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White CL, Glover MA, Gandhapudi SK, Richards KA, Sant AJ. Flublok Quadrivalent Vaccine Adjuvanted with R-DOTAP Elicits a Robust and Multifunctional CD4 T Cell Response That Is of Greater Magnitude and Functional Diversity Than Conventional Adjuvant Systems. Vaccines (Basel) 2024; 12:281. [PMID: 38543915 PMCID: PMC10975948 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines12030281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
It is clear that new approaches are needed to promote broadly protective immunity to viral pathogens, particularly those that are prone to mutation and escape from antibody-mediated immunity. CD4+ T cells, known to target many viral proteins and highly conserved peptide epitopes, can contribute greatly to protective immunity through multiple mechanisms. Despite this potential, CD4+ T cells are often poorly recruited by current vaccine strategies. Here, we have analyzed a promising new adjuvant (R-DOTAP), as well as conventional adjuvant systems AddaVax with or without an added TLR9 agonist CpG, to promote CD4+ T cell responses to the licensed vaccine Flublok containing H1, H3, and HA-B proteins. Our studies, using a preclinical mouse model of vaccination, revealed that the addition of R-DOTAP to Flublok dramatically enhances the magnitude and functionality of CD4+ T cells specific for HA-derived CD4+ T cell epitopes, far outperforming conventional adjuvant systems based on cytokine EliSpot assays and multiparameter flow cytometry. The elicited CD4+ T cells specific for HA-derived epitopes produce IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-4/5, and granzyme B and have multifunctional potential. Hence, R-DOTAP, which has been verified safe by human studies, can offer exciting opportunities as an immune stimulant for next-generation prophylactic recombinant protein-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chantelle L. White
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.L.W.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Maryah A. Glover
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.L.W.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Siva K. Gandhapudi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40508, USA;
| | - Katherine A. Richards
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.L.W.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Andrea J. Sant
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (C.L.W.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
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Yu Y, Wang J, Wu MX. Microneedle-Mediated Immunization Promotes Lung CD8+ T-Cell Immunity. J Invest Dermatol 2023; 143:1983-1992.e3. [PMID: 37044258 PMCID: PMC10524108 DOI: 10.1016/j.jid.2023.03.1672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 03/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/14/2023]
Abstract
Microneedle array has proven more efficient in stimulating humoral immunity than intramuscular vaccination. However, its effectiveness in inducing pulmonary CD8+ T cells remains elusive, which is essential to the frontline defense against pulmonary viral infections such as influenza and COVID-19 viruses. The current investigation reveals that superior CD8+ T-cell responses are elicited by immunization with a microneedle array over intradermal or intramuscular immunization using the model antigen ovalbumin, irrespective of whether or not the antigen is provided in the lung. Mechanistically, microneedle array-mediated immunization targeted the epidermal layer and stimulated predominantly Langerhans cells, resulting in increased expression of α4β1 adhesion molecules on the CD8+ T-cell surface, which may play a role in T-cell homing to the lung, whereas CD8+ T cells induced by intramuscular immunization did not express the adhesion molecule sufficiently. CD8+ T cells with a lung-homing propensity were also seen after intradermal vaccination, yet to a much lesser extent. Accordingly, microneedle array immunization provided stronger protection against influenza viral infection than intradermal or intramuscular immunization. The observations offer insights into a strong cross-talk between epidermal immunization and lung immunity and are valuable for designing and delivering vaccines against respiratory viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ji Wang
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The first affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-Sen University, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mei X Wu
- Wellman Center for Photomedicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Department of Dermatology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
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Henson TR, Richards KA, Gandhapudi SK, Woodward JG, Sant AJ. R-DOTAP Cationic Lipid Nanoparticles Outperform Squalene-Based Adjuvant Systems in Elicitation of CD4 T Cells after Recombinant Influenza Hemagglutinin Vaccination. Viruses 2023; 15:538. [PMID: 36851752 PMCID: PMC9959843 DOI: 10.3390/v15020538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
It is clear that new approaches are needed to promote broadly protective immunity to viral pathogens, particularly those that are prone to mutation and escape from antibody-mediated immunity. Prototypic pathogens of this type are influenza and SARS-CoV-2, where the receptor-binding protein exhibits extremely high variability in its receptor-binding regions. T cells, known to target many viral proteins, and within these, highly conserved peptide epitopes, can contribute greatly to protective immunity through multiple mechanisms but are often poorly recruited by current vaccine strategies. Here, we have studied a promising novel pure enantio-specific cationic lipid 1,2-dioleoyl-3-trimethylammonium-propane (R-DOTAP), which was previously recognized for its ability to generate anti-tumor immunity through the induction of potent cytotoxic CD8 T cells. Using a preclinical mouse model, we have assessed an R-DOTAP nanoparticle adjuvant system for its ability to promote CD4 T cell responses to vaccination with recombinant influenza protein. Our studies revealed that R-DOTAP consistently outperformed a squalene-based adjuvant emulsion, even when it was introduced with a potent TLR agonist CpG, in the ability to elicit peptide epitope-specific CD4 T cells when quantified by IFN-γ and IL-2 ELISpot assays. Clinical testing of R-DOTAP containing vaccines in earlier work by others has demonstrated an acceptable safety profile. Hence, R-DOTAP can offer exciting opportunities as an immune stimulant for next-generation prophylactic recombinant protein-based vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas R. Henson
