Cross-protection against influenza virus infection afforded by trivalent inactivated vaccines inoculated intranasally with cholera toxin B subunit.

Cross-protection against influenza virus infection was examined in mice, immunized intranasally with a nasal site-restricted volume of inactivated vaccines together with cholera toxin B subunit (CTB) as an adjuvant. The mice were challenged with either a small or a large volume of mouse-adapted virus suspension, each of which gave virgin mice either a predominant upper or lower respiratory tract infection. A single dose of a monovalent influenza A H3N2 virus vaccine with CTB provided complete cross-protection against the small-volume challenge with a drift virus within the same subtype, but a slight cross-protection against the large-volume challenge. A second dose of another drift virus vaccine increased the efficacy of cross-protection against the large-volume challenge. Similar cross-protection against H1N1, H3N2, or B type drift virus challenge was provided in the mice having received a primary dose of a mixture of H1N1, H3N2, and B virus vaccines with CTB and a second dose of another trivalent vaccine. The degree of cross-protection against the small- and the large-volume infection paralleled mainly the amount of cross-reacting IgA antibodies to challenge virus hemagglutinin in the nasal wash and that of cross-reacting IgG antibodies in the bronchoalveolar wash, respectively. On the other hand, in mice immunized subcutaneously with the trivalent vaccines having no cross-reacting IgA antibodies, the efficacy of cross-protection was not so high as that of nasal vaccination. These results suggest that the nasal inoculation of trivalent vaccines with CTB provides cross-protection against a broader range of viruses than does the current parenteral vaccination.     

Pathogenicity and vaccine efficacy of different clades of Asian H5N1 avian influenza A viruses in domestic ducks

Waterfowl represent the natural reservoir of all subtypes of influenza A viruses, including H5N1. Ducks are especially considered major contributors to the spread of H5N1 influenza A viruses because they exhibit diversity in morbidity and mortality. Therefore, as a preventive strategy against endemic as well as pandemic influenza, it is important to reduce the spread of H5N1 influenza A viruses in duck populations. Here, we describe the pathogenicity of dominant clades (clades 1 and 2) of H5N1 influenza A viruses circulating in birds in Asia. Four representatives of dominant clades of the viruses cause symptomatic infection but lead to different profiles of lethality in domestic ducks. We also demonstrate the efficacy, cross-protectiveness, and immunogenicity of three different inactivated oil emulsion whole-virus H5 influenza vaccines (derived by implementing reverse genetics) to the viruses in domestic ducks. A single dose of the vaccines containing 1 μg of hemagglutinin protein provides complete protection against a lethal A/Duck/Laos/25/06 (H5N1) influenza virus challenge, with no evidence of morbidity, mortality, or shedding of the challenge virus. Moreover, two of the three vaccines achieved complete cross-clade or cross-subclade protection against the heterologous avian influenza virus challenge. Interestingly, the vaccines induce low or undetectable titers of hemagglutination inhibition (HI), cross-HI, and/or virus neutralization antibodies. The mechanism of complete protection in the absence of detectable antibody responses remains an open question.     

Baculovirus Displaying Hemagglutinin Elicits Broad Cross-Protection against Influenza in Mice

The widespread influenza virus infection further emphasizes the need for novel vaccine strategies that effectively reduce the impact of epidemic as well as pandemic influenza. Conventional influenza vaccines generally induce virus neutralizing antibody responses which are specific for a few antigenically related strains within the same subtype. However, antibodies directed against the conserved stalk domain of HA could neutralize multiple subtypes of influenza virus and thus provide broad-spectrum protection. In this study, we designed and constructed a recombinant baculovirus-based vaccine, rBac-HA virus, that expresses full-length HA of pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (A/California/04/09) on the viral envelope. We demonstrated that repeated intranasal immunizations with rBac-HA virus induced HA stalk-specific antibody responses and protective immunity against homologous as well as heterosubtypic virus challenge. The adoptive transfer experiment shows that the cross-protection is conferred by the immune sera which contain HA stalk-specific antibodies. These results warrant further development of rBac-HA virus as a broad-protective vaccine against influenza. The vaccine induced protection against infection with the same subtype as well as different subtype, promising a potential universal vaccine for broad protection against different subtypes to control influenza outbreaks including pandemic.     

