用电穿孔方法研究 H5N1 禽流感病毒DNA 疫苗对动物的免疫保护作用

为了研究 H5N1 DNA 疫苗对小鼠和鸡的保护效率,用 H5N1 禽流感病毒 HA DNA 疫苗免疫 BALB/c 小鼠和 SPF 鸡 . 小鼠和鸡分别经电穿孔和肌肉注射免疫两次,间隔为 3 周 . 二次免疫后,用致死量的同源病毒进行攻毒实验 . 空白对照组在攻毒后全部死亡,而经电穿孔免疫的小鼠和鸡均获得了完全的保护,并能有效地抑制病毒在小鼠肺脏和鸡泄殖腔的繁殖 . 同时,电穿孔免疫的小鼠和鸡均产生了高水平的特异性抗体 . 经电穿孔免疫的小鼠攻毒后 CTL 反应明显加强 . 这些结果表明, HA DNA 疫苗能有效地保护小鼠和鸡对禽流感病毒的感染,同时也表明电穿孔免疫是 DNA 疫苗免疫的有效途径之一 .     

共表达H5N1流感病毒M1和HA基因的DNA疫苗与腺病毒载体疫苗的小鼠免疫评价

为评价在小鼠体内表达流感病毒M1和HA基因诱导的免疫反应,制备共表达H5N1亚型禽流感病毒 (A/Anhui/1/2005) 全长基质蛋白1 (M1) 基因和血凝素 (HA) 基因的重组DNA疫苗pStar-M1/HA和重组腺病毒载体疫苗Ad-M1/HA,将其按初免-加强程序免疫BALB/c小鼠,共免疫4次,每次间隔14 d。第1、3次用DNA疫苗,第2、4次用重组腺病毒载体疫苗,每次免疫前及末次免疫后14 d采集小鼠血清用于检测体液免疫应答,末次免疫后14 d采集小鼠脾淋巴细胞用于检测细胞免疫应答。血凝     

Influenza H5 hemagglutinin DNA primes the antibody response elicited by the live attenuated influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 vaccine in ferrets

Priming immunization plays a key role in protecting individuals or populations to influenza viruses that are novel to humans. To identify the most promising vaccine priming strategy, we have evaluated different prime-boost regimens using inactivated, DNA and live attenuated vaccines in ferrets. Live attenuated influenza A/Vietnam/1203/2004 (H5N1) candidate vaccine (LAIV, VN04 ca) primed ferrets efficiently while inactivated H5N1 vaccine could not prime the immune response in seronegative ferrets unless an adjuvant was used. However, the H5 HA DNA vaccine alone was as successful as an adjuvanted inactivated VN04 vaccine in priming the immune response to VN04 ca virus. The serum antibody titers of ferrets primed with H5 HA DNA followed by intranasal vaccination of VN04 ca virus were comparable to that induced by two doses of VN04 ca virus. Both LAIV-LAIV and DNA-LAIV vaccine regimens could induce antibody responses that cross-neutralized antigenically distinct H5N1 virus isolates including A/HongKong/213/2003 (HK03) and prevented nasal infection of HK03 vaccine virus. Thus, H5 HA DNA vaccination may offer an alternative option for pandemic preparedness.     

Chitosan Nanoparticle Encapsulated Hemagglutinin-Split Influenza Virus Mucosal Vaccine

