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Kim SH, Españo E, Padasas BT, Son JH, Oh J, Webby RJ, Lee YR, Park CS, Kim JK. Influenza Virus-Derived CD8 T Cell Epitopes: Implications for the Development of Universal Influenza Vaccines. Immune Netw 2024; 24:e19. [PMID: 38974213 PMCID: PMC11224667 DOI: 10.4110/in.2024.24.e19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/23/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 07/09/2024] Open
Abstract
The influenza virus poses a global health burden. Currently, an annual vaccine is used to reduce influenza virus-associated morbidity and mortality. Most influenza vaccines have been developed to elicit neutralizing Abs against influenza virus. These Abs primarily target immunodominant epitopes derived from hemagglutinin (HA) or neuraminidase (NA) of the influenza virus incorporated in vaccines. However, HA and NA are highly variable proteins that are prone to antigenic changes, which can reduce vaccine efficacy. Therefore, it is essential to develop universal vaccines that target immunodominant epitopes derived from conserved regions of the influenza virus, enabling cross-protection among different virus variants. The internal proteins of the influenza virus serve as ideal targets for universal vaccines. These internal proteins are presented by MHC class I molecules on Ag-presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, and recognized by CD8 T cells, which elicit CD8 T cell responses, reducing the likelihood of disease and influenza viral spread by inducing virus-infected cell apoptosis. In this review, we highlight the importance of CD8 T cell-mediated immunity against influenza viruses and that of viral epitopes for developing CD8 T cell-based influenza vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sang-Hyun Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Erica Españo
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | | | - Ju-Ho Son
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Jihee Oh
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
| | - Richard J. Webby
- Department of Infectious Diseases, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN 38195, USA
| | - Young-Ran Lee
- Bio-Convergence R&D Division, Korea Institute of Ceramic Engineering and Technology, Cheongju 28160, Korea
| | - Chan-Su Park
- Department of Pharmaceutics, College of Pharmacy, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju 28644, Korea
| | - Jeong-Ki Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Korea University College of Pharmacy, Sejong 30019, Korea
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Gibadullin R, Morris RK, Niu J, Sidney J, Sette A, Gellman SH. Thioamide Analogues of MHC I Antigen Peptides. J Am Chem Soc 2023; 145:25559-25569. [PMID: 37968794 PMCID: PMC10782604 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.3c05300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2023]
Abstract
Short, synthetic peptides that are displayed by major histocompatibility complex I (MHC I) can stimulate CD8 T cells in vivo to destroy virus-infected or cancer cells. The development of such peptides as vaccines that provide protective immunity, however, is limited by rapid proteolytic degradation. Introduction of unnatural amino acid residues can suppress MHC I antigen proteolysis, but the modified peptides typically display lower affinity for MHC I and/or diminished ability to activate CD8 T cells relative to native antigen. Here, we report a new strategy for modifying MHC I antigens to enhance resistance to proteolysis while preserving MHC I affinity and T cell activation properties. This approach, replacing backbone amide groups with thioamides, was evaluated in two well-characterized antigens presented by HLA-A2, a common human MHC I. For each antigen, singly modified thioamide analogues retained affinity for HLA-A2 and activated T cells specific for the native antigen, as measured via interferon-γ secretion. In each system, we identified a highly potent triply substituted thioamide antigen ("thio-antigen") that displayed substantial resistance to proteolytic cleavage. Collectively, our results suggest that thio-antigens may represent a general and readily accessible source of potent vaccine candidates that resist degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan Gibadullin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
- Present address: Department of Chemistry, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Rylie K. Morris
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Jiani Niu
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - John Sidney
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
- Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Samuel H. Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Developing a Live Probiotic Vaccine Based on the Enterococcus faecium L3 Strain Expressing Influenza Neuraminidase. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9122446. [PMID: 34946050 PMCID: PMC8707194 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9122446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Probiotic microorganisms are currently considered as a promising platform for the development of recombinant vaccines expressing foreign antigens. In this study, we generated and evaluated the live mucosal recombinant vaccine by integrating genes encoding influenza virus neuraminidase (NA) of the N2 subtype into the DNA of the probiotic strain Enterococcus faecium L3 (L3). We confirmed NA expression in the pili of L3 using immune electron microscopy. Mice were fed with a probiotic vaccine containing the NA gene (L3-NA) or pure L3. Oral administration of L3-NA caused detectable increase in virus-specific serum IgG and local IgA after the third feeding. Immunization with L3-NA increased the survival rate by 34% when the mice were infected using A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza virus after the third feeding. After S. pneumoniae post-influenza infection, the L3-NA-immunized mice were 50% more protected from lethality in comparison with L3-fed mice. Thus, a live probiotic vaccine candidate based on L3 induced the formation of systemic and local immunity and provide partial protection against complicated influenza.