A new generation of modified live-attenuated avian influenza viruses using a two-strategy combination as potential vaccine candidates

In light of the recurrent outbreaks of low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI) and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), there is a pressing need for the development of vaccines that allow rapid mass vaccination. In this study, we introduced by reverse genetics temperature-sensitive mutations in the PB1 and PB2 genes of an avian influenza virus, A/Guinea Fowl/Hong Kong/WF10/99 (H9N2) (WF10). Further genetic modifications were introduced into the PB1 gene to enhance the attenuated (att) phenotype of the virus in vivo. Using the att WF10 as a backbone, we substituted neuraminidase (NA) for hemagglutinin (HA) for vaccine purposes. In chickens, a vaccination scheme consisting of a single dose of an att H7N2 vaccine virus at 2 weeks of age and subsequent challenge with the wild-type H7N2 LPAI virus resulted in complete protection. We further extended our vaccination strategy against the HPAI H5N1. In this case, we reconstituted an att H5N1 vaccine virus, whose HA and NA genes were derived from an Asian H5N1 virus. A single-dose immunization in ovo with the att H5N1 vaccine virus in 18-day-old chicken embryos resulted in more than 60% protection for 4-week-old chickens and 100% protection for 9- to 12-week-old chickens. Boosting at 2 weeks posthatching provided 100% protection against challenge with the HPAI H5N1 virus for chickens as young as 4 weeks old, with undetectable virus shedding postchallenge. Our results highlight the potential of live att avian influenza vaccines for mass vaccination in poultry.     

Mucosal delivery of inactivated influenza vaccine induces B-cell-dependent heterosubtypic cross-protection against lethal influenza A H5N1 virus infection

Influenza vaccines that induce greater cross-reactive or heterosubtypic immunity (Het-I) may overcome limitations in vaccine efficacy imposed by the antigenic variability of influenza A viruses. We have compared mucosal versus traditional parenteral administration of inactivated influenza vaccine for the ability to induce Het-I in BALB/c mice and evaluated a modified Escherichia coli heat-labile enterotoxin adjuvant, LT(R192G), for augmentation of Het-I. Mice that received three intranasal (i.n.) immunizations of H3N2 vaccine in the presence of LT(R192G) were completely protected against lethal challenge with a highly pathogenic human H5N1 virus and had nasal and lung viral titers that were at least 2,500-fold lower than those of control mice receiving LT(R192G) alone. In contrast, mice that received three vaccinations of H3N2 vaccine subcutaneously in the presence or absence of LT(R192G) or incomplete Freund's adjuvant were not protected against lethal challenge and had no significant reductions in tissue virus titers observed on day 5 post-H5N1 virus challenge. Mice that were i.n. administered H3N2 vaccine alone, without LT(R192G), displayed partial protection against heterosubtypic challenge. The immune mediators of Het-I were investigated. The functional role of B and CD8+ T cells in Het-I were evaluated by using gene-targeted B-cell (IgH-6(-/-))- or beta2-microglobulin (beta2m(-/-))-deficient mice, respectively. beta2m(-/-) but not IgH-6(-/-) vaccinated mice were protected by Het-I and survived a lethal infection with H5N1, suggesting that B cells, but not CD8+ T cells, were vital for protection of mice against heterosubtypic challenge. Nevertheless, CD8+ T cells contributed to viral clearance in the lungs and brain tissues of heterotypically immune mice. Mucosal but not parenteral vaccination induced subtype cross-reactive lung immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgA, and serum IgG anti-hemagglutinin antibodies, suggesting the presence of a common cross-reactive epitope in the hemagglutinins of H3 and H5. These results suggest a strategy of mucosal vaccination that stimulates cross-protection against multiple influenza virus subtypes, including viruses with pandemic potential.     