Subunit/split influenza vaccines are less reactogenic compared with the whole virus vaccines. However, their immunogenicity is relatively low and thus required proper adjuvant and/or delivery vehicle for immunogenicity enhancement. Influenza vaccines administered intramuscularly induce minimum, if any, mucosal immunity at the respiratory mucosa which is the prime site of the infection. In this study, chitosan (CS) nanoparticles were prepared by ionic cross-linking of the CS with sodium tripolyphosphate (TPP) at the CS/TPP ratio of 1:0.6 using 2 h mixing time. The CS/TPP nanoparticles were used as delivery vehicle of an intranasal influenza vaccine made of hemagglutinin (HA)-split influenza virus product. Innocuousness, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy of the CS/TPP-HA vaccine were tested in influenza mouse model in comparison with the antigen alone vaccine. The CS/TPP-HA nanoparticles had required characteristics including nano-sizes, positive charges, and high antigen encapsulation efficiency. Mice that received two doses of the CS/TPP-HA vaccine intranasally showed no adverse symptoms indicating the vaccine innocuousness. The animals developed higher systemic and mucosal antibody responses than vaccine made of the HA-split influenza virus alone. The CS/TPP-HA vaccine could induce also a cell-mediated immune response shown as high numbers of IFN-γ-secreting cells in spleens while the HA vaccine alone could not. Besides, the CS nanoparticle encapsulated HA-split vaccine reduced markedly the influenza morbidity and also conferred 100% protective rate to the vaccinated mice against lethal influenza virus challenge. Overall results indicated that the CS nanoparticles invented in this study is an effective and safe delivery vehicle/adjuvant for the influenza vaccine.     

GM-CSF Increases Mucosal and Systemic Immunogenicity of an H1N1 Influenza DNA Vaccine Administered into the Epidermis of Non-Human Primates

Background

The recent H5N1 avian and H1N1 swine-origin influenza virus outbreaks reaffirm that the threat of a world-wide influenza pandemic is both real and ever-present. Vaccination is still considered the best strategy for protection against influenza virus infection but a significant challenge is to identify new vaccine approaches that offer accelerated production, broader protection against drifted and shifted strains, and the capacity to elicit anti-viral immune responses in the respiratory tract at the site of viral entry. As a safe alternative to live attenuated vaccines, the mucosal and systemic immunogenicity of an H1N1 influenza (A/New Caledonia/20/99) HA DNA vaccine administered by particle-mediated epidermal delivery (PMED or gene gun) was analyzed in rhesus macaques.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Macaques were immunized at weeks 0, 8, and 16 using a disposable single-shot particle-mediated delivery device designed for clinical use that delivers plasmid DNA directly into cells of the epidermis. Significant levels of hemagglutination inhibiting (HI) antibodies and cytokine-secreting HA-specific T cells were observed in the periphery of macaques following 1–3 doses of the PMED HA DNA vaccine. In addition, HA DNA vaccination induced detectable levels of HA-specific mucosal antibodies and T cells in the lung and gut-associated lymphoid tissues of vaccinated macaques. Importantly, co-delivery of a DNA encoding the rhesus macaque GM-CSF gene was found to significantly enhance both the systemic and mucosal immunogenicity of the HA DNA vaccine.

Conclusions/Significance

These results provide strong support for the development of a particle-mediated epidermal DNA vaccine for protection against respiratory pathogens such as influenza and demonstrate, for the first time, the ability of skin-delivered GM-CSF to serve as an effective mucosal adjuvant for vaccine induction of immune responses in the gut and respiratory tract.     

甲型H5N1流感病毒M2与HA双基因载体疫苗在小鼠体内的免疫学评价

高致病性H5N1亚型禽流感病毒 (AIV) 严重威胁到人类健康,因此研制高效、安全的禽流感疫苗具有重要意义。以我国分离的首株人H5N1亚型禽流感病毒 (A/Anhui/1/2005) 作为研究对象,PCR扩增基质蛋白2 (M2) 和血凝素 (HA) 基因全长开放阅读框片段,构建共表达H5N1亚型AIV膜蛋白基因 M2和HA的重组质粒pStar-M2/HA。此外,还通过同源重组以293细胞包装出表达M2基因的重组腺病毒Ad-M2以及表达HA基因的重组腺病毒Ad-HA。用间接免疫荧光 (IFA) 方法检测到了各载体上插入基因的表达。按初免-加强程序分别用重组质粒pStar-M2/HA和重组腺病毒Ad-HA+Ad-M2免疫BALB/c小鼠,共免疫4次,每次间隔14 d。第1、3次用DNA疫苗,第2、4次用重组腺病毒载体疫苗,每次免疫前及末次免疫后14 d采集血清用于检测体液免疫应答,末次免疫后14 d采集脾淋巴细胞用于检测细胞免疫应答。血凝抑制 (HI) 实验检测到免疫后小鼠血清中的HI活性。ELISA实验检测到免疫后小鼠血清中抗H5N1亚型流感病毒表面蛋白的IgG抗体。ELISPOT实验检测到免疫后小鼠针对M2蛋白和HA蛋白的特异性细胞免疫应答。流感病毒M2与HA双基因共免疫的研究,为研究开发新型重组流感疫苗奠定了基础。     