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Katherine A. Richards
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Siva K. Gandhapudi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Jerold G. Woodward
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Molecular Genetics, University of Kentucky School of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Andrea J. Sant
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Rattan A, White CL, Nelson S, Eismann M, Padilla-Quirarte H, Glover MA, Dileepan T, Marathe BM, Govorkova EA, Webby RJ, Richards KA, Sant AJ. Development of a Mouse Model to Explore CD4 T Cell Specificity, Phenotype, and Recruitment to the Lung after Influenza B Infection. Pathogens 2022; 11:251. [PMID: 35215193 PMCID: PMC8875387 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens11020251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The adaptive T cell response to influenza B virus is understudied, relative to influenza A virus, for which there has been considerable attention and progress for many decades. Here, we have developed and utilized the C57BL/6 mouse model of intranasal infection with influenza B (B/Brisbane/60/2008) virus and, using an iterative peptide discovery strategy, have identified a series of robustly elicited individual CD4 T cell peptide specificities. The CD4 T cell repertoire encompassed at least eleven major epitopes distributed across hemagglutinin, nucleoprotein, neuraminidase, and non-structural protein 1 and are readily detected in the draining lymph node, spleen, and lung. Within the lung, the CD4 T cells are localized to both lung vasculature and tissue but are highly enriched in the lung tissue after infection. When studied by flow cytometry and MHC class II: peptide tetramers, CD4 T cells express prototypical markers of tissue residency including CD69, CD103, and high surface levels of CD11a. Collectively, our studies will enable more sophisticated analyses of influenza B virus infection, where the fate and function of the influenza B-specific CD4 T cells elicited by infection and vaccination can be studied as well as the impact of anti-viral reagents and candidate vaccines on the abundance, functionality, and localization of the elicited CD4 T cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajitanuj Rattan
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Chantelle L. White
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Sean Nelson
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Max Eismann
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Herbey Padilla-Quirarte
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Maryah A. Glover
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
| | - Thamotharampillai Dileepan
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA;
| | - Bindumadhav M. Marathe
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; (B.M.M.); (E.A.G.); (R.J.W.)
| | - Elena A. Govorkova
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; (B.M.M.); (E.A.G.); (R.J.W.)
| | - Richard J. Webby
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38105, USA; (B.M.M.); (E.A.G.); (R.J.W.)
| | - Katherine A. Richards
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
- Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Response (CIDER), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
| | - Andrea J. Sant
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA; (A.R.); (C.L.W.); (S.N.); (M.E.); (M.A.G.); (K.A.R.)
- Center for Influenza Disease and Emergence Response (CIDER), University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY 14642, USA
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Intranasal Nanoparticle Vaccination Elicits a Persistent, Polyfunctional CD4 T Cell Response in the Murine Lung Specific for a Highly Conserved Influenza Virus Antigen That Is Sufficient To Mediate Protection from Influenza Virus Challenge. J Virol 2021; 95:e0084121. [PMID: 34076479 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00841-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Lung-localized CD4 T cells play a critical role in the control of influenza virus infection and can provide broadly protective immunity. However, current influenza vaccination strategies primarily target influenza hemagglutinin (HA) and are administered peripherally to induce neutralizing antibodies. We have used an intranasal vaccination strategy targeting the highly conserved influenza nucleoprotein (NP) to elicit broadly protective lung-localized CD4 T cell responses. The vaccine platform consists of a self-assembling nanolipoprotein particle (NLP) linked to NP with an adjuvant. We have evaluated the functionality, in vivo localization, and persistence of the T cells elicited. Our study revealed that intranasal vaccination elicits a polyfunctional subset of lung-localized CD4 T cells that persist long term. A subset of these lung CD4 T cells localize to the airway, where they can act as early responders following encounter with cognate antigen. Polyfunctional CD4 T cells isolated from airway and lung tissue produce significantly more effector cytokines IFN-γ and TNF-α, as well as cytotoxic functionality. When adoptively transferred to naive recipients, CD4 T cells from NLP:NP-immunized lung were sufficient to mediate 100% survival from lethal challenge with H1N1 influenza virus. IMPORTANCE Exploiting new, more efficacious strategies to potentiate influenza virus-specific immune responses is important, particularly for at-risk populations. We have demonstrated the promise of direct intranasal protein vaccination to establish long-lived immunity in the lung with CD4 T cells that possess features and positioning in the lung that are associated with both immediate and long-term immunity, as well as demonstrating direct protective potential.
