
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Susan Ciotti
- BlueWillow Biologic, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - Ali Fattom
- BlueWillow Biologic, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
| | - James Baker
- Michigan Nanotechnology Institute for Medicine and Biological Sciences, Michigan Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States
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Klausberger M, Leneva IA, Egorov A, Strobl F, Ghorbanpour SM, Falynskova IN, Poddubikov AV, Makhmudova NR, Krokhin A, Svitich OA, Grabherr R. Off-target effects of an insect cell-expressed influenza HA-pseudotyped Gag-VLP preparation in limiting postinfluenza Staphylococcus aureus infections. Vaccine 2020; 38:859-867. [PMID: 31718898 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.10.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2019] [Revised: 10/21/2019] [Accepted: 10/26/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Clinical and historical data underscore the ability of influenza viruses to ally with Staphylococcus aureus and predispose the host for secondary bacterial pneumonia, which is a leading cause of influenza-associated mortality. This is fundamental because no vaccine for S. aureus is available and the number of antibiotic-resistant strains is alarmingly rising. Hence, this leaves influenza vaccination the only strategy to prevent postinfluenza staphylococcal infections. In the present work, we assessed the off-target effects of a Tnms42 insect cell-expressed BEI-treated Gag-VLP preparation expressing the HA of A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (H1N1) in preventing S. aureus superinfection in mice pre-infected with a homologous or heterologous H1N1 viral challenge strain. Our results demonstrate that matched anti-hemagglutinin immunity elicited by a VLP preparation may suffice to prevent morbidity and mortality caused by lethal secondary bacterial infection. This effect was observed even when employing a single low antigen dose of 50 ng HA per animal. However, induction of anti-hemagglutinin immunity alone was not helpful in inhibiting heterologous viral replication and subsequent bacterial infection. Our results indicate the potential of the VLP vaccine approach in terms of immunogenicity but suggest that anti-HA immunity should not be considered as the sole preventive method for combatting influenza and postinfluenza bacterial infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Klausberger
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria.
| | - Irina A Leneva
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Andrey Egorov
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia; Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
| | - Florian Strobl
- Austrian Centre of Industrial Biotechnology (ACIB), Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Irina N Falynskova
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Alexander V Poddubikov
- Department of Microbiology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Nailya R Makhmudova
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Artem Krokhin
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
| | - Oxana A Svitich
- Department of Virology, I. Mechnikov Research Institute for Vaccines and Sera, Moscow, Russia
| | - Reingard Grabherr
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU), Vienna, Austria
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9
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Hodgins B, Pillet S, Landry N, Ward BJ. Prime-pull vaccination with a plant-derived virus-like particle influenza vaccine elicits a broad immune response and protects aged mice from death and frailty after challenge. IMMUNITY & AGEING 2019; 16:27. [PMID: 31700523 PMCID: PMC6829930 DOI: 10.1186/s12979-019-0167-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Administered intramuscularly (IM), plant-derived, virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccines based on the influenza hemagglutinin (HA) protein elicit both humoral and cellular responses that can protect aged mice from lethal challenge. Unlike split virus vaccines, VLPs can be administered by different routes including intranasally (IN). We evaluated novel vaccine strategies such as prime-pull (IM boosted by IN) and multi-modality vaccination (IM and IN given simultaneously). We wished to determine if these approaches would provide better quality protection in old mice after less severe (borderline-lethal) challenge (ie: immunogenicity, frailty and survival). Results Survival rates were similar in all vaccinated groups. Antibody responses were modest in all groups but tended to be higher in VLP groups compared to inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV) recipients. All VLP groups had higher splenocyte T cell responses than the split virus group. Lung homogenate chemokine/cytokine levels and virus loads were lower in the VLP groups compared to IIV recipients 3 days after challenge (p < 0.05 for viral load vs all VLP groups combined). The VLP-vaccinated groups also had less weight loss and recovered more rapidly than the IIV recipients. There was limited evidence of an immunologic or survival advantage with IN delivery of the VLP vaccine. Conclusion Compared to IIV, the plant-derived VLP vaccine induced a broader immune response in aged mice (cellular and humoral) using either traditional (IM/IM) or novel schedules (multi-modality, prime-pull).