季节性流感裂解疫苗在小鼠中针对同型与异型流感病毒的免疫保护效力

为了研究季节性流感裂解疫苗在小鼠中针对甲型流感病毒同型同株、同型异株、异型异株攻击的免疫保护效力及其与诱发的血凝抑制(HI)抗体滴度的关系,本研究使用我国2008~2009年度季节性流感裂解疫苗中不同剂量的甲1型流感病毒H1N1(疫苗株病毒A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like)和甲3型流感病毒的H3N2(疫苗株病毒A/Brisbane/10/2007(H3N2)-like)疫苗组分免疫BALB/c小鼠,首先确定了能在小鼠中诱发血HI抗体滴度达到40的疫苗免疫剂量;然后以此剂量免疫小鼠,分别使用同型同株流感病毒(鼠肺适应株A/Brisbane/59/2007(H1N1)-like virus(MA))(简称A1)和同型异株流感病毒(鼠肺适应株A/Purto Rico/8/34(H1N1))(简称PR8)攻击H1N1疫苗免疫小鼠,使用异型异株流感病毒A1攻击H3N2疫苗免疫小鼠,通过体重变化和存活率情况,探讨季节性流感疫苗在小鼠中针对甲型流感病毒同型同株、同型异株、异型异株攻击的保护效力。结果显示,季节性流感裂解疫苗H1N1和H3N2组分按照HA不同剂量0.15μg、0.5μg、1.5μg、5μg和15μg免疫小鼠后,所诱发的HI抗体滴度随免疫剂量的增加而增强,1.5μgHA即可以诱发免疫小鼠HI抗体滴度达到40;以此剂量免疫小鼠,分别使用3LD50、10LD50、30LD50、100LD50、300LD50、1 000LD50和3 000LD50的同型同株流感病毒A1进行攻击,1.5μgH1N1疫苗可以100%保护小鼠抵御高至1000LD50同型同株流感病毒A1的攻击,15μg甚至可以100%保护3 000LD50同型同株流感病毒A1的攻击,但是这两个剂量免疫的小鼠在低至3LD50同型异株流感病毒PR8的攻击后都全部死亡;使用可以诱发HI抗体滴度达到140的15μg H3N2疫苗免疫小鼠,在低至3LD50异型异株流感病毒A1的攻击后亦全部死亡。以上结果表明,季节性流感疫苗可使小鼠HI抗体滴度达到40的疫苗免疫剂量为1.5μg,该免疫剂量可以有效保护小鼠抵御同型同株流感病毒的攻击,但是难以保护小鼠抵御同型异株与异型异株流感病毒的攻击,这一结果为建立以季节性流感疫苗为参考的免疫保护评价体系提供了实验依据。     

Vaccination against seasonal influenza A/H3N2 virus reduces the induction of heterosubtypic immunity against influenza A/H5N1 virus infection in ferrets

Infection with seasonal influenza viruses induces a certain extent of protective immunity against potentially pandemic viruses of novel subtypes, also known as heterosubtypic immunity. Here we demonstrate that infection with a recent influenza A/H3N2 virus strain induces robust protection in ferrets against infection with a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus of the H5N1 subtype. Prior H3N2 virus infection reduced H5N1 virus replication in the upper respiratory tract, as well as clinical signs, mortality, and histopathological changes associated with virus replication in the brain. This protective immunity correlated with the induction of T cells that cross-reacted with H5N1 viral antigen. We also demonstrated that prior vaccination against influenza A/H3N2 virus reduced the induction of heterosubtypic immunity otherwise induced by infection with the influenza A/H3N2 virus. The implications of these findings are discussed in the context of vaccination strategies and vaccine development aiming at the induction of immunity to pandemic influenza.     

The contribution of systemic and pulmonary immune effectors to vaccine-induced protection from H5N1 influenza virus infection

Live attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIVs) are effective in providing protection against influenza challenge in animal models and in preventing disease in humans. We previously showed that LAIVs elicit a range of immune effectors and that successful induction of pulmonary cellular and humoral immunity in mice requires pulmonary replication of the vaccine virus. An upper respiratory tract immunization (URTI) model was developed in mice to mimic the human situation, in which the vaccine virus does not replicate in the lower respiratory tract, allowing us to assess the protective efficacy of an H5N1 LAIV against highly pathogenic H5N1 virus challenge in the absence of significant pulmonary immunity. Our results show that, after one dose of an H5N1 LAIV, pulmonary influenza-specific lymphocytes are the main contributors to clearance of challenge virus from the lungs and that contributions of influenza-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) antibodies in serum and splenic CD8(+) T cells were negligible. Complete protection from H5N1 challenge was achieved after two doses of H5N1 LAIV and was associated with maturation of the antibody response. Although passive transfer of sera from mice that received two doses of vaccine prevented lethality in naive recipients following challenge, the mice showed significant weight loss, with high pulmonary titers of the H5N1 virus. These data highlight the importance of mucosal immunity in mediating optimal protection against H5N1 infection. Understanding the requirements for effective induction and establishment of these protective immune effectors in the respiratory tract paves the way for a more rational and effective vaccine approach in the future.     

