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Pekarek MJ, Weaver EA. Influenza B Virus Vaccine Innovation through Computational Design. Pathogens 2024; 13:755. [PMID: 39338946 PMCID: PMC11434669 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13090755] [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: 07/30/2024] [Revised: 08/26/2024] [Accepted: 08/31/2024] [Indexed: 09/30/2024] Open
Abstract
As respiratory pathogens, influenza B viruses (IBVs) cause a significant socioeconomic burden each year. Vaccine and antiviral development for influenza viruses has historically viewed IBVs as a secondary concern to influenza A viruses (IAVs) due to their lack of animal reservoirs compared to IAVs. However, prior to the global spread of SARS-CoV-2, the seasonal epidemics caused by IBVs were becoming less predictable and inducing more severe disease, especially in high-risk populations. Globally, researchers have begun to recognize the need for improved prevention strategies for IBVs as a primary concern. This review discusses what is known about IBV evolutionary patterns and the effect of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 on these patterns. We also analyze recent advancements in the development of novel vaccines tested against IBVs, highlighting the promise of computational vaccine design strategies when used to target both IBVs and IAVs and explain why these novel strategies can be employed to improve the effectiveness of IBV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J Pekarek
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Eric A Weaver
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
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Ge P, Ross TM. COBRA HA and NA vaccination elicits long-live protective immune responses against pre-pandemic H2, H5, and H7 influenza virus subtypes. Virology 2024; 597:110119. [PMID: 38850895 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses remain a major threat to both the poultry industry and human public health, and these viruses continue to spread worldwide. In this study, mice were vaccinated with COBRA H2, H5, and H7 hemagglutinin (HA) and two neuraminidase (NA) proteins, N1 and N2. Vaccinated mice were fully protected against lethal challenge with H5N6 influenza virus. Sera collected after vaccination showed cross-reactive IgG antibodies against a panel of wild-type H2, H5, and H7 HA proteins, and N1 and N2 NA proteins. Mice with pre-existing immunity to H1N1 and H3N2 influenza viruses that were subsequently vaccinated with COBRA HA/NA vaccines had enhanced anti-HA stem antibodies compared to vaccinated mice without pre-existing immunity. In addition, sera collected after vaccination had hemagglutinin inhibitory activity against a panel of H2Nx, H5Nx, and H7Nx influenza viruses. These protective antibodies were maintained up for up to 4 months after vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pan Ge
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA
| | - Ted M Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA; Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA; Department of Infection Biology, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
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Lim CML, Komarasamy TV, Adnan NAAB, Radhakrishnan AK, Balasubramaniam VRMT. Recent Advances, Approaches and Challenges in the Development of Universal Influenza Vaccines. Influenza Other Respir Viruses 2024; 18:e13276. [PMID: 38513364 PMCID: PMC10957243 DOI: 10.1111/irv.13276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 02/24/2024] [Indexed: 03/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Every year, influenza virus infections cause significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. They pose a substantial burden of disease, in terms of not only health but also the economy. Owing to the ability of influenza viruses to continuously evolve, annual seasonal influenza vaccines are necessary as a prophylaxis. However, current influenza vaccines against seasonal strains have limited effectiveness and require yearly reformulation due to the virus undergoing antigenic drift or shift. Vaccine mismatches are common, conferring suboptimal protection against seasonal outbreaks, and the threat of the next pandemic continues to loom. Therefore, there is a great need to develop a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) capable of providing broad and durable protection against all influenza virus strains. In the quest to develop a UIV that would obviate the need for annual vaccination and formulation, a multitude of strategies is currently underway. Promising approaches include targeting the highly conserved epitopes of haemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), M2 extracellular domain (M2e) and internal proteins of the influenza virus. The identification and characterization of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) targeting conserved regions of the viral HA protein, in particular, have provided important insight into novel vaccine designs and platforms. This review discusses universal vaccine approaches presently under development, with an emphasis on those targeting the highly conserved stalk of the HA protein, recent technological advancements used and the future prospects of a UIV in terms of its advantages, developmental obstacles and potential shortcomings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caryn Myn Li Lim
- Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwayMalaysia
| | - Thamil Vaani Komarasamy
- Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwayMalaysia
| | - Nur Amelia Azreen Binti Adnan
- Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwayMalaysia
| | - Ammu Kutty Radhakrishnan
- Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwayMalaysia
| | - Vinod R. M. T. Balasubramaniam
- Infection and Immunity Research Strength, Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine & Health SciencesMonash University MalaysiaBandar SunwayMalaysia
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Ji W, Guthmiller J. Goldilocks Zone of Preexisting Immunity: Too Little or Too Much Suppresses Diverse Antibody Responses Against Influenza Viruses. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:299-302. [PMID: 37979157 PMCID: PMC10873167 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad494] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/20/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wei Ji
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
| | - Jenna Guthmiller
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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Petro-Turnquist E, Corder Kampfe B, Gadeken A, Pekarek MJ, Weaver EA. Multivalent Epigraph Hemagglutinin Vaccine Protects against Influenza B Virus in Mice. Pathogens 2024; 13:97. [PMID: 38392835 PMCID: PMC10892733 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13020097] [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: 12/23/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Influenza B virus is a respiratory pathogen that contributes to seasonal epidemics, accounts for approximately 25% of global influenza infections, and can induce severe disease in young children. While vaccination is the most commonly used method of preventing influenza infections, current vaccines only induce strain-specific responses and have suboptimal efficacy when mismatched from circulating strains. Further, two influenza B virus lineages have been described, B/Yamagata-like and B/Victoria-like, and the limited cross-reactivity between the two lineages provides an additional barrier in developing a universal influenza B virus vaccine. Here, we report a novel multivalent vaccine using computationally designed Epigraph hemagglutinin proteins targeting both the B/Yamagata-like and B/Victoria-like lineages. When compared to the quadrivalent commercial vaccine, the Epigraph vaccine demonstrated increased breadth of neutralizing antibody and T cell responses. After lethal heterologous influenza B virus challenge, mice immunized with the Epigraph vaccine were completely protected against both weight loss and mortality. The superior cross-reactive immunity conferred by the Epigraph vaccine immunogens supports their continued investigation as a universal influenza B virus vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika Petro-Turnquist
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Brigette Corder Kampfe
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
- Science Department, North Arkansas College, Harrison, AR 72601, USA
| | - Amber Gadeken
- College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA;
| | - Matthew J. Pekarek
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
| | - Eric A. Weaver
- Nebraska Center for Virology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583, USA
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Shi H, Ross TM. Inactivated recombinant influenza vaccine: the promising direction for the next generation of influenza vaccine. Expert Rev Vaccines 2024; 23:409-418. [PMID: 38509022 PMCID: PMC11056089 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2024.2333338] [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: 01/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Vaccination is the most effective method to control the prevalence of seasonal influenza and the most widely used influenza vaccine is the inactivated influenza vaccine (IIV). Each season, the influenza vaccine must be updated to be most effective against current circulating variants. Therefore, developing a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) that can elicit both broad and durable protection is of the utmost importance. AREA COVERED This review summarizes and compares the available influenza vaccines in the market and inactivation methods used for manufacturing IIVs. Then, we discuss the latest progress of the UIV development in the IIV format and the challenges to address for moving these vaccine candidates to clinical trials and commercialization. The literature search was based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the PubMed databases. EXPERT OPINION The unmet need for UIV is the primary aim of developing the next generation of influenza vaccines. The IIV has high antigenicity and a refined manufacturing process compared to most other formats. Developing the UIV in IIV format is a promising direction with advanced biomolecular technologies and next-generation adjuvant. It also inspires the development of universal vaccines for other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hua Shi
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Ted M. Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA
- Department of Infection Biology, Lehner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA
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Ellis D, Dosey A, Boyoglu-Barnum S, Park YJ, Gillespie R, Syeda H, Hutchinson GB, Tsybovsky Y, Murphy M, Pettie D, Matheson N, Chan S, Ueda G, Fallas JA, Carter L, Graham BS, Veesler D, Kanekiyo M, King NP. Antigen spacing on protein nanoparticles influences antibody responses to vaccination. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113552. [PMID: 38096058 PMCID: PMC10801709 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunogen design approaches aim to control the specificity and quality of antibody responses elicited by next-generation vaccines. Here, we use computational protein design to generate a nanoparticle vaccine platform based on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) that enables precise control of antigen conformation and spacing. HA RBDs are presented as either monomers or native-like closed trimers that are connected to the underlying nanoparticle by a rigid linker that is modularly extended to precisely control antigen spacing. Nanoparticle immunogens with decreased spacing between trimeric RBDs elicit antibodies with improved hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization potency as well as binding breadth across diverse H1 HAs. Our "trihead" nanoparticle immunogen platform provides insights into anti-HA immunity, establishes antigen spacing as an important parameter in structure-based vaccine design, and embodies several design features that could be used in next-generation vaccines against influenza and other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ellis
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Annie Dosey
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Young-Jun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rebecca Gillespie
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hubza Syeda
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Geoffrey B Hutchinson
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Michael Murphy
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Deleah Pettie
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nick Matheson
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sidney Chan
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - George Ueda
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jorge A Fallas
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Barney S Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Dosey A, Ellis D, Boyoglu-Barnum S, Syeda H, Saunders M, Watson MJ, Kraft JC, Pham MN, Guttman M, Lee KK, Kanekiyo M, King NP. Combinatorial immune refocusing within the influenza hemagglutinin RBD improves cross-neutralizing antibody responses. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113553. [PMID: 38096052 PMCID: PMC10801708 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113553] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) elicits potently neutralizing yet mostly strain-specific antibodies. Here, we evaluate the ability of several immunofocusing techniques to enhance the functional breadth of vaccine-elicited immune responses against the HA RBD. We present a series of "trihead" nanoparticle immunogens that display native-like closed trimeric RBDs from the HAs of several H1N1 influenza viruses. The series includes hyperglycosylated and hypervariable variants that incorporate natural and designed sequence diversity at key positions in the receptor-binding site periphery. Nanoparticle immunogens displaying triheads or hyperglycosylated triheads elicit higher hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) and neutralizing activity than the corresponding immunogens lacking either trimer-stabilizing mutations or hyperglycosylation. By contrast, mosaic nanoparticle display and antigen hypervariation do not significantly alter the magnitude or breadth of vaccine-elicited antibodies. Our results yield important insights into antibody responses against the RBD and the ability of several structure-based immunofocusing techniques to influence vaccine-elicited antibody responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annie Dosey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hubza Syeda