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna Hodgins
- 1Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec Canada
| | - Stephane Pillet
- 2Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Boul Decarie, Room EM33248, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1 Canada.,3Medicago Inc., Quebec City, Quebec Canada
| | | | - Brian J Ward
- 2Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, 1001 Boul Decarie, Room EM33248, Montreal, QC H4A 3J1 Canada.,3Medicago Inc., Quebec City, Quebec Canada
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10
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Keshavarz M, Namdari H, Arjeini Y, Mirzaei H, Salimi V, Sadeghi A, Mokhtari-Azad T, Rezaei F. Induction of protective immune response to intranasal administration of influenza virus-like particles in a mouse model. J Cell Physiol 2019; 234:16643-16652. [PMID: 30784082 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.28339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2018] [Revised: 01/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Human influenza A viruses (IAVs) cause global pandemics and epidemics, which remains a nonignorable serious concern for public health worldwide. To combat the surge of viral outbreaks, new treatments are urgently needed. Here, we design a new vaccine based on virus-like particles (VLPs) and show how intranasal administration of this vaccine triggers protective immunity, which can be exploited for the development of new therapies. H1N1 VLPs were produced in baculovirus vectors and were injected into BALB/c mice by the intramuscular (IM) or intranasal (IN) route. We found that there were significantly higher inflammatory cell and lymphocyte concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage samples and the lungs of IN immunized mice; however, the IM group had little signs of inflammatory responses. On the basis of our results, immunization with H1N1 influenza VLP elicited a strong T cell immunity in BALB/c mice. Despite T cell immunity amplification after both IN and IM vaccination methods in mice, IN-induced T cell responses were significantly more intense than IM-induced responses, and this was likely related to an increased number of both CD11bhigh and CD103+ dendritic cells in mice lungs after IN administration of VLP. Furthermore, evaluation of interleukin-4 and interferon gamma cytokines along with several chemokine receptors showed that VLP vaccination via IN and IM routes leads to a greater CD4+ Th1 and Th2 response, respectively. Our findings indicated that VLPs represent a potential strategy for the development of an effective influenza vaccine; however, employing relevant routes for vaccination can be another important part of the universal influenza vaccine puzzle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohsen Keshavarz
- Department of Virology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,The Persian Gulf Tropical Medicine Research Center, The Persian Gulf Biomedical Sciences Research Institute, Bushehr University of Medical Sciences, Bushehr, Iran
| | - Haideh Namdari
- Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Yaser Arjeini
- Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Hamed Mirzaei
- Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
| | - Vahid Salimi
- Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmadreza Sadeghi
- Iranian Tissue Bank and Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Talat Mokhtari-Azad
- Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,National Influenza Center, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Farhad Rezaei
- Virology Department, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.,National Influenza Center, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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11
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Trombetta CM, Marchi S, Manini I, Lazzeri G, Montomoli E. Challenges in the development of egg-independent vaccines for influenza. Expert Rev Vaccines 2019; 18:737-750. [DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2019.1639503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Serena Marchi
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Ilaria Manini
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Giacomo Lazzeri
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
| | - Emanuele Montomoli
- Department of Molecular and Developmental Medicine, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
- VisMederi srl, Siena, Italy
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12
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Marsian J, Hurdiss DL, Ranson NA, Ritala A, Paley R, Cano I, Lomonossoff GP. Plant-Made Nervous Necrosis Virus-Like Particles Protect Fish Against Disease. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:880. [PMID: 31354759 PMCID: PMC6629939 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.00880] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/20/2019] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particles (VLPs) of the fish virus, Atlantic Cod Nervous necrosis virus (ACNNV), were successfully produced by transient expression of the coat protein in Nicotiana benthamiana plants. VLPs could also be produced in transgenic tobacco BY-2 cells. The protein extracted from plants self-assembled into T = 3 particles, that appeared to be morphologically similar to previously analyzed NNV VLPs when analyzed by high resolution cryo-electron microscopy. Administration of the plant-produced VLPs to sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) showed that they could protect the fish against subsequent virus challenge, indicating that plant-produced vaccines may have a substantial future role in aquaculture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Marsian
- John Innes Centre, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel L. Hurdiss
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Neil A. Ranson
- Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, School of Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Anneli Ritala