Protection against influenza infection by cytokine-enhanced aerosol genetic immunization

BACKGROUND: Conventional vaccine development for newly emerging pandemic influenza virus strains would likely take too long to prevent devastating global morbidity and mortality. If DNA vaccines can be distributed and delivered efficiently, genetic immunization could be an attractive solution to this problem, since plasmid DNA is stable, easily engineered to encode new protein antigens, and able to be quickly produced in large quantities. METHODS: We compared two novel genetic immunization methods in a mouse model of influenza to evaluate protective effects: aerosol delivery of polyethylenimine (PEI)-complexed hemagglutinin (HA)-expressing plasmid and intravenous (IV) delivery of the plasmid complexed with macroaggregated albumin/PEI. Serial serum samples were obtained for assay of neutralizing antibodies against HA. Mice were then challenged in the airway with influenza virus, and production of infectious virus in the lungs was titered. RESULTS: Most mice immunized with HA plasmid alone by aerosol and all mice immunized IV developed protective immune responses, whereas none administered control plasmid were protected. Aerosol co-administration of HA plasmid with plasmids encoding the cytokines interleukin 12 (IL12) and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) markedly increased neutralizing antibody responses, so that all aerosol immunized mice were protected from high level virus proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Cytokine-enhanced aerosol delivery of plasmid vaccines can elicit robust protective immune responses against influenza. Thus, aerosol delivery has the potential to address the need for rapid widespread immunization against new influenza virus strains, and may have applications for other infectious and toxic disease processes.     

重组鸡痘病毒和DNA疫苗对口蹄疫病毒的豚鼠免疫保护

将构建的携带FMDV衣壳蛋白P1-2A和蛋白酶3C编码基因的重组鸡痘病毒活载体疫苗vUTAL3CP1以及编码FMDVP1-2A基因和猪IL-18基因的重组DNA疫苗pVIRIL18P1,分别以单独和混合的方式给豚鼠进行2次免疫,然后测定FMDV特异性结合抗体、中和抗体和T淋巴细胞增殖反应,并用250ID50的FMDV进行攻击,观察其保护效果。结果表明这2种基因工程疫苗均能诱导豚鼠产生特异性的体液免疫及细胞免疫应答。其中以vUTAL3CP1两次免疫组的效果最好,其诱导的抗体水平已接近于常规灭活疫苗,而细胞免疫水平则比后者高得多。攻击保护结果表明该组完全保护率可达3/4,而另外两组也具有一定保护效果。上述研究结果为进一步进行大动物免疫攻毒试验,并最终筛选出最佳疫苗和免疫程序奠定了基础。     

Emulsified Nanoparticles Containing Inactivated Influenza Virus and CpG Oligodeoxynucleotides Critically Influences the Host Immune Responses in Mice

Background

Antigen sparing and cross-protective immunity are regarded as crucial in pandemic influenza vaccine development. Both targets can be achieved by adjuvantation strategy to elicit a robust and broadened immune response. We assessed the immunogenicity of an inactivated H5N1 whole-virion vaccine (A/Vietnam/1194/2004 NIBRG-14, clade 1) formulated with emulsified nanoparticles and investigated whether it can induce cross-clade protecting immunity.

