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Swart M, Kuipers H, Milder F, Jongeneelen M, Ritschel T, Tolboom J, Muchene L, van der Lubbe J, Izquierdo Gil A, Veldman D, Huizingh J, Verspuij J, Schmit-Tillemans S, Blokland S, de Man M, Roozendaal R, Fox CB, Schuitemaker H, Capelle M, Langedijk JPM, Zahn R, Brandenburg B. Enhancing breadth and durability of humoral immune responses in non-human primates with an adjuvanted group 1 influenza hemagglutinin stem antigen. NPJ Vaccines 2023; 8:176. [PMID: 37952003 PMCID: PMC10640631 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-023-00772-1] [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: 06/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Seasonal influenza vaccines must be updated annually and suboptimally protect against strains mismatched to the selected vaccine strains. We previously developed a subunit vaccine antigen consisting of a stabilized trimeric influenza A group 1 hemagglutinin (H1) stem protein that elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies. Here, we further optimized the stability and manufacturability of the H1 stem antigen (H1 stem v2, also known as INFLUENZA G1 mHA) and characterized its formulation and potency with different adjuvants in vitro and in animal models. The recombinant H1 stem antigen (50 µg) was administered to influenza-naïve non-human primates either with aluminum hydroxide [Al(OH)3] + NaCl, AS01B, or SLA-LSQ formulations at week 0, 8 and 34. These SLA-LSQ formulations comprised of varying ratios of the synthetic TLR4 agonist 'second generation synthetic lipid adjuvant' (SLA) with liposomal QS-21 (LSQ). A vaccine formulation with aluminum hydroxide or SLA-LSQ (starting at a 10:25 µg ratio) induced HA-specific antibodies and breadth of neutralization against a panel of influenza A group 1 pseudoviruses, comparable with vaccine formulated with AS01B, four weeks after the second immunization. A formulation with SLA-LSQ in a 5:2 μg ratio contained larger fused or aggregated liposomes and induced significantly lower humoral responses. Broadly HA stem-binding antibodies were detectable for the entire period after the second vaccine dose up to week 34, after which they were boosted by a third vaccine dose. These findings inform about potential adjuvant formulations in clinical trials with an H1 stem-based vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maarten Swart
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Fin Milder
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | - Tina Ritschel
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Sven Blokland
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Roland Zahn
- Janssen Vaccines & Prevention, Leiden, The Netherlands
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Mooij P, Mortier D, Aartse A, Murad AB, Correia R, Roldão A, Alves PM, Fagrouch Z, Eggink D, Stockhofe N, Engelhardt OG, Verschoor EJ, van Gils MJ, Bogers WM, Carrondo MJT, Remarque EJ, Koopman G. Vaccine-induced neutralizing antibody responses to seasonal influenza virus H1N1 strains are not enhanced during subsequent pandemic H1N1 infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1256094. [PMID: 37691927 PMCID: PMC10484506 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1256094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The first exposure to influenza is presumed to shape the B-cell antibody repertoire, leading to preferential enhancement of the initially formed responses during subsequent exposure to viral variants. Here, we investigated whether this principle remains applicable when there are large genetic and antigenic differences between primary and secondary influenza virus antigens. Because humans usually have a complex history of influenza virus exposure, we conducted this investigation in influenza-naive cynomolgus macaques. Two groups of six macaques were immunized four times with influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) displaying either one (monovalent) or five (pentavalent) different hemagglutinin (HA) antigens derived from seasonal H1N1 (H1N1) strains. Four weeks after the final immunization, animals were challenged with pandemic H1N1 (H1N1pdm09). Although immunization resulted in robust virus-neutralizing responses to all VLP-based vaccine strains, there were no cross-neutralization responses to H1N1pdm09, and all animals became infected. No reductions in viral load in the nose or throat were detected in either vaccine group. After infection, strong virus-neutralizing responses to H1N1pdm09 were induced. However, there were no increases in virus-neutralizing titers against four of the five H1N1 vaccine strains; and only a mild increase was observed in virus-neutralizing titer against the influenza A/Texas/36/91 vaccine strain. After H1N1pdm09 infection, both vaccine groups showed higher virus-neutralizing titers against two H1N1 strains of intermediate antigenic distance between the H1N1 vaccine strains and H1N1pdm09, compared with the naive control group. Furthermore, both vaccine groups had higher HA-stem antibodies early after infection than the control group. In conclusion, immunization with VLPs displaying HA from antigenically distinct H1N1 variants increased the breadth of the immune response during subsequent H1N1pdm09 challenge, although this phenomenon was limited to intermediate antigenic variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Petra Mooij
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Daniella Mortier
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Aafke Aartse
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Alexandre B. Murad
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Correia
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - António Roldão
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Paula M. Alves
- Instituto de Biologia Experimental e Tecnológica (IBET), Oeiras, Portugal
- Instituto de Tecnologia Química e Biológica António Xavier, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal
| | - Zahra Fagrouch
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Dirk Eggink
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Norbert Stockhofe
- Wageningen Bioveterinary Research/Wageningen University & Research, Lelystad, Netherlands
| | - Othmar G. Engelhardt
- Vaccines, Science, Research and Innovation Group, Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom
| | - Ernst J. Verschoor
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Marit J. van Gils
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Prevention, Laboratory of Experimental Virology, Amsterdam UMC, Location University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Infectious Diseases, Amsterdam Institute for Infection and Immunity, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Willy M. Bogers
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | | | - Edmond J. Remarque
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
| | - Gerrit Koopman
- Department of Virology, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, Netherlands
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