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Sant AJ. The Way Forward: Potentiating Protective Immunity to Novel and Pandemic Influenza Through Engagement of Memory CD4 T Cells. J Infect Dis 2020; 219:S30-S37. [PMID: 30715376 PMCID: PMC6452298 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiy666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Potentially pandemic strains of influenza pose an undeniable threat to human populations. Therefore, it is essential to develop better strategies to enhance vaccine design and predict parameters that identify susceptible humans. CD4 T cells are a central component of protective immunity to influenza, delivering direct effector function and potentiating responses of other lymphoid cells. Humans have highly diverse influenza-specific CD4 T-cell populations that vary in stimulation history, specificity, and functionality. These complexities constitute a formidable obstacle to predicting immune responses to pandemic strains of influenza and derivation of optimal vaccine strategies. We suggest that more precise efforts to identify and enumerate both the positive and negative contributors of immunity in the CD4 T-cell compartment will aid in both predicting susceptible hosts and in development of vaccination strategies that will poise most human subjects to respond to pandemic influenza strains with protective immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea J Sant
- David H. Smith Center for Vaccine Biology and Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, New York
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Knowlden ZAG, Richards KA, Moritzky SA, Sant AJ. Peptide Epitope Hot Spots of CD4 T Cell Recognition Within Influenza Hemagglutinin During the Primary Response to Infection. Pathogens 2019; 8:pathogens8040220. [PMID: 31694141 PMCID: PMC6963931 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens8040220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2019] [Revised: 10/22/2019] [Accepted: 10/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibodies specific for the hemagglutinin (HA) protein of influenza virus are critical for protective immunity to infection. Our studies show that CD4 T cells specific for epitopes derived from HA are the most effective in providing help for the HA-specific B cell responses to infection and vaccination. In this study, we asked whether HA epitopes recognized by CD4 T cells in the primary response to infection are equally distributed across the HA protein or if certain segments are enriched in CD4 T cell epitopes. Mice that collectively expressed eight alternative MHC (Major Histocompatibility Complex) class II molecules, that would each have different peptide binding specificities, were infected with an H1N1 influenza virus. CD4 T cell peptide epitope specificities were identified by cytokine EliSpots. These studies revealed that the HA-specific CD4 T cell epitopes cluster in two distinct regions of HA and that some segments of HA are completely devoid of CD4 T cell epitopes. When located on the HA structure, it appears that the regions that most poorly recruit CD4 T cells are sequestered within the interior of the HA trimer, perhaps inaccessible to the proteolytic machinery inside the endosomal compartments of antigen presenting cells.
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McKinstry KK, Alam F, Flores-Malavet V, Nagy MZ, Sell S, Cooper AM, Swain SL, Strutt TM. Memory CD4 T cell-derived IL-2 synergizes with viral infection to exacerbate lung inflammation. PLoS Pathog 2019; 15:e1007989. [PMID: 31412088 PMCID: PMC6693742 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1007989] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2019] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Defining the most penetrating correlates of protective memory T cells is key for designing improved vaccines and T cell therapies. Here, we evaluate how interleukin (IL-2) production by memory CD4 T cells, a widely held indicator of their protective potential, impacts immune responses against murine influenza A virus (IAV). Unexpectedly, we show that IL-2-deficient memory CD4 T cells are more effective on a per cell basis at combating IAV than wild-type memory cells that produce IL-2. Improved outcomes orchestrated by IL-2-deficient cells include reduced weight loss and improved respiratory function that correlate with reduced levels of a broad array of inflammatory factors in the infected lung. Blocking CD70-CD27 signals to reduce CD4 T cell IL-2 production tempers the inflammation induced by wild-type memory CD4 T cells and improves the outcome of IAV infection in vaccinated mice. Finally, we show that IL-2 administration drives rapid and extremely potent lung inflammation involving NK cells, which can synergize with sublethal IAV infection to promote acute death. These results suggest that IL-2 production is not necessarily an indicator of protective CD4 T cells, and that the lung environment is particularly sensitive to IL-2-induced inflammation during viral infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. Kai McKinstry
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Division, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Fahmida Alam
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Division, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Valeria Flores-Malavet
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Division, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Mate Z. Nagy
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Division, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
| | - Stewart Sell
- Department of Health, Wadsworth Center, Albany, New York, United States of America
| | - Andrea M. Cooper
- Trudeau Institute, Saranac Lake, New York, United States of America
| | - Susan L. Swain
- Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, Massachusetts, United States of America
| | - Tara M. Strutt
- Immunity and Pathogenesis Division, Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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