Methodology/Principal Findings

After formulation with PELC, a proprietary water-in-oil-in-water nanoemulsion comprising of bioresorbable polymer/Span®85/squalene, inactivated virus was intramuscularly administered to mice in either one-dose or two-dose schedule. We found that the antigen-specific serum antibody responses elicited after two doses of non-adjuvanted vaccine were lower than those observed after a single dose of adjuvanted vaccine, PELC and the conventional alum adjuvant as well. Moreover, 5 µg HA of PELC-formulated inactivated virus were capable of inducing higher antibodies than those obtained from alum-adjuvanted vaccine. In single-dose study, we found that encapsulating inactivated virus into emulsified PELC nanoparticles could induce better antibody responses than those formulated with PELC-adsorbed vaccine. However, the potency was rather reduced when the inactivated virus and CpG (an immunostimulatory oligodeoxynucleotide containing unmethylated cytosine-guanosine motifs) were co-encapsulated within the emulsion. Finally, the mice who received PELC/CpG(adsorption)-vaccine could easily and quickly reach 100% of seroprotection against a homologous virus strain and effective cross-protection against a heterologous virus strain (A/Whooper swan/Mongolia/244/2005, clade 2.2).

Conclusions/Significance

Encapsulating inactivated H5N1 influenza virus and CpG into emulsified nanoparticles critically influences the humoral responses against pandemic influenza. These results demonstrated that the use of PELC could be as antigen-sparing in preparation for a potential shortage of prophylactic vaccines against local infectious diseases, in particular pandemic influenza. Moreover, the cross-clade neutralizing antibody responses data verify the potential of such adjuvanted H5N1 candidate vaccine as an effective tool in pre-pandemic preparedness.     

DNA Vaccine Encoding Hemagglutinin Provides Protective Immunity against H5N1 Influenza Virus Infection in Mice

In Hong Kong in 1997, a highly lethal H5N1 avian influenza virus was apparently transmitted directly from chickens to humans with no intermediate mammalian host and caused 18 confirmed infections and six deaths. Strategies must be developed to deal with this virus if it should reappear, and prospective vaccines must be developed to anticipate a future pandemic. We have determined that unadapted H5N1 viruses are pathogenic in mice, which provides a well-defined mammalian system for immunological studies of lethal avian influenza virus infection. We report that a DNA vaccine encoding hemagglutinin from the index human influenza isolate A/HK/156/97 provides immunity against H5N1 infection of mice. This immunity was induced against both the homologous A/HK/156/97 (H5N1) virus, which has no glycosylation site at residue 154, and chicken isolate A/Ck/HK/258/97 (H5N1), which does have a glycosylation site at residue 154. The mouse model system should allow rapid evaluation of the vaccine’s protective efficacy in a mammalian host. In our previous study using an avian model, DNA encoding hemagglutinin conferred protection against challenge with antigenic variants that differed from the primary antigen by 11 to 13% in the HA1 region. However, in our current study we found that a DNA vaccine encoding the hemagglutinin from A/Ty/Ir/1/83 (H5N8), which differs from A/HK/156/97 (H5N1) by 12% in HA1, prevented death but not H5N1 infection in mice. Therefore, a DNA vaccine made with a heterologous H5 strain did not prevent infection by H5N1 avian influenza viruses in mice but was useful in preventing death.     

Immunologic response to the influenza virus neuraminidase is influenced by prior experience with the associated viral hemagglutinin. I. Studies in human vaccinees