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Gibadullin R, Randall CJ, Sidney J, Sette A, Gellman SH. Backbone Modifications of HLA-A2-Restricted Antigens Induce Diverse Binding and T Cell Activation Outcomes. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:6470-6481. [PMID: 33881854 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c00016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
CD8+ T cells express T cell receptors (TCRs) that recognize short peptide antigens in the context of major histocompatibility class I (MHC I) molecules. This recognition process produces an array of cytokine-mediated signals that help to govern immunological responses. Design of biostable MHC I peptide vaccines containing unnatural subunits is desirable, and synthetic antigens in which a native α-amino acid residue is replaced by a homologous β-amino acid residue (native side chain but extended backbone) might be useful in this regard. We have evaluated the impact of α-to-β backbone modification at a single site on T cell-mediated recognition of six clinically important viral and tumor-associated antigens bound to an MHC I. Effects of this modification on MHC I affinity and T cell activation were measured. Many of these modifications diminish or prevent T cell response. However, a number of α/β-peptide antigens were found to mimic the activity of natural antigens or to enhance maximal T cell response, as measured by interferon-γ release. Results from this broad exploratory study advance our understanding of immunological responses to antigens bearing unnatural modifications and suggest that α/β-peptides could be a source of potent and proteolytically stable variants of native antigens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan Gibadullin
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - Caleb J Randall
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
| | - John Sidney
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California 92037, United States.,Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, California 92093, United States
| | - Samuel H Gellman
- Department of Chemistry, University of Wisconsin, 1101 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53706, United States
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Intranasal Immunization with the Influenza A Virus Encoding Truncated NS1 Protein Protects Mice from Heterologous Challenge by Restraining the Inflammatory Response in the Lungs. Microorganisms 2021; 9:microorganisms9040690. [PMID: 33810549 PMCID: PMC8067201 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms9040690] [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: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza viruses with an impaired NS1 protein are unable to antagonize the innate immune system and, therefore, are highly immunogenic because of the self-adjuvating effect. Hence, NS1-mutated viruses are considered promising candidates for the development of live-attenuated influenza vaccines and viral vectors for intranasal administration. We investigated whether the immunogenic advantage of the virus expressing only the N-terminal half of the NS1 protein (124 a.a.) can be translated into the induction of protective immunity against a heterologous influenza virus in mice. We found that immunization with either the wild-type A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) influenza strain (A/PR8/NSfull) or its NS1-shortened counterpart (A/PR8/NS124) did not prevent the viral replication in the lungs after the challenge with the A/Aichi/2/68 (H3N2) virus. However, mice immunized with the NS1-shortened virus were better protected from lethality after the challenge with the heterologous virus. Besides showing the enhanced influenza-specific CD8+ T-cellular response in the lungs, immunization with the A/PR8/NS124 virus resulted in reduced concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines and the lower extent of leukocyte infiltration in the lungs after the challenge compared to A/PR8/NSfull or the control group. The data show that intranasal immunization with the NS1-truncated virus may better induce not only effector T-cells but also certain immunoregulatory mechanisms, reducing the severity of the innate immune response after the heterologous challenge.