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Mason Saunders
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Michael J Watson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - John C Kraft
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Minh N Pham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Miklos Guttman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kelly K Lee
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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Huang CQ, Vishwanath S, Carnell GW, Chan ACY, Heeney JL. Immune imprinting and next-generation coronavirus vaccines. Nat Microbiol 2023; 8:1971-1985. [PMID: 37932355 DOI: 10.1038/s41564-023-01505-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Vaccines based on historical virus isolates provide limited protection from continuously evolving RNA viruses, such as influenza viruses or coronaviruses, which occasionally spill over between animals and humans. Despite repeated booster immunizations, population-wide declines in the neutralization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have occurred. This has been compared to seasonal influenza vaccinations in humans, where the breadth of immune responses induced by repeat exposures to antigenically distinct influenza viruses is confounded by pre-existing immunity-a mechanism known as imprinting. Since its emergence, SARS-CoV-2 has evolved in a population with partial immunity, acquired by infection, vaccination or both. Here we critically examine the evidence for and against immune imprinting in host humoral responses to SARS-CoV-2 and its implications for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) booster vaccine programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Qingzhou Huang
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sneha Vishwanath
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - George William Carnell
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Andrew Chun Yue Chan
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Jonathan Luke Heeney
- Laboratory of Viral Zoonotics, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
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Martin TM, Robinson ST, Huang Y. Discovery medicine - the HVTN's iterative approach to developing an HIV-1 broadly neutralizing vaccine. Curr Opin HIV AIDS 2023; 18:290-299. [PMID: 37712873 PMCID: PMC10552837 DOI: 10.1097/coh.0000000000000821] [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] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW In the past two decades, there has been an explosion in the discovery of HIV-1 broadly neutralizing antibodies (bnAbs) and associated vaccine strategies to induce them. This abundance of approaches necessitates a system that accurately and expeditiously identifies the most promising regimens. We herein briefly review the background science of bnAbs, provide a description of the first round of phase 1 discovery medicine studies, and suggest an approach to integrate these into a comprehensive HIV-1-neutralizing vaccine. RECENT FINDINGS With recent preclinical success including induction of early stage bnAbs in mouse knockin models and rhesus macaques, successful priming of VRC01-class bnAbs with eOD-GT8 in a recent study in humans, and proof-of-concept that intravenous infusion of VRC01 prevents sexual transmission of virus in humans, the stage is set for a broad and comprehensive bnAb vaccine program. Leveraging significant advances in protein nanoparticle science, mRNA technology, adjuvant development, and B-cell and antibody analyses, the HVTN has reconfigured its HIV-1 vaccine strategy by developing the Discovery Medicine Program to test promising vaccine candidates targeting six key epitopes. SUMMARY The HVTN Discovery Medicine program is testing multiple HIV-1-neutralizing vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Troy M Martin
- Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, Washington, USA
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11
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Carlock MA, Ross TM. A computationally optimized broadly reactive hemagglutinin vaccine elicits neutralizing antibodies against influenza B viruses from both lineages. Sci Rep 2023; 13:15911. [PMID: 37741893 PMCID: PMC10517972 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43003-2] [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: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza B viruses (IBV) can cause severe disease and death much like influenza A viruses (IAV), with a disproportionate number of infections in children. Despite moving to a quadrivalent vaccine to include strains from both the B/Victoria and B/Yamagata lineages, vaccine effectiveness rates continue to be variable and low in many past seasons. To develop more effective influenza B virus vaccines, three novel IBV hemagglutinin (HA) vaccines were designed using a computationally optimized broadly reactive antigen (COBRA) methodology. These IBV HA proteins were expressed on the surface of a virus-like particle (VLP) and used to vaccinate ferrets that were pre-immune to historical B/Victoria or B/Yamagata lineage viruses. Ferrets vaccinated with B-COBRA HA vaccines had neutralizing antibodies with high titer HAI titer against all influenza B viruses regardless of pre-immunization history. Conversely, VLPs expressing wild-type IBV HA antigens preferentially boosted titers against viruses from the same lineage and there was little-to-no seroprotective antibodies detected in ferrets with mismatched IBV pre-immune infections. Overall, a single IBV HA developed using the COBRA methodology elicited protective broadly-reactive antibodies against current and future drifted IBVs from both lineages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Carlock
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
- Global Vaccine Development, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA
| | - Ted M Ross
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA.
- Global Vaccine Development, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, Port Saint Lucie, FL, USA.
- Department of Infection Biology, Lehner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA.
- Global Vaccine Development, Florida Research and Innovation Center, Cleveland Clinic, 9801 SW Discovery Way, Port Saint Lucie, FL, 34987, USA.
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12
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Chiba S, Kong H, Neumann G, Kawaoka Y. Influenza H3 hemagglutinin vaccine with scrambled immunodominant epitopes elicits antibodies directed toward immunosubdominant head epitopes. mBio 2023; 14:e0062223. [PMID: 37466314 PMCID: PMC10470489 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00622-23] [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: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is the most effective countermeasure to reduce the severity of influenza. Current seasonal influenza vaccines mainly elicit humoral immunity targeting hemagglutinin (HA). In particular, the amino acid residues around the receptor-binding site in the HA head domain are predominantly targeted by humoral immunity as "immunodominant" epitopes. However, mutations readily accumulate in the head domain due to high plasticity, resulting in antigenic drift and vaccine mismatch, particularly with influenza A (H3N2) viruses. A vaccine strategy that targets more conserved immunosubdominant epitopes is required to attain a universal vaccine. Here, we designed an H3 HA vaccine antigen with various amino acids at immunodominant epitopes of the HA head domain, termed scrambled HA (scrHA). In ferrets, scrHA vaccination induced lower serum neutralizing antibody levels against homologous virus compared with wild-type (WT) HA vaccination; however, similar levels of moderately neutralizing titers against antigenically distinct H3N2 viruses were observed. Ferrets vaccinated with scrHA twice and then challenged with homologous or heterologous virus showed the same level of reduced virus shedding in nasal swabs as WT HA-vaccinated animals but reduced body temperature increase, whereas WT HA-vaccinated ferrets exhibited body temperature increases similar to those of mock-vaccinated animals. scrHA elicited antibodies against HA immunodominant and -subdominant epitopes at lower and higher levels, respectively, than WT HA vaccination, whereas antistalk antibodies were induced at the same level for both groups, suggesting scrHA-induced redirection from immunodominant to immunosubdominant head epitopes. scrHA vaccination thus induced broader coverage than WT HA vaccination by diluting out the immunodominancy of HA head epitopes. IMPORTANCE Current influenza vaccines mainly elicit antibodies that target the immunodominant head domain, where strain-specific mutations rapidly accumulate, resulting in frequent antigenic drift and vaccine mismatch. Targeting conserved immunosubdominant epitopes is essential to attain a universal vaccine. Our findings with the scrHA developed in this study suggest that designing vaccine antigens that "dilute out" the immunodominancy of the head epitopes may be an effective strategy to induce conserved immunosubdominant epitope-based immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shiho Chiba
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Huihui Kong
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Gabriele Neumann
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Yoshihiro Kawaoka
- Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
- Division of Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo, Japan
- Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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13
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Puente-Massaguer E, Beyer A, Loganathan M, Sapse I, Carreño JM, Bajic G, Sun W, Palese P, Krammer F. Bioprocess development for universal influenza vaccines based on inactivated split chimeric and mosaic hemagglutinin viruses. Front Bioeng Biotechnol 2023; 11:1097349. [PMID: 37342504 PMCID: PMC10277804 DOI: 10.3389/fbioe.2023.1097349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal influenza viruses account for 1 billion infections worldwide every year, including 3-5 million cases of severe illness and up to 650,000 deaths. The effectiveness of current influenza virus vaccines is variable and relies on the immunodominant hemagglutinin (HA) and to a lesser extent on the neuraminidase (NA), the viral surface glycoproteins. Efficient vaccines that refocus the immune response to conserved epitopes on the HA are needed to tackle infections by influenza virus variants. Sequential vaccination with chimeric HA (cHA) and mosaic HA (mHA) constructs has proven to induce immune responses to the HA stalk domain and conserved epitopes on the HA head. In this study, we developed a bioprocess to manufacture cHA and mHA inactivated split vaccines and a method to quantify HA with a prefusion stalk based on a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Virus inactivation with beta-propiolactone (βPL) and splitting with Triton X-100 yielded the highest amount of prefusion HA and enzymatically active NA. In addition, the quantity of residual Triton X-100 and ovalbumin (OVA) was reduced to very low levels in the final vaccine preparations. The bioprocess shown here provides the basis to manufacture inactivated split cHA and mHA vaccines for pre-clinical research and future clinical trials in humans, and can also be applied to produce vaccines based on other influenza viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eduard Puente-Massaguer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Annika Beyer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Madhumathi Loganathan
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Iden Sapse
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Juan Manuel Carreño
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Goran Bajic
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Weina Sun
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness (C-VaRPP), Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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14
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Antigenic Landscape Analysis of Individuals Vaccinated with a Universal Influenza Virus Vaccine Candidate Reveals Induction of Cross-Subtype Immunity. J Virol 2023; 97:e0107022. [PMID: 36533948 PMCID: PMC9888246 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01070-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Current influenza virus vaccines have to be closely matched to circulating strains to provide good protection, and antigenic drift and emerging pandemic influenza virus strains present a difficult challenge for them. Universal influenza virus vaccines, including chimeric hemagglutinin (cHA)-based constructs that target the conserved stalk domain of hemagglutinin, are in clinical development. Due to the conservation of the stalk domain, antibodies directed to it show broad binding profiles, usually within group 1 and group 2 influenza A or influenza B virus phylogenies. However, determining the binding breadth of these antibodies with commonly used immunological methods can be challenging. Here, we analyzed serum samples from a phase I clinical trial (CVIA057, NCT03300050) using an influenza virus protein microarray (IVPM). The IVPM technology allowed us to assess immune responses not only to a large number of group 1 hemagglutinins but also group 2 and influenza B virus hemagglutinins. In CVIA057, different vaccine modalities, including a live attenuated influenza virus vaccine and inactivated influenza virus vaccines with or without adjuvant, all in the context of cHA constructs, were tested. We found that vaccination with adjuvanted, inactivated vaccines induced a very broad antibody response covering group 1 hemagglutinins, with limited induction of antibodies to group 2 hemagglutinins. Our data show that cHA constructs do indeed induce very broad immune responses and that the IVPM technology is a useful tool to measure this breadth that broadly protective or universal influenza virus vaccines aim to induce. IMPORTANCE The development of a universal influenza virus vaccine that protects against seasonal drifted, zoonotic, or emerging pandemic influenza viruses would be an extremely useful public health tool. Here, we test a technology designed to measure the breadth of antibody responses induced by this new class of vaccines.
