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Quach HQ, Ratishvili T, Haralambieva IH, Ovsyannikova IG, Poland GA, Kennedy RB. Immunogenicity of a peptide-based vaccine for measles: a pilot evaluation in a mouse model. Sci Rep 2024; 14:18776. [PMID: 39138335 PMCID: PMC11322560 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-69825-2] [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] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 08/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Although neutralizing antibody is an established correlate of protection for measles, T cell-mediated responses play at least two critical roles in immunity to measles: first, through provision of 'help' enabling robust humoral immune responses; and second, through clearance of measles virus-infected cells. Previously, we identified 13 measles-derived peptides that bound to human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules in Priess cells infected with measles virus. In this study, we evaluated the immunogenicity of these peptides in a transgenic mouse model. Our results demonstrated that these peptides induced Th1-biased immune responses at varying levels. Of the 13 peptides, the top four immunogenic peptides were further selected for a viral challenge study in mice. A vaccine based on a combination of these four peptides reduced morbidity and weight loss after viral challenge compared to placebo. Our results emphasize the potential of T cell-mediated, peptide-based vaccines against measles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy Quang Quach
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Tamar Ratishvili
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | | | | | - Gregory A Poland
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA
| | - Richard B Kennedy
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA.
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2
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Zheng HY, Song TZ, Zheng YT. Immunobiology of COVID-19: Mechanistic and therapeutic insights from animal models. Zool Res 2024; 45:747-766. [PMID: 38894519 PMCID: PMC11298684 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2024.062] [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: 02/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The distribution of the immune system throughout the body complicates in vitro assessments of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) immunobiology, often resulting in a lack of reproducibility when extrapolated to the whole organism. Consequently, developing animal models is imperative for a comprehensive understanding of the pathology and immunology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This review summarizes current progress related to COVID-19 animal models, including non-human primates (NHPs), mice, and hamsters, with a focus on their roles in exploring the mechanisms of immunopathology, immune protection, and long-term effects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as their application in immunoprevention and immunotherapy of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Differences among these animal models and their specific applications are also highlighted, as no single model can fully encapsulate all aspects of COVID-19. To effectively address the challenges posed by COVID-19, it is essential to select appropriate animal models that can accurately replicate both fatal and non-fatal infections with varying courses and severities. Optimizing animal model libraries and associated research tools is key to resolving the global COVID-19 pandemic, serving as a robust resource for future emerging infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Yi Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Tian-Zhang Song
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
| | - Yong-Tang Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Genetic Evolution & Animal Models, KIZ-CUHK Joint Laboratory of Bioresources and Molecular Research in Common Diseases, Center for Biosafety Mega-Science, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China
- National Resource Center for Non-Human Primates, National Research Facility for Phenotypic & Genetic Analysis of Model Animals (Primate Facility), Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650107, China. E-mail:
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3
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Montoya B, Melo-Silva CR, Tang L, Kafle S, Lidskiy P, Bajusz C, Vadovics M, Muramatsu H, Abraham E, Lipinszki Z, Chatterjee D, Scher G, Benitez J, Sung MMH, Tam YK, Catanzaro NJ, Schäfer A, Andino R, Baric RS, Martinez DR, Pardi N, Sigal LJ. mRNA-LNP vaccine-induced CD8 + T cells protect mice from lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection in the absence of specific antibodies. Mol Ther 2024; 32:1790-1804. [PMID: 38605519 PMCID: PMC11184341 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymthe.2024.04.019] [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: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The role of CD8+ T cells in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis or mRNA-LNP vaccine-induced protection from lethal COVID-19 is unclear. Using mouse-adapted SARS-CoV-2 virus (MA30) in C57BL/6 mice, we show that CD8+ T cells are unnecessary for the intrinsic resistance of female or the susceptibility of male mice to lethal SARS-CoV-2 infection. Also, mice immunized with a di-proline prefusion-stabilized full-length SARS-CoV-2 Spike (S-2P) mRNA-LNP vaccine, which induces Spike-specific antibodies and CD8+ T cells specific for the Spike-derived VNFNFNGL peptide, are protected from SARS-CoV-2 infection-induced lethality and weight loss, while mice vaccinated with mRNA-LNPs encoding only VNFNFNGL are protected from lethality but not weight loss. CD8+ T cell depletion ablates protection in VNFNFNGL but not in S-2P mRNA-LNP-vaccinated mice. Therefore, mRNA-LNP vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells are dispensable when protective antibodies are present but essential for survival in their absence. Hence, vaccine-induced CD8+ T cells may be critical to protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants that mutate epitopes targeted by protective antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Montoya
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Carolina R Melo-Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Lingjuan Tang
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Samita Kafle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Peter Lidskiy
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Csaba Bajusz
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Máté Vadovics
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Edit Abraham
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary; MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zoltan Lipinszki
- National Laboratory for Biotechnology, Institute of Genetics, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary; MTA SZBK Lendület Laboratory of Cell Cycle Regulation, Synthetic and Systems Biology Unit, Institute of Biochemistry, HUN-REN Biological Research Centre, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Debotri Chatterjee
- Department of Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University Vickie and Jack Farber Institute for Neuroscience, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Gabrielle Scher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | - Juliana Benitez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA
| | | | - Ying K Tam
- Acuitas Therapeutics, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Nicholas J Catanzaro
- Department of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Alexandra Schäfer
- Department of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Raul Andino
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94158, USA
| | - Ralph S Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - David R Martinez
- Department of Immunobiology, Center for Infection and Immunity, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
| | - Luis J Sigal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Bluemle Life Science Building, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA.