Analysis of an earlier study of H3N2 and H7N2 inactivated influenza vaccines in schoolchildren demonstrated a greater viral neuraminidase (NA) immunogenicity of the vaccine containing the H7 hemagglutinin (HA) antigen to which they had not been primed, despite the lesser NA antigen content of that vaccine. Thus, prior experience with the influenza viral HA appeared to have a negative influence on immune response to NA, the associated external glycoprotein, presumably on the basis of intermolecular antigenic competition. In a second study, sequential immunologic response to influenza viral NA was compared in college students who were immunized with either conventional commercial vaccine or an antigenic reassortant H7N1 vaccine, and who subsequently experienced natural infection with an H1N1 influenza virus. Although both vaccines were only marginally immunogenic in inducing NA antibody response in seronegative subjects, in vaccinees initially seropositive for HA antibody significant NA antibody titer increases occurred with H7N1 vaccine. Subsequent natural infection boosted NA antibody less effectively in the population previously primed by natural infection than in initially seronegative subjects primed by H7N1 vaccination. It is suggested that primary immunization monospecific for influenza viral NA may alter the subsequent pattern of immune response to one more favorable to the induction of NA antibody when virus is encountered.     

Coadministration of DNA Encoding Interleukin-6 and Hemagglutinin Confers Protection from Influenza Virus Challenge in Mice

This study was conducted to investigate whether Accell gene gun coadministration of DNA encoding human interleukin-6 (IL-6) would enhance protective immune responses in mice to an equine influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA) DNA vaccine. Mice that received HA DNA alone exhibited accelerated clearance of homologous challenge virus but were not protected from infection. In contrast, mice that received both HA and IL-6 DNA had no detectable virus in their lungs after challenge. These results strongly support the use of IL-6 as a cytokine adjuvant in DNA vaccination.     

H1亚型猪流感病毒HA基因DNA疫苗的构建及其对Balb/c小鼠的免疫效果评价

以A/Swine/Guangdong/LM/2004(H1N1)猪流感病毒HA基因为模板,通过RT-PCR技术扩增出HA基因,并将其克隆到pCI-neo真核表达载体中,成功构建重组表达质粒pCI-HA,瞬时转染vero E6和293T细胞,通过免疫过氧化物酶单层细胞试验(Immunoperoxidase monolayer assay ,IPMA)、间接免疫荧光试验(indirect immunofluorescence assay, iIFA)和蛋白免疫印迹（Western blot,WB）实验证明,HA基因能够在哺乳动物细胞中有效表达并具有良好的生物学活性。将重组质粒三次免疫8w雌性Balb/c小鼠后,ELISA试验和中和试验结果表明该重组质粒能够诱导小鼠产生较高的抗体滴度,并具有良好的中和活性。因此为H1亚型猪流感DNA疫苗的研究奠定了理论基础。     

Molecular Basis of Live-Attenuated Influenza Virus

Human influenza is a seasonal disease associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The most effective means for controlling infection and thereby reducing morbidity and mortality is vaccination with a three inactivated influenza virus strains mixture, or by intranasal administration of a group of three different live attenuated influenza vaccine strains. Comparing to the inactivated vaccine, the attenuated live viruses allow better elicitation of a long-lasting and broader immune (humoral and cellular) response that represents a naturally occurring transient infection. The cold-adapted (ca) influenza A/AA/6/60 (H2N2) (AA ca) virus is the backbone for the live attenuated trivalent seasonal influenza vaccine licensed in the United States. Similarly, the influenza A components of live-attenuated vaccines used in Russia have been prepared as reassortants of the cold-adapted (ca) H2N2 viruses, A/Leningrad/134/17/57-ca (Len/17) and A/Leningrad/134/47/57-ca (Len/47) along with virulent epidemic strains. However, the mechanism of temperature-sensitive attenuation is largely elusive. To understand how modification at genetic level of influenza virus would result in attenuation of human influenza virus A/PR/8/34 (H1N1,A/PR8), we investigated the involvement of key mutations in the PB1 and/or PB2 genes in attenuation of influenza virus in vitro and in vivo. We have demonstrated that a few of residues in PB1 and PB2 are critical for the phenotypes of live attenuated, temperature sensitive influenza viruses by minigenome assay and real-time PCR. The information of these mutation loci could be used for elucidation of mechanism of temperature-sensitive attenuation and as a new strategy for influenza vaccine development.     