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15
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Li J, Zhang Y, Zhang X, Liu L. Influenza and Universal Vaccine Research in China. Viruses 2022; 15:116. [PMID: 36680158 PMCID: PMC9861666 DOI: 10.3390/v15010116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses usually cause seasonal influenza epidemics and influenza pandemics, resulting in acute respiratory illness and, in severe cases, multiple organ complications and even death, posing a serious global and human health burden. Compared with other countries, China has a large population base and a large number of influenza cases and deaths. Currently, influenza vaccination remains the most cost-effective and efficient way to prevent and control influenza, which can significantly reduce the risk of influenza virus infection and serious complications. The antigenicity of the influenza vaccine exhibits good protective efficacy when matched to the seasonal epidemic strain. However, when influenza viruses undergo rapid and sustained antigenic drift resulting in a mismatch between the vaccine strain and the epidemic strain, the protective effect is greatly reduced. As a result, the flu vaccine must be reformulated and readministered annually, causing a significant drain on human and financial resources. Therefore, the development of a universal influenza vaccine is necessary for the complete fight against the influenza virus. By statistically analyzing cases related to influenza virus infection and death in China in recent years, this paper describes the existing marketed vaccines, vaccine distribution and vaccination in China and summarizes the candidate immunogens designed based on the structure of influenza virus, hoping to provide ideas for the design and development of new influenza vaccines in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Longding Liu
- Key Laboratory of Systemic Innovative Research on Virus Vaccine, Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
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16
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Development of a pentavalent broadly protective nucleoside-modified mRNA vaccine against influenza B viruses. Nat Commun 2022; 13:4677. [PMID: 35945226 PMCID: PMC9362976 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-32149-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines represent a new, effective vaccine platform with high capacity for rapid development. Generation of a universal influenza virus vaccine with the potential to elicit long-lasting, broadly cross-reactive immune responses is a necessity for reducing influenza-associated morbidity and mortality. Here we focus on the development of a universal influenza B virus vaccine based on the lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated nucleoside-modified mRNA (mRNA-LNP) platform. We evaluate vaccine candidates based on different target antigens that afford protection against challenge with ancestral and recent influenza B viruses from both antigenic lineages. A pentavalent vaccine combining all tested antigens protects mice from morbidity at a very low dose of 50 ng per antigen after a single vaccination. These findings support the further advancement of nucleoside-modified mRNA-LNPs expressing multiple conserved antigens as universal influenza virus vaccine candidates. The public health concern caused by influenza B virus is often overlooked, yet represents a significant global burden. Here, the authors evaluate the cellular and humoral immune responses of multivalent vaccine candidates, based on the lipid nanoparticle-encapsulated nucleoside-modified mRNA platform, and demonstrate protection of mice from challenge with a broad panel of influenza B viruses.
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17
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Song Y, Zhu W, Wang Y, Deng L, Ma Y, Dong C, Gonzalez GX, Kim J, Wei L, Kang SM, Wang BZ. Layered protein nanoparticles containing influenza B HA stalk induced sustained cross-protection against viruses spanning both viral lineages. Biomaterials 2022; 287:121664. [PMID: 35810540 PMCID: PMC9822777 DOI: 10.1016/j.biomaterials.2022.121664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The influenza epidemics pose a significant threat to public health. Of them, type B influenza coincided with several severe flu outbreaks. The efficacy of the current seasonal flu vaccine is limited due to the antigenicity changes of circulating strains. In this study, we generated structure-stabilized HA stalk antigens from influenza B and fabricated double-layered protein nanoparticles as universal influenza B vaccine candidates. In vitro studies found that the resulting protein nanoparticles were effectively taken up to activate dendritic cells. Nanoparticle immunization induced broadly reactive immune responses conferring robust and sustained cross-immune protection against influenza B virus strains of both lineages. The results reveal the potential of layered protein nanoparticles incorporated with structure-stabilized constant antigens as a universal influenza vaccine with improved immune protective potency and breadth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yufeng Song
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Wandi Zhu
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Ye Wang
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Lei Deng
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA; Hunan Provincial Kay Laboratory of Medical Virology, Institute of Pathogen Biology and Immunology, College of Biology, Hunan University, Changsha, 410082, China
| | - Yao Ma
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Chunhong Dong
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Gilbert X Gonzalez
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Joo Kim
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Lai Wei
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Sang-Moo Kang
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA
| | - Bao-Zhong Wang
- Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30303, USA.
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18
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Wang WC, Sayedahmed EE, Sambhara S, Mittal SK. Progress towards the Development of a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081684. [PMID: 36016306 PMCID: PMC9415875 DOI: 10.3390/v14081684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses are responsible for millions of cases globally and significantly threaten public health. Since pandemic and zoonotic influenza viruses have emerged in the last 20 years and some of the viruses have resulted in high mortality in humans, a universal influenza vaccine is needed to provide comprehensive protection against a wide range of influenza viruses. Current seasonal influenza vaccines provide strain-specific protection and are less effective against mismatched strains. The rapid antigenic drift and shift in influenza viruses resulted in time-consuming surveillance and uncertainty in the vaccine protection efficacy. Most recent universal influenza vaccine studies target the conserved antigen domains of the viral surface glycoproteins and internal proteins to provide broader protection. Following the development of advanced vaccine technologies, several innovative strategies and vaccine platforms are being explored to generate robust cross-protective immunity. This review provides the latest progress in the development of universal influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Chien Wang
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
| | - Ekramy E. Sayedahmed
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
| | - Suryaprakash Sambhara
- Influenza Division, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.K.M.)
| | - Suresh K. Mittal
- Department of Comparative Pathobiology, Purdue Institute for Immunology, Inflammation and Infectious Disease, and Purdue University Center for Cancer Research, College of Veterinary Medicine, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA; (W.-C.W.); (E.E.S.)
- Correspondence: (S.S.); (S.K.M.)
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19
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Tsybalova LM, Stepanova LA, Ramsay ES, Vasin AV. Influenza B: Prospects for the Development of Cross-Protective Vaccines. Viruses 2022; 14:1323. [PMID: 35746794 PMCID: PMC9228933 DOI: 10.3390/v14061323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we analyze the epidemiological and ecological features of influenza B, one of the most common and severe respiratory infections. The review presents various strategies for cross-protective influenza B vaccine development, including recombinant viruses, virus-like particles, and recombinant proteins. We provide an overview of viral proteins as cross-protective vaccine targets, along with other updated broadly protective vaccine strategies. The importance of developing such vaccines lies not only in influenza B prevention, but also in the very attractive prospect of eradicating the influenza B virus in the human population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liudmila M. Tsybalova
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Prof. Popova Str., 15/17, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia; (L.A.S.); (E.S.R.); or (A.V.V.)
| | - Liudmila A. Stepanova
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Prof. Popova Str., 15/17, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia; (L.A.S.); (E.S.R.); or (A.V.V.)
| | - Edward S. Ramsay
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Prof. Popova Str., 15/17, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia; (L.A.S.); (E.S.R.); or (A.V.V.)
| | - Andrey V. Vasin
- Smorodintsev Research Institute of Influenza, Prof. Popova Str., 15/17, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia; (L.A.S.); (E.S.R.); or (A.V.V.)