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Espoo, Finland
| | - Richard Paley
- Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, United Kingdom
| | - Irene Cano
- Centre for Environment Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Weymouth Laboratory, Weymouth, United Kingdom
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13
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Immunogenicity and safety of a quadrivalent plant-derived virus like particle influenza vaccine candidate-Two randomized Phase II clinical trials in 18 to 49 and ≥50 years old adults. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0216533. [PMID: 31166987 PMCID: PMC6550445 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0216533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 04/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background New influenza vaccines eliciting more effective protection are needed, particularly for the elderly who paid a large and disproportional toll of hospitalization and dead during seasonal influenza epidemics. Low (≤15 μg/strain) doses of a new plant-derived virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine candidate have been shown to induce humoral and cellular responses against both homologous and heterologous strains in healthy adults 18–64 years of age. The two clinical trials reported here addressed the safety and immunogenicity of higher doses (≥15 μg/strain) of quadrivalent VLP candidate vaccine on 18–49 years old and ≥50 years old subjects. We also investigated the impact of alum on the immunogenicity induced by lower doses of the vaccine candidate. Method In the first Phase II trial reported here (NCT02233816), 18–49 year old subjects received 15, 30 or 60 μg/strain of a hemagglutinin-bearing quadrivalent virus-like particle (QVLP) vaccine or placebo. In the second trial (NCT02236052), ≥50 years old subjects received QVLP as above or placebo with additional groups receiving 7.5 or 15 μg/strain with alum. Along with safety recording, the humoral and cell-mediated immune responses were analyzed. Results Local and systemic side-effects were similar to those reported previously. The QVLP vaccine induced significant homologous and heterologous antibody responses at the two higher doses, the addition of alum having little-to-no effect. Serologic outcomes tended to be lower in ≥50 years old subjects previously vaccinated. The candidate vaccine also consistently elicited both homologous and heterologous antigen-specific CD4+ T cells characterized by their production of interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), interleukine-2 (IL-2) and/or tumor-necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) upon ex vivo antigenic restimulation. Conclusion Overall, the 30 μg dose produced the most consistent humoral and cellular responses in both 18–49 and ≥50 years old subjects, strongly supporting the clinical development of this candidate vaccine. That particular dose was chosen to test in the ongoing Phase III clinical trial.
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14
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Plant-derived virus-like particle vaccines drive cross-presentation of influenza A hemagglutinin peptides by human monocyte-derived macrophages. NPJ Vaccines 2019; 4:17. [PMID: 31123605 PMCID: PMC6520342 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-019-0111-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence supports the importance of T cell responses to protect against severe influenza, promote viral clearance, and ensure long-term immunity. Plant-derived virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines bearing influenza hemagglutinin (HA) have been shown to elicit strong humoral and CD4+ T cell responses in both pre-clinical and clinical studies. To better understand the immunogenicity of these vaccines, we tracked the intracellular fate of a model HA (A/California/07/2009 H1N1) in human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) following delivery either as VLPs (H1-VLP) or in soluble form. Compared to exposure to soluble HA, pulsing with VLPs resulted in ~3-fold greater intracellular accumulation of HA at 15 min that was driven by clathrin-mediated and clathrin-independent endocytosis as well as macropinocytosis/phagocytosis. At 45 min, soluble HA had largely disappeared suggesting its handling primarily by high-degradative endosomal pathways. Although the overall fluorescence intensity/cell had declined 25% at 45 min after H1-VLP exposure, the endosomal distribution pattern and degree of aggregation suggested that HA delivered by VLP had entered both high-degradative late and low-degradative static early and/or recycling endosomal pathways. At 45 min in the cells pulsed with VLPs, HA was strongly co-localized with Rab5, Rab7, Rab11, MHC II, and MHC I. High-resolution tandem mass spectrometry identified 115 HA-derived peptides associated with MHC I in the H1-VLP-treated MDMs. These data suggest that HA delivery to antigen-presenting cells on plant-derived VLPs facilitates antigen uptake, endosomal processing, and cross-presentation. These observations may help to explain the broad and cross-reactive immune responses generated by these vaccines. Producing vaccines in plants can have several important advantages, including scalability and relatively low cost. Brian J. Ward and colleagues at McGill University examine the intracellular processing of a plant-derived virus-like particle (VLP) expressing influenza hemagglutinin H1 (H1-VLP) and compare this systematically with soluble monomeric H1. Human monocyte-derived macrophages rapidly take up soluble H1 via degradative pathways resulting in its poor presentation by MHC class I. In contrast, multiple endocytic and pinocytic mechanisms are used to internalize H1-VLP, including handling by non-degradative pathways which favors efficient cross-presentation by MHC class I. This specialized intracellular handling of plant-derived VLPs might underlie their ability to stimulate robust CD8+ T cell responses.