A Trivalent Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Elicits Protective Immune Responses against Seasonal Influenza Strains in Mice and Ferrets

There is need for improved human influenza vaccines, particularly for older adults who are at greatest risk for severe disease, as well as to address the continuous antigenic drift within circulating human subtypes of influenza virus. We have engineered an influenza virus-like particle (VLP) as a new generation vaccine candidate purified from the supernatants of Sf9 insect cells following infection by recombinant baculoviruses to express three influenza virus proteins, hemagglutinin (HA), neuraminidase (NA), and matrix 1 (M1). In this study, a seasonal trivalent VLP vaccine (TVV) formulation, composed of influenza A H1N1 and H3N2 and influenza B VLPs, was evaluated in mice and ferrets for the ability to elicit antigen-specific immune responses. Animals vaccinated with the TVV formulation had hemagglutination-inhibition (HAI) antibody titers against all three homologous influenza virus strains, as well as HAI antibodies against a panel of heterologous influenza viruses. HAI titers elicited by the TVV were statistically similar to HAI titers elicited in animals vaccinated with the corresponding monovalent VLP. Mice vaccinated with the TVV had higher level of influenza specific CD8+ T cell responses than a commercial trivalent inactivated vaccine (TIV). Ferrets vaccinated with the highest dose of the VLP vaccine and then challenged with the homologous H3N2 virus had the lowest titers of replicating virus in nasal washes and showed no signs of disease. Overall, a trivalent VLP vaccine elicits a broad array of immunity and can protect against influenza virus challenge.     

Human immune responses elicited by an intranasal inactivated H5 influenza vaccine

Intranasally administered influenza vaccines could be more effective than injected vaccines, because intranasal vaccination can induce virus-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) antibodies in the upper respiratory tract, which is the initial site of infection. In this study, immune responses elicited by an intranasal inactivated vaccine of influenza A(H5N1) virus were evaluated in healthy individuals naive for influenza A(H5N1) virus. Three doses of intranasal inactivated whole-virion H5 influenza vaccine induced strong neutralizing nasal IgA and serum IgG antibodies. In addition, a mucoadhesive excipient, carboxy vinyl polymer, had a notable impact on the induction of nasal IgA antibody responses but not on serum IgG antibody responses. The nasal hemagglutinin (HA)-specific IgA antibody responses clearly correlated with mucosal neutralizing antibody responses, indicating that measurement of nasal HA-specific IgA titers could be used as a surrogate for the mucosal antibody response. Furthermore, increased numbers of plasma cells and vaccine antigen-specific Th cells in the peripheral blood were observed after vaccination, suggesting that peripheral blood biomarkers may also be used to evaluate the intranasal vaccine-induced immune response. However, peripheral blood immune cell responses correlated with neutralizing antibody titers in serum samples but not in nasal wash samples. Thus, analysis of the peripheral blood immune response could be a surrogate for the systemic immune response to intranasal vaccination but not for the mucosal immune response. The current study suggests the clinical potential of intranasal inactivated vaccines against influenza A(H5N1) viruses and highlights the need to develop novel means to evaluate intranasal vaccine-induced mucosal immune responses.     

A Pandemic Influenza H1N1 Live Vaccine Based on Modified Vaccinia Ankara Is Highly Immunogenic and Protects Mice in Active and Passive Immunizations

Background

The development of novel influenza vaccines inducing a broad immune response is an important objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate live vaccines which induce both strong humoral and cell-mediated immune responses against the novel human pandemic H1N1 influenza virus, and to show protection in a lethal animal challenge model.