- Research Institute of Influenza named after A.A. Smorodintsev, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Polytechnicheskaya, 29, 195251 St. Petersburg, Russia
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20
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Li L, Changrob S, Fu Y, Stovicek O, Guthmiller JJ, McGrath JJC, Dugan HL, Stamper CT, Zheng NY, Huang M, Wilson PC. Librator: a platform for the optimized analysis, design, and expression of mutable influenza viral antigens. Brief Bioinform 2022; 23:6532539. [PMID: 35183062 PMCID: PMC8921739 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Revised: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Artificial mutagenesis and protein engineering have laid the foundation for antigenic characterization and universal vaccine design for influenza viruses. However, many methods used in this process require manual sequence editing and protein expression, limiting their efficiency and utility in high-throughput applications. More streamlined in silico tools allowing researchers to properly analyze and visualize influenza viral protein sequences with accurate nomenclature are necessary to improve antigen design and productivity. To address this need, we developed Librator, a system for analyzing and designing custom protein sequences of influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) glycoproteins. Within Librator's graphical interface, users can easily interrogate viral sequences and phylogenies, visualize antigen structures and conservation, mutate target residues and design custom antigens. Librator also provides optimized fragment design for Gibson Assembly of HA and NA expression constructs based on peptide conservation of all historical HA and NA sequences, ensuring fragments are reusable and compatible across related subtypes, thereby promoting reagent savings. Finally, the program facilitates single-cell immune profiling, epitope mapping of monoclonal antibodies and mosaic protein design. Using Librator-based antigen construction, we demonstrate that antigenicity can be readily transferred between HA molecules of H3, but not H1, lineage viruses. Altogether, Librator is a valuable tool for analyzing influenza virus HA and NA proteins and provides an efficient resource for optimizing recombinant influenza antigen synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Olivia Stovicek
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Jenna J Guthmiller
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Joshua J C McGrath
- Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Haley L Dugan
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Nai-Ying Zheng
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA,Gale and Ira Drukier Institute for Children's Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, 10065, USA
| | - Min Huang
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Patrick C Wilson
- Corresponding author: Patrick C. Wilson, Drukier Institute for Children’s Health, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10021, USA. E-mail:
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21
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Gravel C, Muralidharan A, Duran A, Zetner A, Pfeifle A, Zhang W, Hashem A, Tamming L, Farnsworth A, Loemba H, Chen W, Krammer F, Safronetz D, Cao J, Wang L, Sauve S, Rosu-Myles M, Van Domselaar G, Li X. Synthetic vaccine affords full protection to mice against lethal challenge of influenza B virus of both genetic lineages. iScience 2021; 24:103328. [PMID: 34805790 PMCID: PMC8586812 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.103328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A quarter of all seasonal influenza cases are caused by type B influenza virus (IBV) that also dominates periodically. Here, we investigated a recombinant adenovirus vaccine carrying a synthetic HA2 representing the consensus sequence of all IBV hemagglutinins. The vaccine fully protected mice from lethal challenges by IBV of both genetic lineages, demonstrating its breadth of protection. The protection was not mediated by neutralizing antibodies but robust antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity and cell-mediated immune responses. Complete protection of the animals required the entire codon-optimized HA2 sequence that elicited a balanced immune response, whereas truncated vaccines without either the fusion peptide or the transmembrane domain reduced the efficacy of protection. Finally, the vaccines did not demonstrate any sign of disease exacerbation following lung pathology and morbidity monitoring. Collectively, these data suggest that it could be worth further exploring this prototype universal vaccine because of its considerable efficacy, safety, and breadth of protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Gravel
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Abenaya Muralidharan
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Amparo Duran
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Adrian Zetner
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Annabelle Pfeifle
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Wanyue Zhang
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Anwar Hashem
- Immunotherapy Unit, Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine and Vaccines, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Levi Tamming
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Aaron Farnsworth
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Hugues Loemba
- Montfort Hospital and Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, On, Canada
| | - Wangxue Chen
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Center, National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Safronetz
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Jingxin Cao
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Lisheng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Simon Sauve
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Michael Rosu-Myles
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Gary Van Domselaar
- National Microbiology Laboratory, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Xuguang Li
- Centre for Biologics Evaluation, Biologic and Radiopharmaceutical Drugs Directorate, HPFB, Health Canada and WHO Collaborating Center for Standardization and Evaluation of Biologicals, Ottawa, ON, Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
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22
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Liu Y, Strohmeier S, González-Domínguez I, Tan J, Simon V, Krammer F, García-Sastre A, Palese P, Sun W. Mosaic Hemagglutinin-Based Whole Inactivated Virus Vaccines Induce Broad Protection Against Influenza B Virus Challenge in Mice. Front Immunol 2021; 12:746447. [PMID: 34603333 PMCID: PMC8481571 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.746447] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses undergo antigenic changes in the immuno-dominant hemagglutinin (HA) head domain, necessitating annual re-formulation of and re-vaccination with seasonal influenza virus vaccines for continuing protection. We previously synthesized mosaic HA (mHA) proteins of influenza B viruses which redirect the immune response towards the immuno-subdominant conserved epitopes of the HA via sequential immunization. As ~90% of current influenza virus vaccines are manufactured using the inactivated virus platform, we generated and sequentially vaccinated mice with inactivated influenza B viruses displaying either the homologous (same B HA backbones) or the heterologous (different B HA backbones) mosaic HAs. Both approaches induced long-lasting and cross-protective antibody responses showing strong antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) activity. We believe the B virus mHA vaccine candidates represent a major step towards a universal influenza B virus vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghong Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Shirin Strohmeier
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Irene González-Domínguez
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Jessica Tan
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Viviana Simon
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
| | - Weina Sun
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
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23
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Isakova-Sivak I, Stepanova E, Mezhenskaya D, Matyushenko V, Prokopenko P, Sychev I, Wong PF, Rudenko L. Influenza vaccine: progress in a vaccine that elicits a broad immune response. Expert Rev Vaccines 2021; 20:1097-1112. [PMID: 34348561 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2021.1964961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The licensed seasonal influenza vaccines predominantly induce neutralizing antibodies against immunodominant hypervariable epitopes of viral surface proteins, with limited protection against antigenically distant influenza viruses. Strategies have been developed to improve vaccines' performance in terms of broadly reactive and long-lasting immune response induction. AREAS COVERED We have summarized the advancements in the development of cross-protective influenza vaccines and discussed the challenges in evaluating them in preclinical and clinical trials. Here, the literature regarding the current stage of development of universal influenza vaccine candidates was reviewed. EXPERT OPINION Although various strategies aim to redirect adaptive immune responses from variable immunodominant to immunosubdominant antigens, more conserved epitopes are being investigated. Approaches that improve antibody responses to conserved B cell epitopes have increased the protective efficacy of vaccines within a subtype or phylogenetic group of influenza viruses. Vaccines that elicit significant levels of T cells recognizing highly conserved viral epitopes possess a high cross-protective potential and may cover most circulating influenza viruses. However, the development of T cell-based universal influenza vaccines is challenging owing to the diversity of MHCs in the population, unpredictable degree of immunodominance, lack of adequate animal models, and difficulty in establishing T cell immunity in humans. ABBREVIATIONS cHA: chimeric HA; HBc: hepatitis B virus core protein; HA: hemagglutinin; HLA: human leucocyte antigen; IIV: inactivated influenza vaccine; KLH: keyhole limpet hemocyanin; LAH: long alpha helix; LAIV: live attenuated influenza vaccine; M2e: extracellular domain of matrix 2 protein; MHC: major histocompatibility complex; mRNA: messenger ribonucleic acid; NA: neuraminidase; NS1: non-structural protein 1; qNIV: quadrivalent nanoparticle influenza vaccine; TRM: tissue-resident memory T cells; VE: vaccine effectiveness; VLP: virus-like particles; VSV: vesicular stomatitis virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irina Isakova-Sivak
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ekaterina Stepanova
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Daria Mezhenskaya
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Victoria Matyushenko
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Polina Prokopenko
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Ivan Sychev
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Pei-Fong Wong
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
| | - Larisa Rudenko
- Department Of Virology, Institute Of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg, Russia
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Cardenas-Garcia S, Cáceres CJ, Jain A, Geiger G, Mo JS, Jasinskas A, Nakajima R, Rajao DS, Davies DH, Perez DR. FluB-RAM and FluB-RANS: Genome Rearrangement as Safe and Efficacious Live Attenuated Influenza B Virus Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9080897. [PMID: 34452022 PMCID: PMC8402576 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9080897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Revised: 07/22/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza B virus (IBV) is considered a major respiratory pathogen responsible for seasonal respiratory disease in humans, particularly severe in children and the elderly. Seasonal influenza vaccination is considered the most efficient strategy to prevent and control IBV infections. Live attenuated influenza virus vaccines (LAIVs) are thought to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses by mimicking a natural infection, but their effectiveness has recently come into question. Thus, the opportunity exists to find alternative approaches to improve overall influenza vaccine effectiveness. Two alternative IBV backbones were developed with rearranged genomes, rearranged M (FluB-RAM) and a rearranged NS (FluB-RANS). Both rearranged viruses showed temperature sensitivity in vitro compared with the WT type B/Bris strain, were genetically stable over multiple passages in embryonated chicken eggs and were attenuated in vivo in mice. In a prime-boost regime in naïve mice, both rearranged viruses induced antibodies against HA with hemagglutination inhibition titers considered of protective value. In addition, antibodies against NA and NP were readily detected with potential protective value. Upon lethal IBV challenge, mice previously vaccinated with either FluB-RAM or FluB-RANS were completely protected against clinical disease and mortality. In conclusion, genome re-arrangement renders efficacious LAIV candidates to protect mice against IBV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stivalis Cardenas-Garcia
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
| | - C. Joaquín Cáceres
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
| | - Aarti Jain
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.J.); (A.J.); (R.N.); (D.H.D.)
| | - Ginger Geiger
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
| | - Jong-Suk Mo
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
| | - Algimantas Jasinskas
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.J.); (A.J.); (R.N.); (D.H.D.)
| | - Rie Nakajima
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.J.); (A.J.); (R.N.); (D.H.D.)
| | - Daniela S. Rajao
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
| | - D. Huw Davies
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, School of Medicine, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697, USA; (A.J.); (A.J.); (R.N.); (D.H.D.)
| | - Daniel R. Perez
- Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA; (S.C.-G.); (C.J.C.); (G.G.); (J.-S.M.); (D.S.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-(706)-542-5506
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25
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Animal Models Utilized for the Development of Influenza Virus Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9070787. [PMID: 34358203 PMCID: PMC8310120 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9070787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2021] [Revised: 07/08/2021] [Accepted: 07/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal models have been an important tool for the development of influenza virus vaccines since the 1940s. Over the past 80 years, influenza virus vaccines have evolved into more complex formulations, including trivalent and quadrivalent inactivated vaccines, live-attenuated vaccines, and subunit vaccines. However, annual effectiveness data shows that current vaccines have varying levels of protection that range between 40–60% and must be reformulated every few years to combat antigenic drift. To address these issues, novel influenza virus vaccines are currently in development. These vaccines rely heavily on animal models to determine efficacy and immunogenicity. In this review, we describe seasonal and novel influenza virus vaccines and highlight important animal models used to develop them.