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15
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Shapiro JR, Hodgins B, Hendin HE, Patel A, Menassa K, Menassa C, Menassa M, Pereira JA, Ward BJ. Needle-free delivery of influenza vaccine using the Med-Jet® H4 is efficient and elicits the same humoral and cellular responses as standard IM injection: A randomized trial. Vaccine 2019; 37:1332-1339. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.01.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2018] [Revised: 01/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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16
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Hodgins B, Pillet S, Landry N, Ward BJ. A plant-derived VLP influenza vaccine elicits a balanced immune response even in very old mice with co-morbidities. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0210009. [PMID: 30629622 PMCID: PMC6328122 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0210009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The elderly are at high risk from influenza, in part because immunity wanes with age and through the accumulation of comorbidities. A novel plant-derived virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccine bearing influenza hemagglutinin can induce a balanced humoral and cellular response in old mice (16-18 months) while split virion vaccines elicit mostly antibodies. Because mice also collect comorbidities and lose immune competence as they age, we wished to determine how the plant-derived VLP vaccine would perform in animals approaching the end of their life-span. MATERIALS AND METHODS Old (24-26 months) female BALB/c mice received two intramuscular doses of H1-VLP vaccine, an inactivated H1N1 vaccine (IIV) (both based on A/H1N1/California/07/09) (3μg each) or PBS. Serum was collected on day 42 and humoral responses were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), microneutralization (MN) and hemagglutination inhibition (HI) assays. Influenza-specific splenocyte CD4+ & CD8+ T cell responses were measured by flow cytometry. Full body computed tomography (CT) and structured necropsies were performed on day 42. Comorbidities including reduced lung volume (kyphosis), masses, abscesses, etc. were assessed using a standard scoring system (1-21) and mice with scores ≥5 were considered to have important comorbidities. RESULTS Overall, 53.3% of the animals had significant comorbidities. Three weeks post-boost, HI and MN titres were mostly undetectable but ELISA titres were significantly higher in the H1-VLP animals compared to the IIV group (GMT (95% CI): 961 (427, 2163) vs 425 (200, 903): p = 0.03). Both CD4+(TNFα, IFNγ) and CD8+ (IFNγ) T cell responses were also greater in the H1-VLP group than the IIV. CONCLUSIONS Even in very old mice with comorbidities, the plant-made H1-VLP vaccine elicited a stronger and more balanced immune response than IIV. Animals with fewer comorbidities tended to have the better composite (humoral and cellular) responses. These novel vaccines have the potential to address some of the limitations of current vaccines in the elderly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Breanna Hodgins
- Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Stephane Pillet
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Medicago Inc., Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Brian James Ward
- Research Institute of McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Medicago Inc., Quebec, Quebec, Canada
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Won SY, Hunt K, Guak H, Hasaj B, Charland N, Landry N, Ward BJ, Krawczyk CM. Characterization of the innate stimulatory capacity of plant-derived virus-like particles bearing influenza hemagglutinin. Vaccine 2018; 36:8028-8038. [DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2018.10.099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Revised: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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