Methodology/Principal Findings

For this purpose, the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes of the influenza A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) strain (CA/07) were inserted into the replication-deficient modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) virus - a safe poxviral live vector – resulting in MVA-H1-Ca and MVA-N1-Ca vectors. These live vaccines, together with an inactivated whole virus vaccine, were assessed in a lung infection model using immune competent Balb/c mice, and in a lethal challenge model using severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice after passive serum transfer from immunized mice. Balb/c mice vaccinated with the MVA-H1-Ca virus or the inactivated vaccine were fully protected from lung infection after challenge with the influenza H1N1 wild-type strain, while the neuraminidase virus MVA-N1-Ca induced only partial protection. The live vaccines were already protective after a single dose and induced substantial amounts of neutralizing antibodies and of interferon-γ-secreting (IFN-γ) CD4- and CD8 T-cells in lungs and spleens. In the lungs, a rapid increase of HA-specific CD4- and CD8 T cells was observed in vaccinated mice shortly after challenge with influenza swine flu virus, which probably contributes to the strong inhibition of pulmonary viral replication observed. In addition, passive transfer of antisera raised in MVA-H1-Ca vaccinated immune-competent mice protected SCID mice from lethal challenge with the CA/07 wild-type virus.

Conclusions/Significance

The non-replicating MVA-based H1N1 live vaccines induce a broad protective immune response and are promising vaccine candidates for pandemic influenza.     

Efficacy of seasonal pandemic influenza hemagglutinin DNA vaccines delivered by electroporation against aseasonal H1N1 virus challenge in mice

Prophylactic DNA vaccines against the influenza virus are promising alternatives to conventional vaccines. In this study, we generated two candidate gene-based influenza vaccines encoding either the seasonal or pandemic hemagglutinin antigen (HA) from the strains A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1) (pV1A5) and A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) (pVEH1), respectively. After verifying antigen expression, the immunogenicity of the vaccines delivered intramuscularly with electroporation was tested in a mouse model. Sera of immunized animals were tested in hemagglutination inhibition assays and by ELISA for the presence of HA-specific antibodies. HA-specific T-cells were also measured in IFN-γ ELISpot assays. The protective efficacy of the candidate influenza vaccines was evaluated by measuring mortality rates and body weight after a challenge with 100 LD(50) of mouse-adapted A/New Caledonia/20/99 (H1N1). Mice immunized with either one of the two vaccines showed significantly higher T cell and humoral immune responses (P<0.05) than the pVAX1 control group. Additionally, the pV1A5 vaccine effectively protected the mice against a lethal homologous mouse-adapted virus challenge with a survival rate of 100% compared with a 40% survival rate in the pVEH1 vaccinated group (P<0.05). Our study indicates that the seasonal influenza DNA vaccine completely protects against the homologous A/New Caledonia/20/99 virus (H1N1), while the pandemic influenza DNA vaccine only partially protects against this virus.     

Standard Trivalent Influenza Virus Protein Vaccination Does Not Prime Antibody-Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity in Macaques

Yearly vaccination with the trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) is recommended, since current vaccines induce little cross neutralization to divergent influenza strains. Whether the TIV can induce antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) responses that can cross-recognize divergent influenza virus strains is unknown. We immunized 6 influenza-naive pigtail macaques twice with the 2011–2012 season TIV and then challenged the macaques, along with 12 control macaques, serially with H1N1 and H3N2 viruses. We measured ADCC responses in plasma to a panel of H1 and H3 hemagglutinin (HA) proteins and influenza virus-specific CD8 T cell (CTL) responses using a sensitive major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tetramer reagent. The TIV was weakly immunogenic and, although binding antibodies were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), did not induce detectable influenza virus-specific ADCC or CTL responses. The H1N1 challenge elicited robust ADCC to both homologous and heterologous H1 HA proteins, but not influenza virus HA proteins from different subtypes (H2 to H7). There was no anamnestic influenza virus-specific ADCC or CTL response in vaccinated animals. The subsequent H3N2 challenge did not induce or boost ADCC either to H1 HA proteins or to divergent H3 proteins but did boost CTL responses. ADCC or CTL responses were not induced by TIV vaccination in influenza-naive macaques. There was a marked difference in the ability of infection compared to that of vaccination to induce cross-reactive ADCC and CTL responses. Improved vaccination strategies are needed to induce broad-based ADCC immunity to influenza.