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Narkhede YB, Gonzalez KJ, Strauch EM. Targeting Viral Surface Proteins through Structure-Based Design. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071320. [PMID: 34372526 PMCID: PMC8310314 DOI: 10.3390/v13071320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The emergence of novel viral infections of zoonotic origin and mutations of existing human pathogenic viruses represent a serious concern for public health. It warrants the establishment of better interventions and protective therapies to combat the virus and prevent its spread. Surface glycoproteins catalyzing the fusion of viral particles and host cells have proven to be an excellent target for antivirals as well as vaccines. This review focuses on recent advances for computational structure-based design of antivirals and vaccines targeting viral fusion machinery to control seasonal and emerging respiratory viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yogesh B Narkhede
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Karen J Gonzalez
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
| | - Eva-Maria Strauch
- Department of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Institute of Bioinformatics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Correspondence:
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27
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A New Master Donor Virus for the Development of Live-Attenuated Influenza B Virus Vaccines. Viruses 2021; 13:v13071278. [PMID: 34208979 PMCID: PMC8310163 DOI: 10.3390/v13071278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2021] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza B viruses (IBV) circulate annually, with young children, the elderly and immunocompromised individuals being at high risk. Yearly vaccinations are recommended to protect against seasonally influenza viruses, including IBV. Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) provide the unique opportunity for direct exposure to the antigenically variable surface glycoproteins as well as the more conserved internal components. Ideally, LAIV Master Donor Viruses (MDV) should accurately reflect seasonal influenza strains. Unfortunately, the continuous evolution of IBV have led to significant changes in conserved epitopes compared to the IBV MDV based on B/Ann Arbor/1/1966 strain. Here, we propose a recent influenza B/Brisbane/60/2008 as an efficacious MDV alternative, as its internal viral proteins more accurately reflect those of circulating IBV strains. We introduced the mutations responsible for the temperature sensitive (ts), cold adapted (ca) and attenuated (att) phenotype of B/Ann Arbor/1/1966 MDV LAIV into B/Brisbane/60/2008 to generate a new MDV LAIV. In vitro and in vivo analysis demonstrated that the mutations responsible of the ts, ca, and att phenotype of B/Ann Arbor/1/1966 MDV LAIV were able to infer the same phenotype to B/Brisbane/60/2008, demonstrating its potential as a new MDV for the development of LAIV to protect against contemporary IBV strains.
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Guthmiller JJ, Han J, Li L, Freyn AW, Liu STH, Stovicek O, Stamper CT, Dugan HL, Tepora ME, Utset HA, Bitar DJ, Hamel NJ, Changrob S, Zheng NY, Huang M, Krammer F, Nachbagauer R, Palese P, Ward AB, Wilson PC. First exposure to the pandemic H1N1 virus induced broadly neutralizing antibodies targeting hemagglutinin head epitopes. Sci Transl Med 2021; 13:13/596/eabg4535. [PMID: 34078743 PMCID: PMC10173203 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abg4535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2021] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Broadly neutralizing antibodies are critical for protection against both drifted and shifted influenza viruses. Here, we reveal that first exposure to the 2009 pandemic H1N1 influenza virus recalls memory B cells that are specific to the conserved receptor-binding site (RBS) or lateral patch epitopes of the hemagglutinin (HA) head domain. Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) generated against these epitopes are broadly neutralizing against H1N1 viruses spanning 40 years of viral evolution and provide potent protection in vivo. Lateral patch-targeting antibodies demonstrated near universal binding to H1 viruses, and RBS-binding antibodies commonly cross-reacted with H3N2 viruses and influenza B viruses. Lateral patch-targeting mAbs were restricted to expressing the variable heavy-chain gene VH3-23 with or without the variable kappa-chain gene VK1-33 and often had a Y-x-R motif within the heavy-chain complementarity determining region 3 to make key contacts with HA. Moreover, lateral patch antibodies that used both VH3-23 and VK1-33 maintained neutralizing capability with recent pH1N1 strains that acquired mutations near the lateral patch. RBS-binding mAbs used a diverse repertoire but targeted the RBS epitope similarly and made extensive contacts with the major antigenic site Sb. Together, our data indicate that RBS- and lateral patch-targeting clones are abundant within the human memory B cell pool, and universal vaccine strategies should aim to drive antibodies against both conserved head and stalk epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna J Guthmiller
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Julianna Han
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Alec W Freyn
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Sean T H Liu
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Olivia Stovicek
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | | | - Haley L Dugan
- Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Micah E Tepora
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Henry A Utset
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Dalia J Bitar
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Natalie J Hamel
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Siriruk Changrob
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Nai-Ying Zheng
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Min Huang
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Raffael Nachbagauer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.,Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA.
| | - Patrick C Wilson
- Department of Medicine, Section of Rheumatology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. .,Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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29
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Zeigler DF, Gage E, Clegg CH. Epitope-targeting platform for broadly protective influenza vaccines. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252170. [PMID: 34043704 PMCID: PMC8158873 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal influenza vaccines are often ineffective because they elicit strain-specific antibody responses to mutation-prone sites on the hemagglutinin (HA) head. Vaccines that provide long-lasting immunity to conserved epitopes are needed. Recently, we reported a nanoparticle-based vaccine platform produced by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) for targeting linear and helical protein-based epitopes. Here, we illustrate its potential for building broadly protective influenza vaccines. Targeting known epitopes in the HA stem, neuraminidase (NA) active site, and M2 ectodomain (M2e) conferred 50-75% survival against 5LD50 influenza B and H1N1 challenge; combining stem and M2e antigens increased survival to 90%. Additionally, protein sequence and structural information were employed in tandem to identify alternative epitopes that stimulate greater protection; we report three novel HA and NA sites that are highly conserved in type B viruses. One new target in the HA stem stimulated 100% survival, highlighting the value of this simple epitope discovery strategy. A candidate influenza B vaccine targeting two adjacent HA stem sites led to >104-fold reduction in pulmonary viral load. These studies describe a compelling platform for building vaccines that target conserved influenza epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F. Zeigler
- TRIA Bioscience Corp., Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Emily Gage
- TRIA Bioscience Corp., Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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30
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Targeting Antigens for Universal Influenza Vaccine Development. Viruses 2021; 13:v13060973. [PMID: 34073996 PMCID: PMC8225176 DOI: 10.3390/v13060973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Traditional influenza vaccines generate strain-specific antibodies which cannot provide protection against divergent influenza virus strains. Further, due to frequent antigenic shifts and drift of influenza viruses, annual reformulation and revaccination are required in order to match circulating strains. Thus, the development of a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) is critical for long-term protection against all seasonal influenza virus strains, as well as to provide protection against a potential pandemic virus. One of the most important strategies in the development of UIVs is the selection of optimal targeting antigens to generate broadly cross-reactive neutralizing antibodies or cross-reactive T cell responses against divergent influenza virus strains. However, each type of target antigen for UIVs has advantages and limitations for the generation of sufficient immune responses against divergent influenza viruses. Herein, we review current strategies and perspectives regarding the use of antigens, including hemagglutinin, neuraminidase, matrix proteins, and internal proteins, for universal influenza vaccine development.
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31
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Boyoglu-Barnum S, Ellis D, Gillespie RA, Hutchinson GB, Park YJ, Moin SM, Acton OJ, Ravichandran R, Murphy M, Pettie D, Matheson N, Carter L, Creanga A, Watson MJ, Kephart S, Ataca S, Vaile JR, Ueda G, Crank MC, Stewart L, Lee KK, Guttman M, Baker D, Mascola JR, Veesler D, Graham BS, King NP, Kanekiyo M. Quadrivalent influenza nanoparticle vaccines induce broad protection. Nature 2021; 592:623-628. [PMID: 33762730 PMCID: PMC8269962 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03365-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 168] [Impact Index Per Article: 56.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Influenza vaccines that confer broad and durable protection against diverse viral strains would have a major effect on global health, as they would lessen the need for annual vaccine reformulation and immunization1. Here we show that computationally designed, two-component nanoparticle immunogens2 induce potently neutralizing and broadly protective antibody responses against a wide variety of influenza viruses. The nanoparticle immunogens contain 20 haemagglutinin glycoprotein trimers in an ordered array, and their assembly in vitro enables the precisely controlled co-display of multiple distinct haemagglutinin proteins in defined ratios. Nanoparticle immunogens that co-display the four haemagglutinins of licensed quadrivalent influenza vaccines elicited antibody responses in several animal models against vaccine-matched strains that were equivalent to or better than commercial quadrivalent influenza vaccines, and simultaneously induced broadly protective antibody responses to heterologous viruses by targeting the subdominant yet conserved haemagglutinin stem. The combination of potent receptor-blocking and cross-reactive stem-directed antibodies induced by the nanoparticle immunogens makes them attractive candidates for a supraseasonal influenza vaccine candidate with the potential to replace conventional seasonal vaccines3.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies/immunology
- Disease Models, Animal
- Female
- Ferrets/immunology
- Ferrets/virology
- Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/chemistry
- Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus/immunology
- Humans
- Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype/immunology
- Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype/immunology
- Influenza A virus/classification
- Influenza A virus/immunology
- Influenza Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Influenza Vaccines/chemistry
- Influenza Vaccines/immunology
- Influenza, Human/immunology
- Influenza, Human/prevention & control
- Influenza, Human/virology
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred BALB C
- Models, Molecular
- Nanomedicine
- Nanoparticles
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Rebecca A Gillespie
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Geoffrey B Hutchinson
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Young-Jun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Syed M Moin
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Oliver J Acton
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Macromolecular Structure Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Mike Murphy
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Deleah Pettie
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nick Matheson
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adrian Creanga
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Michael J Watson
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sally Kephart
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sila Ataca
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John R Vaile
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - George Ueda
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Michelle C Crank
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Lance Stewart
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Kelly K Lee
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Miklos Guttman
- Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David Baker
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - John R Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Barney S Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
| | - Neil P King
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA.