Vaccination of pigs against swine influenza viruses by using an NS1-truncated modified live-virus vaccine

Swine influenza viruses (SIV) naturally infect pigs and can be transmitted to humans. In the pig, genetic reassortment to create novel influenza subtypes by mixing avian, human, and swine influenza viruses is possible. An SIV vaccine inducing cross-protective immunity between different subtypes and strains circulating in pigs is highly desirable. Previously, we have shown that an H3N2 SIV (A/swine/Texas/4199-2/98 [TX98]) containing a deleted NS1 gene expressing a truncated NS1 protein of 126 amino acids, NS1black triangle126, was attenuated in swine. In this study, 4-week-old pigs were vaccinated with the TX98 NS1black triangle126 modified live virus (MLV). Ten days after boosting, pigs were challenged with wild-type homologous H3N2 or heterosubtypic H1N1 SIV and sacrificed 5 days later. The MLV was highly attenuated and completely protected against challenge with the homologous virus. Vaccinated pigs challenged with the heterosubtypic H1N1 virus demonstrated macroscopic lung lesions similar to those of the unvaccinated H1N1 control pigs. Remarkably, vaccinated pigs challenged with the H1N1 SIV had significantly lower microscopic lung lesions and less virus shedding from the respiratory tract than did unvaccinated, H1N1-challenged pigs. All vaccinated pigs developed significant levels of hemagglutination inhibition and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay titers in serum and mucosal immunoglobulin A antibodies against H3N2 SIV antigens. Vaccinated pigs were seronegative for NS1, indicating the potential use of the TX98 NS1black triangle126 MLV as a vaccine to differentiate infected from vaccinated animals.     

Cationic lipid/DNA complex-adjuvanted influenza A virus vaccination induces robust cross-protective immunity

Influenza A virus is a negative-strand segmented RNA virus in which antigenically distinct viral subtypes are defined by the hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) major viral surface proteins. An ideal inactivated vaccine for influenza A virus would induce not only highly robust strain-specific humoral and T-cell immune responses but also cross-protective immunity in which an immune response to antigens from a particular viral subtype (e.g., H3N2) would protect against other viral subtypes (e.g., H1N1). Cross-protective immunity would help limit outbreaks from newly emerging antigenically novel strains. Here, we show in mice that the addition of cationic lipid/noncoding DNA complexes (CLDC) as adjuvant to whole inactivated influenza A virus vaccine induces significantly more robust adaptive immune responses both in quantity and quality than aluminum hydroxide (alum), which is currently the most widely used adjuvant in clinical human vaccination. CLDC-adjuvanted vaccine induced higher total influenza virus-specific IgG, particularly for the IgG2a/c subclass. Higher levels of multicytokine-producing influenza virus-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells were induced by CLDC-adjuvanted vaccine than with alum-adjuvanted vaccine. Importantly, CLDC-adjuvanted vaccine provided significant cross-protection from either a sublethal or lethal influenza A viral challenge with a different subtype than that used for vaccination. This superior cross-protection afforded by the CLDC adjuvant required CD8 T-cell recognition of viral peptides presented by classical major histocompatibility complex class I proteins. Together, these results suggest that CLDC has particular promise for vaccine strategies in which T cells play an important role and may offer new opportunities for more effective control of human influenza epidemics and pandemics by inactivated influenza virus vaccine.     

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.     