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4
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Mendoza-Ramírez NJ, García-Cordero J, Shrivastava G, Cedillo-Barrón L. The Key to Increase Immunogenicity of Next-Generation COVID-19 Vaccines Lies in the Inclusion of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein. J Immunol Res 2024; 2024:9313267. [PMID: 38939745 PMCID: PMC11208798 DOI: 10.1155/2024/9313267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Vaccination is one of the most effective prophylactic public health interventions for the prevention of infectious diseases such as coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Considering the ongoing need for new COVID-19 vaccines, it is crucial to modify our approach and incorporate more conserved regions of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to effectively address emerging viral variants. The nucleocapsid protein is a structural protein of SARS-CoV-2 that is involved in replication and immune responses. Furthermore, this protein offers significant advantages owing to the minimal accumulation of mutations over time and the inclusion of key T-cell epitopes critical for SARS-CoV-2 immunity. A novel strategy that may be suitable for the new generation of vaccines against COVID-19 is to use a combination of antigens, including the spike and nucleocapsid proteins, to elicit robust humoral and potent cellular immune responses, along with long-lasting immunity. The strategic use of multiple antigens aims to enhance vaccine efficacy and broaden protection against viruses, including their variants. The immune response against the nucleocapsid protein from other coronavirus is long-lasting, and it can persist up to 11 years post-infection. Thus, the incorporation of nucleocapsids (N) into vaccine design adds an important dimension to vaccination efforts and holds promise for bolstering the ability to combat COVID-19 effectively. In this review, we summarize the preclinical studies that evaluated the use of the nucleocapsid protein as antigen. This study discusses the use of nucleocapsid alone and its combination with spike protein or other proteins of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noe Juvenal Mendoza-Ramírez
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Julio García-Cordero
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
| | - Gaurav Shrivastava
- Laboratory of Malaria and Vector ResearchNational Institute of Allergy and Infectious DiseasesNational Institutes of Health, Rockville, MD, USA
| | - Leticia Cedillo-Barrón
- Departamento de Biomedicina MolecularCINVESTAV IPN, Av. IPN # 2508 Col, San Pedro Zacatenco, Mexico City 07360, Mexico
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5
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Tada T, Norton TD, Leibowitz R, Landau NR. Checkpoint inhibitor-expressing lentiviral vaccine suppresses tumor growth in preclinical cancer models. J Immunother Cancer 2024; 12:e008761. [PMID: 38658032 PMCID: PMC11043704 DOI: 10.1136/jitc-2023-008761] [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] [Accepted: 03/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND While immunotherapy has been highly successful for the treatment of some cancers, for others, the immune response to tumor antigens is weak leading to treatment failure. The resistance of tumors to checkpoint inhibitor therapy may be caused by T cell exhaustion resulting from checkpoint activation. METHODS In this study, lentiviral vectors that expressed T cell epitopes of an experimentally introduced tumor antigen, ovalbumin, or the endogenous tumor antigen, Trp1 were developed. The vectors coexpressed CD40 ligand (CD40L), which served to mature the dendritic cells (DCs), and a soluble programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) microbody to prevent checkpoint activation. Vaccination of mice bearing B16.OVA melanomas with vector-transduced DCs induced the proliferation and activation of functional, antigen-specific, cytolytic CD8 T cells. RESULTS Vaccination induced the expansion of CD8 T cells that infiltrated the tumors to suppress tumor growth. Vector-encoded CD40L and PD-1 microbody increased the extent of tumor growth suppression. Adoptive transfer demonstrated that the effect was mediated by CD8 T cells. Direct injection of the vector, without the need for ex vivo transduction of DCs, was also effective. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that therapeutic vaccination that induces tumor antigen-specific CD8 T cells coupled with a vector-expressed checkpoint inhibitor can be an effective means to suppress the growth of tumors that are resistant to conventional immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takuya Tada
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Thomas D Norton
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Rebecca Leibowitz
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
| | - Nathaniel R Landau
- Department of Microbiology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA
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6
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Agbayani G, Akache B, Renner TM, Tran A, Stuible M, Dudani R, Harrison BA, Duque D, Bavananthasivam J, Deschatelets L, Hemraz UD, Régnier S, Durocher Y, McCluskie MJ. Intranasal administration of unadjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen boosts antigen-specific immune responses induced by parenteral protein subunit vaccine prime in mice and hamsters. Eur J Immunol 2024:e2350620. [PMID: 38561974 DOI: 10.1002/eji.202350620] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