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Nagashima KA, Mousa JJ. Next-Generation Influenza HA Immunogens and Adjuvants in Pursuit of a Broadly Protective Vaccine. Viruses 2021; 13:v13040546. [PMID: 33805245 PMCID: PMC8064354 DOI: 10.3390/v13040546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus, a highly mutable respiratory pathogen, causes significant disease nearly every year. Current vaccines are designed to protect against circulating influenza strains of a given season. However, mismatches between vaccine strains and circulating strains, as well as inferior vaccine effectiveness in immunodeficient populations, represent major obstacles. In an effort to expand the breadth of protection elicited by influenza vaccination, one of the major surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA), has been modified to develop immunogens that display conserved regions from multiple viruses or elicit a highly polyclonal antibody response to broaden protection. These approaches, which target either the head or the stalk domain of HA, or both domains, have shown promise in recent preclinical and clinical studies. Furthermore, the role of adjuvants in bolstering the robustness of the humoral response has been studied, and their effects on the vaccine-elicited antibody repertoire are currently being investigated. This review will discuss the progress made in the universal influenza vaccine field with respect to influenza A viruses from the perspectives of both antigen and adjuvant, with a focus on the elicitation of broadly neutralizing antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaito A. Nagashima
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Jarrod J. Mousa
- Center for Vaccines and Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA;
- Department of Infectious Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
- Correspondence:
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Strategies Targeting Hemagglutinin as a Universal Influenza Vaccine. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9030257. [PMID: 33805749 PMCID: PMC7998911 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9030257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus has significant viral diversity, both through antigenic drift and shift, which makes development of a vaccine challenging. Current influenza vaccines are updated yearly to include strains predicted to circulate in the upcoming influenza season, however this can lead to a mismatch which reduces vaccine efficacy. Several strategies targeting the most abundant and immunogenic surface protein of influenza, the hemagglutinin (HA) protein, have been explored. These strategies include stalk-directed, consensus-based, and computationally derived HA immunogens. In this review, we explore vaccine strategies which utilize novel antigen design of the HA protein to improve cross-reactive immunity for development of a universal influenza vaccine.
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Sangesland M, Lingwood D. Antibody Focusing to Conserved Sites of Vulnerability: The Immunological Pathways for 'Universal' Influenza Vaccines. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9020125. [PMID: 33562627 PMCID: PMC7914524 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9020125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus remains a serious public health burden due to ongoing viral evolution. Vaccination remains the best measure of prophylaxis, yet current seasonal vaccines elicit strain-specific neutralizing responses that favor the hypervariable epitopes on the virus. This necessitates yearly reformulations of seasonal vaccines, which can be limited in efficacy and also shortchange pandemic preparedness. Universal vaccine development aims to overcome these deficits by redirecting antibody responses to functionally conserved sites of viral vulnerability to enable broad coverage. However, this is challenging as such antibodies are largely immunologically silent, both following vaccination and infection. Defining and then overcoming the immunological basis for such subdominant or ‘immuno-recessive’ antibody targeting has thus become an important aspect of universal vaccine development. This, coupled with structure-guided immunogen design, has led to proof-of-concept that it is possible to rationally refocus humoral immunity upon normally ‘unseen’ broadly neutralizing antibody targets on influenza virus.
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Kerstetter LJ, Buckley S, Bliss CM, Coughlan L. Adenoviral Vectors as Vaccines for Emerging Avian Influenza Viruses. Front Immunol 2021; 11:607333. [PMID: 33633727 PMCID: PMC7901974 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.607333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
It is evident that the emergence of infectious diseases, which have the potential for spillover from animal reservoirs, pose an ongoing threat to global health. Zoonotic transmission events have increased in frequency in recent decades due to changes in human behavior, including increased international travel, the wildlife trade, deforestation, and the intensification of farming practices to meet demand for meat consumption. Influenza A viruses (IAV) possess a number of features which make them a pandemic threat and a major concern for human health. Their segmented genome and error-prone process of replication can lead to the emergence of novel reassortant viruses, for which the human population are immunologically naïve. In addition, the ability for IAVs to infect aquatic birds and domestic animals, as well as humans, increases the likelihood for reassortment and the subsequent emergence of novel viruses. Sporadic spillover events in the past few decades have resulted in human infections with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) viruses, with high mortality. The application of conventional vaccine platforms used for the prevention of seasonal influenza viruses, such as inactivated influenza vaccines (IIVs) or live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs), in the development of vaccines for HPAI viruses is fraught with challenges. These issues are associated with manufacturing under enhanced biosafety containment, and difficulties in propagating HPAI viruses in embryonated eggs, due to their propensity for lethality in eggs. Overcoming manufacturing hurdles through the use of safer backbones, such as low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAI), can also be a challenge if incompatible with master strain viruses. Non-replicating adenoviral (Ad) vectors offer a number of advantages for the development of vaccines against HPAI viruses. Their genome is stable and permits the insertion of HPAI virus antigens (Ag), which are expressed in vivo following vaccination. Therefore, their manufacture does not require enhanced biosafety facilities or procedures and is egg-independent. Importantly, Ad vaccines have an exemplary safety and immunogenicity profile in numerous human clinical trials, and can be thermostabilized for stockpiling and pandemic preparedness. This review will discuss the status of Ad-based vaccines designed to protect against avian influenza viruses with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas J. Kerstetter
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Stephen Buckley
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Carly M. Bliss
- Division of Cancer & Genetics, Division of Infection & Immunity, School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Wales, United Kingdom
| | - Lynda Coughlan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Center for Vaccine Development and Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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McMillan CL, Young PR, Watterson D, Chappell KJ. The Next Generation of Influenza Vaccines: Towards a Universal Solution. Vaccines (Basel) 2021; 9:vaccines9010026. [PMID: 33430278 PMCID: PMC7825669 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines9010026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses remain a constant burden in humans, causing millions of infections and hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. Current influenza virus vaccine modalities primarily induce antibodies directed towards the highly variable head domain of the hemagglutinin protein on the virus surface. Such antibodies are often strain-specific, meaning limited cross-protection against divergent influenza viruses is induced, resulting in poor vaccine efficacy. To attempt to counteract this, yearly influenza vaccination with updated formulations containing antigens from more recently circulating viruses is required. This is an expensive and time-consuming exercise, and the constant arms race between host immunity and virus evolution presents an ongoing challenge for effective vaccine development. Furthermore, there exists the constant pandemic threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses with high fatality rates (~30–50%) or the emergence of new, pathogenic reassortants. Current vaccines would likely offer little to no protection from such viruses in the event of an epidemic or pandemic. This highlights the urgent need for improved influenza virus vaccines capable of providing long-lasting, robust protection from both seasonal influenza virus infections as well as potential pandemic threats. In this narrative review, we examine the next generation of influenza virus vaccines for human use and the steps being taken to achieve universal protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher L.D. McMillan
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (P.R.Y.); (D.W.)
- Correspondence: (C.L.D.M.); (K.J.C.)
| | - Paul R. Young
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (P.R.Y.); (D.W.)
- The Australian Institute for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- The Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Daniel Watterson
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (P.R.Y.); (D.W.)
- The Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Keith J. Chappell
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia; (P.R.Y.); (D.W.)
- The Australian Institute for Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- The Australian Infectious Disease Research Centre, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- Correspondence: (C.L.D.M.); (K.J.C.)
