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Muñoz-Alía MÁ, Nace RA, Balakrishnan B, Zhang L, Packiriswamy N, Singh G, Warang P, Mena I, Narjari R, Vandergaast R, García-Sastre A, Schotsaert M, Russell SJ. Surface-modified measles vaccines encoding oligomeric, fusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins bypass measles seropositivity, boosting neutralizing antibody responses to omicron and historical variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.12.16.520799. [PMID: 36561187 PMCID: PMC9774211 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.16.520799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Serum titers of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAb) correlate well with protection from symptomatic COVID-19, but decay rapidly in the months following vaccination or infection. In contrast, measles-protective nAb titers are life-long after measles vaccination, possibly due to persistence of the live-attenuated virus in lymphoid tissues. We therefore sought to generate a live recombinant measles vaccine capable of driving high SARS-CoV-2 nAb responses. Since previous clinical testing of a live measles vaccine encoding a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein resulted in suboptimal anti-spike antibody titers, our new vectors were designed to encode prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, trimerized via an inserted peptide domain and displayed on a dodecahedral miniferritin scaffold. Additionally, to circumvent the blunting of vaccine efficacy by preformed anti-measles antibodies, we extensively modified the measles surface glycoproteins. Comprehensive in vivo mouse testing demonstrated potent induction of high titer nAb in measles-immune mice and confirmed the significant incremental contributions to overall potency afforded by prefusion stabilization, trimerization, and miniferritin-display of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, and vaccine resurfacing. In animals primed and boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike, high titer nAb responses against ancestral virus strains were only weakly cross-reactive with the omicron variant. However, in primed animals that were boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the omicron BA.1 spike, antibody titers to both ancestral and omicron strains were robustly elevated and the passive transfer of serum from these animals protected K18-ACE2 mice from infection and morbidity after exposure to BA.1 and WA1/2020 strains. Our results demonstrate that antigen engineering can enable the development of potent measles-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prajakta Warang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ignacio Mena
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen J. Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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Measles-based Zika vaccine induces long-term immunity and requires NS1 antibodies to protect the female reproductive tract. NPJ Vaccines 2022; 7:43. [PMID: 35440656 PMCID: PMC9018676 DOI: 10.1038/s41541-022-00464-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) can cause devastating effects in the unborn fetus of pregnant women. To develop a candidate vaccine that can protect human fetuses, we generated a panel of live measles vaccine (MV) vectors expressing ZIKV-E and -NS1. Our MV-based ZIKV-E vaccine, MV-E2, protected mice from the non-lethal Zika Asian strain (PRVABC59) and the lethal African strain (MR766) challenge. Despite 100% survival of the MV-E2 mice, however, complete viral clearance was not achieved in the brain and reproductive tract of the lethally challenged mice. We then tested MV-based vaccines that expressed E and NS1 together or separately in two different vaccines. We observed complete clearance of ZIKV from the female reproductive tract and complete fetal protection in the lethal African challenge model in animals that received the dual antigen vaccines. Additionally, MV-E2 and MV-NS1, when administered together, induced durable plasma cell responses. Our findings suggest that NS1 antibodies are required to enhance the protection of ZIKV-E antibodies in the female reproductive tract.
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O’Connell AK, Douam F. Humanized Mice for Live-Attenuated Vaccine Research: From Unmet Potential to New Promises. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:E36. [PMID: 31973073 PMCID: PMC7157703 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8010036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2019] [Revised: 01/11/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Live-attenuated vaccines (LAV) represent one of the most important medical innovations in human history. In the past three centuries, LAV have saved hundreds of millions of lives, and will continue to do so for many decades to come. Interestingly, the most successful LAVs, such as the smallpox vaccine, the measles vaccine, and the yellow fever vaccine, have been isolated and/or developed in a purely empirical manner without any understanding of the immunological mechanisms they trigger. Today, the mechanisms governing potent LAV immunogenicity and long-term induced protective immunity continue to be elusive, and therefore hamper the rational design of innovative vaccine strategies. A serious roadblock to understanding LAV-induced immunity has been the lack of suitable and cost-effective animal models that can accurately mimic human immune responses. In the last two decades, human-immune system mice (HIS mice), i.e., mice engrafted with components of the human immune system, have been instrumental in investigating the life-cycle and immune responses to multiple human-tropic pathogens. However, their use in LAV research has remained limited. Here, we discuss the strong potential of LAVs as tools to enhance our understanding of human immunity and review the past, current and future contributions of HIS mice to this endeavor.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Florian Douam
- Department of Microbiology, National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA;