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A chimeric HLA-A2:β2M:Ig fusion protein for the study of virus-specific CD8 + T-cells. J Immunol Methods 2021; 492:112997. [PMID: 33600818 DOI: 10.1016/j.jim.2021.112997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The response mediated by CD8+ T-cells in the context of infection and vaccination has been thoroughly investigated and represents one of the most important branches that allow for the development of immunity against intracellular pathogens and, thus, the establishment of robust antiviral responses. However, there is a lack of methods to assess antigen-specific CD8+ T-cells. OBJECTIVE Search for the ideal assays to assess the function of antigen-specific CD8+ T-cells. METHODS In the present study a chimeric HLA-A2:β2M:Ig fusion protein was produced, purified, and evaluated in functional CD8+ T-cell response studies using samples from Influenza A patients and humanized mice upon adenoviral vaccination. RESULTS The HLA-A2:β2M:Ig molecule, bound to immunodominant viral peptides by passive transfer, was able to induce robust antiviral CD8+ T-cell responses mediated by IFN-γ. The in vitro IFN-γ release assay using the chimeric HLA-A2:β2M:Ig fusion protein detected bona fide human CD8+ T-cells, demonstrating superior production of IFN-γ by human CD8+ T-cells induced by Influenza A immunodominant GILGFVFTL peptide. Removal of antigen-presenting cells and CD8+ T-cell enrichment improved significantly the IFN-γ production. The chimeric HLA-A2:β2M:Ig fusion protein also triggered HLA-A2-restricted CD8+ T-cell response in a humanized mouse model upon vaccination with adenovirus encoding HLA-A2-restricted HIV p24 antigen. The results strongly suggest the use of tailor-made assays for detecting HLA-A2-restricted CD8+ T-cell Responses in the Humanized Mouse Model. CONCLUSION The chimeric HLA-A2:β2M:Ig fusion protein-based assays provided a sensitive tool that may be paramount to measure virus-specific CD8+ T-cell response in a range of viral infections of clinical relevance.
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Lu Y, Landreth S, Liu G, Brownlie R, Gaba A, Littel-van den Hurk SVD, Gerdts V, Zhou Y. Innate immunemodulator containing adjuvant formulated HA based vaccine protects mice from lethal infection of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus. Vaccine 2020; 38:2387-2395. [PMID: 32014270 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.01.051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Revised: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
The highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses and their spillover into the human population pose substantial economic and public health threats. Although antiviral drugs have some effect in treating influenza infection, vaccination is still the most effective intervention to prevent possible pandemic outbreaks. We have developed a novel H5 influenza vaccine to improve the world's pandemic preparedness. We produced a hemagglutinin (HA) of HPAI H5N1 virus A/Alberta/01/2014 (AB14) using both mammalian (m) and bacterial (b) expression systems. The purified recombinant proteins were formulated with a proprietary adjuvant (TriAdj) and their efficacy as vaccine candidates was evaluated in mice. Intramuscular delivery of two doses of TriAdj formulated mammalian expressed HA (m-HA/TriAdj) was shown to provide full protection against a lethal challenge of AB14 in mice. In contrast, bacterially expressed HA with TriAdj (b-HA/TriAdj), b-HA without adjuvant, and m-HA without adjuvant resulted in no protection in immunized mice. Furthermore, m-HA/TriAdj elicited significantly higher levels of balanced Th1 and Th2 responses and neutralizing antibody titres. All the mice in the m-HA/TriAdj group survived a lethal AB14 H5N1 challenge and showed no signs of disease or infection as demonstrated by no loss of body weight or detectable virus in the lungs. Our results suggest that m-HA formulated with TriAdj has potential to protect against pandemic H5N1 in the event of its cross over to the human host.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yao Lu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Shelby Landreth
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - GuanQun Liu
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Robert Brownlie
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Amit Gaba
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Sylvia van Drunen Littel-van den Hurk
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Volker Gerdts
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Yan Zhou
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Center (VIDO-InterVac), University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada; Department of Veterinary Microbiology, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.
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