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Nachbagauer R, Feser J, Naficy A, Bernstein DI, Guptill J, Walter EB, Berlanda-Scorza F, Stadlbauer D, Wilson PC, Aydillo T, Behzadi MA, Bhavsar D, Bliss C, Capuano C, Carreño JM, Chromikova V, Claeys C, Coughlan L, Freyn AW, Gast C, Javier A, Jiang K, Mariottini C, McMahon M, McNeal M, Solórzano A, Strohmeier S, Sun W, Van der Wielen M, Innis BL, García-Sastre A, Palese P, Krammer F. A chimeric hemagglutinin-based universal influenza virus vaccine approach induces broad and long-lasting immunity in a randomized, placebo-controlled phase I trial. Nat Med 2021; 27:106-114. [PMID: 33288923 DOI: 10.1038/s41591-020-1118-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 192] [Impact Index Per Article: 64.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Seasonal influenza viruses constantly change through antigenic drift and the emergence of pandemic influenza viruses through antigenic shift is unpredictable. Conventional influenza virus vaccines induce strain-specific neutralizing antibodies against the variable immunodominant globular head domain of the viral hemagglutinin protein. This necessitates frequent re-formulation of vaccines and handicaps pandemic preparedness. In this completed, observer-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled phase I trial (NCT03300050), safety and immunogenicity of chimeric hemagglutinin-based vaccines were tested in healthy, 18-39-year-old US adults. The study aimed to test the safety and ability of the vaccines to elicit broadly cross-reactive antibodies against the hemagglutinin stalk domain. Participants were enrolled into five groups to receive vaccinations with live-attenuated followed by AS03-adjuvanted inactivated vaccine (n = 20), live-attenuated followed by inactivated vaccine (n = 15), twice AS03-adjuvanted inactivated vaccine (n = 16) or placebo (n = 5, intranasal followed by intramuscular; n = 10, twice intramuscular) 3 months apart. Vaccination was found to be safe and induced a broad, strong, durable and functional immune response targeting the conserved, immunosubdominant stalk of the hemagglutinin. The results suggest that chimeric hemagglutinins have the potential to be developed as universal vaccines that protect broadly against influenza viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Nachbagauer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Moderna, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Jodi Feser
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Abdollah Naficy
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - David I Bernstein
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Jeffrey Guptill
- Duke Early Phase Clinical Research Unit, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Emmanuel B Walter
- Duke Early Phase Clinical Research Unit, Duke Clinical Research Institute, Durham, NC, USA
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Daniel Stadlbauer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Patrick C Wilson
- Section of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- The Committee on Immunology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Teresa Aydillo
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Mohammad Amin Behzadi
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Disha Bhavsar
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carly Bliss
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christina Capuano
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Juan Manuel Carreño
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Veronika Chromikova
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Carine Claeys
- GSK, Wavre, Belgium
- Spmt-Arista Asbl, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Lynda Coughlan
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alec W Freyn
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Christopher Gast
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Andres Javier
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kaijun Jiang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chiara Mariottini
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Meagan McMahon
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Monica McNeal
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Alicia Solórzano
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Pfizer, Pearl River, NY, USA
| | - Shirin Strohmeier
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Biotechnology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria
| | - Weina Sun
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Bruce L Innis
- Center for Vaccine Innovation and Access, PATH, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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Characterization of Novel Cross-Reactive Influenza B Virus Hemagglutinin Head Specific Antibodies That Lack Hemagglutination Inhibition Activity. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.01185-20. [PMID: 32907980 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01185-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humoral immune responses to influenza virus vaccines in elderly individuals are poorly adapted toward new antigenically drifted influenza virus strains. Instead, older individuals respond in an original antigenic sin fashion and produce much more cross-reactive but less potent antibodies. Here, we investigated four influenza B virus hemagglutinin (HA) head specific, hemagglutination inhibition-inactive monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) from elderly individuals. We found that they were broadly reactive within the B/Victoria/2/1987-like lineage, and two were highly cross-reactive with B/Yamagata/16/1988-like lineage viruses. The MAbs were found to be neutralizing, to utilize Fc effector functions, and to be protective against lethal viral challenge in a mouse model. In order to identify residues on the influenza B virus hemagglutinin interacting with the MAbs, we generated escape mutant viruses. Interestingly, escape from these MAbs led to numerous HA mutations within the head domain, including in the defined antigenic sites. We observed that each individual escape mutant virus was able to avoid neutralization by its respective MAb along with other MAbs in the panel, although in many cases binding activity was maintained. Point mutant viruses indicated that K90 is critical for the neutralization of two MAbs, while escape from the other two MAbs required a combination of mutations in the hemagglutinin. Three of four escape mutant viruses had increased lethality in the DBA2/J mouse model. Our work indicates that these cross-reactive antibodies have the potential to cause antigenic drift in the viral population by driving mutations that increase virus fitness. However, binding activity and cross-neutralization were maintained by a majority of antibodies in the panel, suggesting that this drift may not lead to escape from antibody-mediated protection.IMPORTANCE Understanding the immune response that older individuals mount to influenza virus vaccination and infection is critical in order to design better vaccines for this age group. Here, we show that older individuals make broadly neutralizing antibodies that have no hemagglutination-inhibiting activity and are less potent than strain-specific antibodies. These antibodies could drive viral escape from neutralization but did not result in escape from binding. Given their different mechanisms of action, they might retain protective activity even against escape variants.
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Cardenas-Garcia S, Caceres CJ, Rajao D, Perez DR. Reverse genetics for influenza B viruses and recent advances in vaccine development. Curr Opin Virol 2020; 44:191-202. [PMID: 33254031 PMCID: PMC8693393 DOI: 10.1016/j.coviro.2020.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 10/23/2020] [Accepted: 10/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Influenza B virus is a respiratory pathogen that affects more severely the pediatric and elderly populations. There are two lineages of influenza B virus that seem to have differential predilection for age groups. Both lineages can co-circulate during the influenza season however one is usually more prominent than the other depending on the season. There are no defined indicators to predict which lineage will dominate in any given season. In recent years, the addition of viruses from both lineages to the seasonal influenza vaccine formulation has improved vaccine protection, although quadrivalent vaccines are not available worldwide. Reverse genetics has facilitated advancements in the field of vaccine development against influenza B virus. Different strategies have been explored showing promising results that could potentially lead to the development broadly protective influenza B virus vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stivalis Cardenas-Garcia
- Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 953 College Station Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
| | - C Joaquin Caceres
- Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 953 College Station Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Daniela Rajao
- Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 953 College Station Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Daniel R Perez
- Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center, Department of Population Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Georgia, 953 College Station Rd, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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Progress in the Development of Universal Influenza Vaccines. Viruses 2020; 12:v12091033. [PMID: 32957468 PMCID: PMC7551969 DOI: 10.3390/v12091033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/15/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses pose a significant threat to human health. They are responsible for a large number of deaths annually and have a serious impact on the global economy. There are numerous influenza virus subtypes, antigenic variations occur continuously, and epidemic trends are difficult to predict—all of which lead to poor outcomes of routine vaccination against targeted strain subtypes. Therefore, the development of universal influenza vaccines still constitutes the ideal strategy for controlling influenza. This article reviews the progress in development of universal vaccines directed against the conserved regions of hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and other structural proteins of influenza viruses using new technologies and strategies with the goals of enhancing our understanding of universal influenza vaccines and providing a reference for research into the exploitation of natural immunity against influenza viruses.
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Abstract
Conventional influenza vaccines are based on predicting the circulating viruses year by year, conferring limited effectiveness since the antigenicity of vaccine strains does not always match the circulating viruses. This necessitates development of universal influenza vaccines that provide broader and lasting protection against pan-influenza viruses. The discovery of the highly conserved immunogens (epitopes) of influenza viruses provides attractive targets for universal vaccine design. Here we review the current understanding with broadly protective immunogens (epitopes) and discuss several important considerations to achieve the goal of universal influenza vaccines.
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De Jong NMC, Aartse A, Van Gils MJ, Eggink D. Development of broadly reactive influenza vaccines by targeting the conserved regions of the hemagglutinin stem and head domains. Expert Rev Vaccines 2020; 19:563-577. [PMID: 32510256 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2020.1777861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Influenza virus infections cause serious illness in millions of people each year. Although influenza virus vaccines are available, they are not optimally effective due to mismatches between the influenza virus strains used for the vaccine and the circulating strains. To improve protection by vaccines, a broadly protective or universal vaccine may be required. Strategies to develop universal vaccines aim to elicit broadly reactive antibodies, which target regions on the viral hemagglutinin (HA) protein which are conserved between strains. Broadly reactive antibodies have helped to identify such targets and can guide the design of such a vaccine. AREAS COVERED The first part of this review provides an in-depth overview of broadly reactive anti-HA antibodies, discussing their origin, breadth and their mechanisms of protection. The second part discusses the technical design and mode of action of potential universal vaccine candidates that aim to elicit these broadly reactive antibodies and provide protection against a majority of influenza strains. EXPERT OPINION While great strides have been made in the development of universal influenza vaccine candidates, real-life use still requires improvement of stability, enhancement of their breadth of protection and ease of production, while efficacies need to be determined in human trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nina M C De Jong
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Aafke Aartse
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre , Rijswijk, The Netherlands
| | - Marit J Van Gils
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Dirk Eggink
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam , Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Wei CJ, Crank MC, Shiver J, Graham BS, Mascola JR, Nabel GJ. Next-generation influenza vaccines: opportunities and challenges. Nat Rev Drug Discov 2020; 19:239-252. [PMID: 32060419 PMCID: PMC7223957 DOI: 10.1038/s41573-019-0056-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 185] [Impact Index Per Article: 46.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Seasonal influenza vaccines lack efficacy against drifted or pandemic influenza strains. Developing improved vaccines that elicit broader immunity remains a public health priority. Immune responses to current vaccines focus on the haemagglutinin head domain, whereas next-generation vaccines target less variable virus structures, including the haemagglutinin stem. Strategies employed to improve vaccine efficacy involve using structure-based design and nanoparticle display to optimize the antigenicity and immunogenicity of target antigens; increasing the antigen dose; using novel adjuvants; stimulating cellular immunity; and targeting other viral proteins, including neuraminidase, matrix protein 2 or nucleoprotein. Improved understanding of influenza antigen structure and immunobiology is advancing novel vaccine candidates into human trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chih-Jen Wei
- Sanofi Global Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Michelle C Crank
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | | | - Barney S Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John R Mascola
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Gary J Nabel
- Sanofi Global Research and Development, Cambridge, MA, USA.