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Gerke C, Frantz PN, Ramsauer K, Tangy F. Measles-vectored vaccine approaches against viral infections: a focus on Chikungunya. Expert Rev Vaccines 2019; 18:393-403. [PMID: 30601074 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2019.1562908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The large global burden of viral infections and especially the rapidly spreading vector-borne diseases and other emerging viral diseases show the need for new approaches in vaccine development. Several new vaccine technology platforms have been developed and are under evaluation. Areas covered: This article discusses the measles vector platform technology derived from the safe and highly efficacious measles virus vaccine. The pipeline of measles-vectored vaccine candidates against viral diseases is reviewed. Particular focus is given to the Chikungunya vaccine candidate as the first measles-vectored vaccine that demonstrated safety, immunogenicity, and functionality of the technology in humans even in the presence of pre-existing anti-measles immunity and thus achieved proof of concept for the technology. Expert commentary: Demonstrating no impact of pre-existing anti-measles immunity in humans on the response to the transgene was fundamental for the technology and indicates that the technology is suitable for large-scale immunization in measles pre-immune populations. The proof of concept in humans combined with a large preclinical track record of safety, immunogenicity, and efficacy for a variety of pathogens suggest the measles vector platform as promising plug-and-play vaccine platform technology for rapid development of effective preventive vaccines against viral and other infectious diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Phanramphoei N Frantz
- b Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, UMR-3569 CNRS, Department of Virology , Institut Pasteur , Paris , France.,c Virology and Cell Technology Laboratory, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC) , National Science and Technology Development Agency , Pathumthani , Thailand
| | | | - Frédéric Tangy
- b Viral Genomics and Vaccination Unit, UMR-3569 CNRS, Department of Virology , Institut Pasteur , Paris , France
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Qi Y, Xing K, Zhang L, Zhao F, Yao M, Hu A, Wu X. Protective immunity elicited by measles vaccine exerts anti-tumor effects on measles virus hemagglutinin gene-modified cancer cells in a mouse model. J Cancer Res Clin Oncol 2018; 144:1945-1957. [PMID: 30090962 DOI: 10.1007/s00432-018-2720-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/21/2018] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Measles vaccine is widely used in China to prevent the measles virus (MV) infection. People immunized with measles vaccine can obtain long-term protective immunity. Measles virus surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (H) can also induce MV-specific immune responses. However, little is known about whether the existence of the protective immune system against MV in the host can exert anti-tumor effects and whether the MV-H gene can serve as a therapeutic gene. METHODS We first vaccinated mice with measles vaccine, then inoculated them with MV-H protein-expressing tumor cells and observed the rate of tumor formation. We also treated mice with H protein-expressing tumor cells with measles vaccine and assessed tumor size and overall survival. RESULTS Active vaccination using measles vaccine not only protected mice from developing tumors, but also eradicated established tumors. Measles vaccine elicited H-specific IFN-γ, TNF-α and granzyme B-producing CD8+ T cells and increased cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity specific for H antigen, which provided a strong therapeutic benefit against H protein-expressing tumors. In addition, measles vaccine decreased the population of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and regulatory T cells (Tregs). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrated that tumor cells expressing H protein could activate the immune memory response against MV, which exerted specific anti-tumor effects, and indicated that the MV-H gene can be used as a potential therapeutic gene for cancer gene therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Qi
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Kailin Xing
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Lanlin Zhang
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Fangyu Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 25/Ln2200 Xietu Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Ming Yao
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 25/Ln2200 Xietu Road, Shanghai, 200032, China
| | - Aiqun Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Oncogenes and Related Genes, Shanghai Cancer Institute, Renji Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, No. 25/Ln2200 Xietu Road, Shanghai, 200032, China.
| | - Xianghua Wu
- Department of Medical Oncology, Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center, 270 Dong-An Road, Shanghai, 200032, China. .,Department of Oncology, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.
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Knuchel MC, Marty RR, Morin TNA, Ilter O, Zuniga A, Naim HY. Relevance of a pre-existing measles immunity prior immunization with a recombinant measles virus vector. Hum Vaccin Immunother 2013; 9:599-606. [PMID: 23324399 DOI: 10.4161/hv.23241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Measles virus (MV) vectors are promising candidates for designing new recombinant vaccines since the parental live vaccines have a well-known safety and efficacy record. Like all viral vectors, the MV vector efficacy in inducing a protecting immune answer could be affected by the pre-existing immunity among the human population. In order to determine the optimal immunization route and regimen, we mimicked a MV pre-immunity by passively administrating MV neutralizing antibodies (MV-nAb) prior intramuscular (i.m.) and/or intranasal (i.n.) immunization with recombinant MV expressing the SIV-gag antigen (rMV-SIVgag). Our results revealed that 500 mIU of MV-nAb allowed the induction of a humoral and cellular immune response against the vector and the transgene, while higher titers of the MV-nAb were significantly inhibitory. In a prime-boost regimen, in the presence of MV-nAb, the intranasal-intramuscular (i.n.-i.m.) or intramuscular-intramuscular (i.m.-i.m.) routes induced higher humoral immune responses against the vector and the transgene (SIV-gag). In naive animals, cellular immune response was significantly higher by i.m. immunization; however, MV pre-immunity did not seem to affect the cellular immune response after an i.n. immunization. In summary, we show that a pre-existing immunity of up to 500 mIU anti-MV neutralizing antibodies had little effect on the replication of rMV and did not inhibit the induction of significant humoral and cellular immune responses in immune-competent mice.
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