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Tao Y, Zhang Y, Li Y, Liu Q, Zhu J, Ji M, Feng G, Xu Z. Computer-aided designing of a novel multi‑epitope DNA vaccine against severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus. BMC Infect Dis 2024; 24:476. [PMID: 38714948 PMCID: PMC11077804 DOI: 10.1186/s12879-024-09361-6] [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: 02/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an emerging tick-borne viral disease caused by the SFTS virus (Dabie bandavirus), which has become a substantial risk to public health. No specific treatment is available now, that calls for an effective vaccine. Given this, we aimed to develop a multi-epitope DNA vaccine through the help of bioinformatics. The final DNA vaccine was inserted into a special plasmid vector pVAX1, consisting of CD8+ T cell epitopes, CD4+ T cell epitopes and B cell epitopes (six epitopes each) screened from four genome-encoded proteins--nuclear protein (NP), glycoprotein (GP), RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), as well as nonstructural protein (NSs). To ascertain if the predicted structure would be stable and successful in preventing infection, an immunological simulation was run on it. In conclusion, we designed a multi-epitope DNA vaccine that is expected to be effective against Dabie bandavirus, but in vivo trials are needed to verify this claim.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiran Tao
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- The First Clinical Medical College of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yu Zhang
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Yumeng Li
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiao Liu
- Department of Chronic Communicable Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention of Jiangsu Province, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Jin Zhu
- Huadong Medical Institute of Biotechniques, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Minjun Ji
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- NHC Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Gaoqian Feng
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhipeng Xu
- Department of Pathogen Biology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
- NHC Key Laboratory of Antibody Technique, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China.
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Ji M, Hu J, Zhang D, Huang B, Xu S, Jiang N, Chen Y, Wang Y, Wu X, Wu Z. Inhibition of SFTSV replication in humanized mice by a subcutaneously administered anti-PD1 nanobody. EMBO Mol Med 2024; 16:575-595. [PMID: 38366162 PMCID: PMC10940662 DOI: 10.1038/s44321-024-00026-0] [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: 09/04/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a life-threatening disease caused by a novel bunyavirus (SFTSV), mainly transmitted by ticks. With no effective therapies or vaccines available, understanding the disease's mechanisms is crucial. Recent studies found increased expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) on dysfunctional T cells in SFTS patients. However, the role of the PD-1/programmed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway in SFTS progression remains unclear. We investigated PD-1 blockade as a potential therapeutic strategy against SFTSV replication. Our study analyzed clinical samples and performed in vitro experiments, revealing elevated PD-1/PD-L1 expression in various immune cells following SFTSV infection. An anti-PD-1 nanobody, NbP45, effectively inhibited SFTSV infection in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), potentially achieved through the mitigation of apoptosis and the augmentation of T lymphocyte proliferation. Intriguingly, subcutaneous administration of NbP45 showed superior efficacy compared to a licensed anti-PD-1 antibody in an SFTSV-infected humanized mouse model. These findings highlight the involvement of the PD-1/PD-L1 pathway during acute SFTSV infection and suggest its potential as a host target for immunotherapy interventions against SFTSV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengmeng Ji
- School of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
| | - Jiaqian Hu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Doudou Zhang
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Bilian Huang
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shijie Xu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
- Y-Clone Medical Science Co. Ltd., Suzhou, China
| | - Na Jiang
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuxin Chen
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Yujiong Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China.
| | - Xilin Wu
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Zhiwei Wu
- School of Life Sciences, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China.
- Center for Public Health Research, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Molecular Medicine, Medical School, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Life Science, Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
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Sano K, Kimura M, Sataka A, Hasegawa H, Tani H, Suzuki T. Characterization of antibodies targeting severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus glycoprotein Gc. Arch Virol 2024; 169:40. [PMID: 38308735 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-024-05968-x] [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: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2024]
Abstract
Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is a hemorrhagic fever caused by SFTS virus (SFTSV), which is primarily found in East Asian countries. Despite its high mortality rate and increasing incidence, no vaccines or therapeutics have yet been approved for use against SFTS. Antibody drugs have shown promise in treating lethal infectious diseases that currently have no established treatments. In the case of SFTS, however, only a limited amount of research has been done on SFTSV-neutralizing antibodies targeting the transmembrane proteins Gn and Gc, which play critical roles in viral infection. This study focuses on the production and characterization of antibodies targeting the SFTSV Gc protein. Monoclonal antibodies against Gc were generated through immunization of mice, and their antiviral activity was evaluated. Three out of four anti-Gc antibody clones from this study demonstrated dose-dependent SFTSV neutralization activity, two of which exhibited a synergistic effect on the neutralization activity of the anti-Gn antibody clone Mab4-5. Further studies are necessary to identify key sites on the SFTSV glycoprotein and to develop novel agents as well as antibodies with diverse mechanisms of action against SFTSV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaori Sano
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Miyuki Kimura
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
| | - Akiko Sataka
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan
| | - Hideki Hasegawa
- Research Center for Influenza and Respiratory Viruses, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Musashimurayama, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Tani
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toyama, Toyama, Japan
- Department of Virology, Toyama Institute of Health, Toyama, Japan
| | - Tadaki Suzuki
- Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 1-23-1 Toyama, Shinjuku, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8640, Japan.
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Kim D, Lai CJ, Cha I, Jung JU. Current Progress of Severe Fever with Thrombocytopenia Syndrome Virus (SFTSV) Vaccine Development. Viruses 2024; 16:128. [PMID: 38257828 PMCID: PMC10818334 DOI: 10.3390/v16010128] [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: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
SFTSV is an emerging tick-borne virus causing hemorrhagic fever with a case fatality rate (CFR) that can reach up to 27%. With endemic infection in East Asia and the recent spread of the vector tick to more than 20 states in the United States, the SFTSV outbreak is a globally growing public health concern. However, there is currently no targeted antiviral therapy or licensed vaccine against SFTSV. Considering the age-dependent SFTS pathogenesis and disease outcome, a sophisticated vaccine development approach is required to safeguard the elderly population from lethal SFTSV infection. Given the recent emergence of SFTSV, the establishment of animal models to study immunogenicity and protection from SFTS symptoms has only occurred recently. The latest research efforts have applied diverse vaccine development approaches-including live-attenuated vaccine, DNA vaccine, whole inactivated virus vaccine, viral vector vaccine, protein subunit vaccine, and mRNA vaccine-in the quest to develop a safe and effective vaccine against SFTSV. This review aims to outline the current progress in SFTSV vaccine development and suggest future directions to enhance the safety and efficacy of these vaccines, ensuring their suitability for clinical application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dokyun Kim
- Cancer Biology Department, Infection Biology Program, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (D.K.); (C.-J.L.); (I.C.)
- Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Chih-Jen Lai
- Cancer Biology Department, Infection Biology Program, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (D.K.); (C.-J.L.); (I.C.)
- Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Inho Cha
- Cancer Biology Department, Infection Biology Program, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (D.K.); (C.-J.L.); (I.C.)
- Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Jae U. Jung
- Cancer Biology Department, Infection Biology Program, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA; (D.K.); (C.-J.L.); (I.C.)
- Global Center for Pathogen and Human Health Research, Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
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