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Vogel OA, Manicassamy B. Broadly Protective Strategies Against Influenza Viruses: Universal Vaccines and Therapeutics. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:135. [PMID: 32117155 PMCID: PMC7020694 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 01/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza virus is a respiratory pathogen that can cause disease in humans, with symptoms ranging from mild to life-threatening. The vast majority of influenza virus infections in humans are observed during seasonal epidemics and occasional pandemics. Given the substantial public health burden associated with influenza virus infection, yearly vaccination is recommended for protection against seasonal influenza viruses. Despite vigilant surveillance for new variants and careful selection of seasonal vaccine strains, the efficacy of seasonal vaccines can vary widely from year to year. This often results in lowered protection within the population, regardless of vaccination status. In order to broaden the protection afforded by seasonal influenza vaccines, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has deemed the development of a universal influenza virus vaccine to be a priority in influenza virus vaccine research. This universal vaccine would provide protection against all influenza virus strains, eliminating the need for the yearly reformulations of seasonal influenza vaccines. In addition to universal influenza vaccine efforts, substantial progress has been made in developing novel influenza virus therapeutics that utilize broadly neutralizing antibodies to provide protection against influenza virus infection and to mitigate disease outcomes during infection. In this review, we discuss various approaches toward the goal of improving influenza virus vaccine efficacy through a universal influenza virus vaccine. We also address the novel methods of discovery and utilization of broadly neutralizing antibodies to improve influenza disease outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olivia A Vogel
- Department of Microbiology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Balaji Manicassamy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, United States
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Mesin L, Schiepers A, Ersching J, Barbulescu A, Cavazzoni CB, Angelini A, Okada T, Kurosaki T, Victora GD. Restricted Clonality and Limited Germinal Center Reentry Characterize Memory B Cell Reactivation by Boosting. Cell 2019; 180:92-106.e11. [PMID: 31866068 PMCID: PMC6958527 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 199] [Impact Index Per Article: 39.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2019] [Revised: 10/28/2019] [Accepted: 11/21/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Repeated exposure to pathogens or their antigens triggers anamnestic antibody responses that are higher in magnitude and affinity than the primary response. These involve reengagement of memory B cell (MBC) clones, the diversity and specificity of which determine the breadth and effectiveness of the ensuing antibody response. Using prime-boost models in mice, we find that secondary responses are characterized by a clonality bottleneck that restricts the engagement of the large diversity of MBC clones generated by priming. Rediversification of mutated MBCs is infrequent within secondary germinal centers (GCs), which instead consist predominantly of B cells without prior GC experience or detectable clonal expansion. Few MBC clones, generally derived from higher-affinity germline precursors, account for the majority of secondary antibody responses, while most primary-derived clonal diversity is not reengaged detectably by boosting. Understanding how to counter this bottleneck may improve our ability to elicit antibodies to non-immunodominant epitopes by vaccination. Memory B cell reentry into germinal centers is rare under typical boost regimens Most (>90%) B cells in secondary GCs have no prior GC experience A clonality bottleneck restricts the diversity of recall antibody-producing cells Most primary diversity is found in an MBC compartment not accessed by boosting
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Affiliation(s)
- Luka Mesin
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ariën Schiepers
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jonatan Ersching
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alexandru Barbulescu
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan Kettering Tri-Institutional MD-PhD Program, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cecília B Cavazzoni
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA; Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Alessandro Angelini
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, Venice, Italy; European Centre for Living Technology (ECLT), Venice, Italy
| | - Takaharu Okada
- Laboratory for Tissue Dynamics, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan; Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Kurosaki
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Differentiation, WPI Immunology Frontier Research Center, Osaka University, Suita, Osaka, Japan; Laboratory for Lymphocyte Differentiation, RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences, Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan
| | - Gabriel D Victora
- Laboratory of Lymphocyte Dynamics, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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46
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Divergent evolutionary trajectories of influenza B viruses underlie their contemporaneous epidemic activity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 117:619-628. [PMID: 31843889 PMCID: PMC6955377 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1916585116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Two influenza B viruses (Victoria and Yamagata) cocirculate in humans and contribute to the estimated 290,000–650,000 annual influenza-attributed deaths. Here, we analysed influenza B genomic data to understand the causes of a recent surge in human influenza B infections. We found that evolution is acting differently on Yamagata and Victoria viruses and that this has led to the cocirculation of a diverse group of influenza B viruses. If this phenomenon continues, we could potentially witness the emergence of 3 or more distinct influenza B viruses that could require their own vaccine component, thereby complicating influenza vaccine formulation and highlighting the urgency of developing universal influenza vaccines. Influenza B viruses have circulated in humans for over 80 y, causing a significant disease burden. Two antigenically distinct lineages (“B/Victoria/2/87-like” and “B/Yamagata/16/88-like,” termed Victoria and Yamagata) emerged in the 1970s and have cocirculated since 2001. Since 2015 both lineages have shown unusually high levels of epidemic activity, the reasons for which are unclear. By analyzing over 12,000 influenza B virus genomes, we describe the processes enabling the long-term success and recent resurgence of epidemics due to influenza B virus. We show that following prolonged diversification, both lineages underwent selective sweeps across the genome and have subsequently taken alternate evolutionary trajectories to exhibit epidemic dominance, with no reassortment between lineages. Hemagglutinin deletion variants emerged concomitantly in multiple Victoria virus clades and persisted through epistatic mutations and interclade reassortment—a phenomenon previously only observed in the 1970s when Victoria and Yamagata lineages emerged. For Yamagata viruses, antigenic drift of neuraminidase was a major driver of epidemic activity, indicating that neuraminidase-based vaccines and cross-reactivity assays should be employed to monitor and develop robust protection against influenza B morbidity and mortality. Overall, we show that long-term diversification and infrequent selective sweeps, coupled with the reemergence of hemagglutinin deletion variants and antigenic drift of neuraminidase, are factors that contributed to successful circulation of diverse influenza B clades. Further divergence of hemagglutinin variants with poor cross-reactivity could potentially lead to circulation of 3 or more distinct influenza B viruses, further complicating influenza vaccine formulation and highlighting the urgent need for universal influenza vaccines.
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47
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Abstract
Influenza viruses remain a severe burden to human health because of their contribution to overall morbidity and mortality. Current seasonal influenza virus vaccines do not provide sufficient protection to alleviate the annual impact of influenza and cannot confer protection against potentially pandemic influenza viruses. The lack of protection is due to rapid changes of the viral epitopes targeted by the vaccine and the often suboptimal immunogenicity of current immunization strategies. Major efforts to improve vaccination approaches are under way. The development of a universal influenza virus vaccine may be possible by combining the lessons learned from redirecting the immune response toward conserved viral epitopes, as well as the use of adjuvants and novel vaccination platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffael Nachbagauer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; ,
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA; ,
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48
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Jang YH, Seong BL. The Quest for a Truly Universal Influenza Vaccine. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2019; 9:344. [PMID: 31649895 PMCID: PMC6795694 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2019.00344] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2019] [Accepted: 09/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
There is an unmet public health need for a universal influenza vaccine (UIV) to provide broad and durable protection from influenza virus infections. The identification of broadly protective antibodies and cross-reactive T cells directed to influenza viral targets present a promising prospect for the development of a UIV. Multiple targets for cross-protection have been identified in the stalk and head of hemagglutinin (HA) to develop a UIV. Recently, neuraminidase (NA) has received significant attention as a critical component for increasing the breadth of protection. The HA stalk-based approaches have shown promising results of broader protection in animal studies, and their feasibility in humans are being evaluated in clinical trials. Mucosal immune responses and cross-reactive T cell immunity across influenza A and B viruses intrinsic to live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) have emerged as essential features to be incorporated into a UIV. Complementing the weakness of the stand-alone approaches, prime-boost vaccination combining HA stalk, and LAIV is under clinical evaluation, with the aim to increase the efficacy and broaden the spectrum of protection. Preexisting immunity in humans established by prior exposure to influenza viruses may affect the hierarchy and magnitude of immune responses elicited by an influenza vaccine, limiting the interpretation of preclinical data based on naive animals, necessitating human challenge studies. A consensus is yet to be achieved on the spectrum of protection, efficacy, target population, and duration of protection to define a “universal” vaccine. This review discusses the recent advancements in the development of UIVs, rationales behind cross-protection and vaccine designs, and challenges faced in obtaining balanced protection potency, a wide spectrum of protection, and safety relevant to UIVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yo Han Jang
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
| | - Baik Lin Seong
- Molecular Medicine Laboratory, Department of Biotechnology, College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea.,Vaccine Translational Research Center, Yonsei University, Seoul, South Korea
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49
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Sun W, Zheng A, Miller R, Krammer F, Palese P. An Inactivated Influenza Virus Vaccine Approach to Targeting the Conserved Hemagglutinin Stalk and M2e Domains. Vaccines (Basel) 2019; 7:vaccines7030117. [PMID: 31540436 PMCID: PMC6789539 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines7030117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 08/23/2019] [Revised: 09/13/2019] [Accepted: 09/16/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Universal influenza virus vaccine candidates that focus on the conserved hemagglutinin (HA) stalk domain and the extracellular domain of the matrix protein 2 (M2e) have been developed to increase the breadth of protection against multiple strains. In this study, we report a novel inactivated influenza virus vaccine approach that combines these two strategies. We inserted a human consensus M2e epitope into the immunodominant antigenic site (Ca2 site) of three different chimeric HAs (cHAs). Sequential immunization with inactivated viruses containing these modified cHAs substantially enhanced M2e antibody responses while simultaneously boosting stalk antibody responses. The combination of additional M2e antibodies with HA stalk antibodies resulted in superior antibody-mediated protection in mice against challenge viruses expressing homologous or heterosubtypic hemagglutinin and neuraminidase compared to vaccination strategies that targeted the HA stalk or M2e epitopes in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weina Sun
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Allen Zheng
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Robert Miller
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Florian Krammer
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
| | - Peter Palese
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
- Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY 10029, USA.
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50
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Broecker F, Liu STH, Suntronwong N, Sun W, Bailey MJ, Nachbagauer R, Krammer F, Palese P. A mosaic hemagglutinin-based influenza virus vaccine candidate protects mice from challenge with divergent H3N2 strains. NPJ Vaccines 2019; 4:31. [PMID: 31341648 PMCID: PMC6642189 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-019-0126-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Current seasonal influenza virus vaccines only provide limited, short-lived protection, and antigenic drift in the hemagglutinin surface glycoprotein necessitates their annual re-formulation and re-administration. To overcome these limitations, universal vaccine strategies that aim at eliciting broadly protective antibodies to conserved epitopes of the hemagglutinin show promise for protecting against diverse and drifted influenza viruses. Here a vaccination strategy that focuses antibody responses to conserved epitopes of the H3 hemagglutinin is described. The approach is based on antigenic silencing of the immunodominant major antigenic sites of an H3 protein from 2014 by replacing them with corresponding sequences of exotic avian hemagglutinins, yielding "mosaic" hemagglutinins. In mice, vaccination with inactivated viruses expressing mosaic hemagglutinins induced highly cross-reactive antibodies against the H3 stalk domain that elicited Fc-mediated effector functions in vitro. In addition, the mosaic viruses elicited head-specific antibodies with neutralizing and hemagglutination-inhibiting activity against recent H3N2 viruses in vitro. Immune sera protected mice from heterologous challenge with viruses carrying H3 proteins from 1968 and 1982, whereas immune sera generated with a seasonal vaccine did not protect. Consequently, the mosaic vaccination approach provides a promising avenue toward a universal influenza virus vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix Broecker
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Sean T H Liu
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Nungruthai Suntronwong
- 2Center of Excellence in Clinical Virology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Weina Sun
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Mark J Bailey
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Raffael Nachbagauer
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Florian Krammer
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
| | - Peter Palese
- 1Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA.,3Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY USA
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