With the continued transmission of SARS-CoV-2 across widely vaccinated populations, it remains important to develop new vaccines and vaccination strategies capable of providing protective immunity and limiting the spread of disease. Heterologous prime-boost vaccination based on the selection of different vaccine formulations and administration routes for priming and booster doses presents a promising strategy for inducing broader immune responses in key systemic and respiratory mucosal compartments. Intranasal vaccination can induce mucosal immune responses at the site of SARS-CoV-2 infection; however, the lack of clinically approved mucosal adjuvants makes it difficult to induce robust immune responses with protein subunit vaccines. Herein, we evaluated the immunogenicity of heterologous prime-boost regimens in mice and hamsters based on a parenteral vaccination of the antigen in combination with sulfated lactosylarchaeol (SLA) archaeosomes, a liposome adjuvant comprised of a single semisynthetic archaeal lipid, followed by an intranasally administered unadjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen. Intranasal administration of unadjuvanted spike to mice and hamsters increased serum spike-specific IgG titers and spike-neutralizing activity compared with nonboosted animals. Spike-specific IgA responses were also detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in the lungs of mice that received an intranasal boost. In hamsters, the intranasal boost showed high efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 infection by protecting from body weight loss and reducing viral titers in the lungs and nasal turbinate. Overall, our heterologous intramuscular prime-intranasal boost with SLA-adjuvanted and unadjuvanted spike, respectively, demonstrated the potential of protein subunit formulations to promote antigen-specific systemic and mucosal immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard Agbayani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Bassel Akache
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tyler M Renner
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Anh Tran
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Matthew Stuible
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Renu Dudani
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Blair A Harrison
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Diana Duque
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jegarubee Bavananthasivam
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lise Deschatelets
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Usha D Hemraz
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sophie Régnier
- Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Yves Durocher
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Michael J McCluskie
- Human Health Therapeutics Research Centre, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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7
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Ratishvili T, Quach HQ, Haralambieva IH, Suryawanshi YR, Ovsyannikova IG, Kennedy RB, Poland GA. A multifaceted approach for identification, validation, and immunogenicity of naturally processed and in silico-predicted highly conserved SARS-CoV-2 peptides. Vaccine 2024; 42:162-174. [PMID: 38105139 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.12.024] [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: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 remains a major global public health concern. Antibody waning and immune escape variant emergence necessitate the development of next generation vaccines that induce cross-reactive durable immune responses. T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 demonstrate higher conservation, antigenic breadth, and longevity than antibody responses. Therefore, we sought to identify pathogen-derived T cell epitopes for a potential peptide-based vaccine. We pursued an approach leveraging: 1) liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS)-based identification of peptides from ancestral SARS-CoV-2-infected cell lines, 2) epitope prediction algorithms, and 3) overlapping peptide libraries. From this strategy, we identified 380 unique SARS-CoV-2-derived peptide sequences, including 53 antigenic HLA class I and class II peptides from multiple structural and non-structural/accessory viral proteins. These peptide sequences were highly conserved across variants of concern/interest (VoC/VoIs), and are estimated to achieve coverage of >96% of the world population. Our findings validate this discovery pipeline for peptide identification and immunogenicity testing, and are a crucial step toward the development of a next-generation multi-epitope SARS-CoV-2 peptide vaccine, and a novel vaccine platform methodology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Ratishvili
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Huy Quang Quach
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Iana H Haralambieva
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Yogesh R Suryawanshi
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Inna G Ovsyannikova
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Richard B Kennedy
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Gregory A Poland
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Department of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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