Efficacy of vaccination with different combinations of MF59-adjuvanted and nonadjuvanted seasonal and pandemic influenza vaccines against pandemic H1N1 (2009) influenza virus infection in ferrets

Serum antibodies induced by seasonal influenza or seasonal influenza vaccination exhibit limited or no cross-reactivity against the 2009 pandemic swine-origin influenza virus of the H1N1 subtype (pH1N1). Ferrets immunized once or twice with MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine exhibited significantly reduced lung virus titers but no substantial clinical protection against pH1N1-associated disease. However, priming with MF59-adjuvanted seasonal influenza vaccine significantly increased the efficacy of a pandemic MF59-adjuvanted influenza vaccine against pH1N1 challenge. Elucidating the mechanism involved in this priming principle will contribute to our understanding of vaccine- and infection-induced correlates of protection. Furthermore, a practical consequence of these findings is that during an emerging pandemic, the implementation of a priming strategy with an available adjuvanted seasonal vaccine to precede the eventual pandemic vaccination campaign may be useful and life-saving.     

Heterosubtypic antibody response elicited with seasonal influenza vaccine correlates partial protection against highly pathogenic H5N1 virus

Background

The spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus in human remains a global health concern. Heterosubtypic antibody response between seasonal influenza vaccine and potential pandemic influenza virus has important implications for public health. Previous studies by Corti et al. and by Gioia et al. demonstrate that heterosubtypic neutralizing antibodies against the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus can be elicited with a seasonal influenza vaccine in humans. However, whether such response offers immune protection against highly pathogenic H5N1 virus remained to be determined.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, using a sensitive influenza HA (hemagglutinin) and NA (neuraminidase) pseudotype-based neutralization (PN) assay we first confirmed that low levels of heterosubtypic neutralizing antibody response against H5N1 virus were indeed elicited with seasonal influenza vaccine in humans. We then immunized mice with the seasonal influenza vaccine and challenged them with lethal doses of highly pathogenic H5N1 virus. As controls, we immunized mice with homosubtypic H5N1 virus like particles (VLP) or PBS and challenged them with the same H5N1 virus. Here we show that low levels of heterosubtypic neutralizing antibody response were elicited with seasonal influenza vaccine in mice, which were significantly higher than those in PBS control. Among them 2 out of 27 whose immune sera exhibited similar levels of neutralizing antibody response as VLP controls actually survived from highly pathogenic H5N1 virus challenge.

Conclusions/Significance

Therefore, we conclude that low levels of heterosubtypic neutralizing antibody response are indeed elicited with seasonal influenza vaccine in humans and mice and at certain levels such response offers immune protection against severity of H5N1 virus infection.     

A reassortment-incompetent live attenuated influenza virus vaccine for protection against pandemic virus strains

Although live-attenuated influenza vaccines (LAIV) are safe for use in protection against seasonal influenza strains, concerns regarding their potential to reassort with wild-type virus strains have been voiced. LAIVs have been demonstrated to induce enhanced mucosal and cell-mediated immunity better than inactivated vaccines while also requiring a smaller dose to achieve a protective immune response. To address the need for a reassortment-incompetent live influenza A virus vaccine, we have designed a chimeric virus that takes advantage of the fact that influenza A and B viruses do not reassort. Our novel vaccine prototype uses an attenuated influenza B virus that has been manipulated to express the ectodomain of the influenza A hemagglutinin protein, the major target for eliciting neutralizing antibodies. The hemagglutinin RNA segment is modified such that it contains influenza B packaging signals, and therefore it cannot be incorporated into a wild-type influenza A virus. We have applied our strategy to different influenza A virus subtypes and generated chimeric B/PR8 HA (H1), HK68 (H3), and VN (H5) viruses. All recombinant viruses were attenuated both in vitro and in vivo, and immunization with these recombinant viruses protected mice against lethal influenza A virus infection. Overall, our data indicate that the chimeric live-attenuated influenza B viruses expressing the modified influenza A hemagglutinin are effective LAIVs.     

A novel particulate influenza vaccine induces long-term and broad-based immunity in mice after oral immunization.

The immunogenicity of a novel particulate oral influenza vaccine was examined in terms of antibody response and protection in mice. Oral immunization with chicken erythrocytes (CRBC) adsorbed with gamma-irradiated influenza A virus induced high levels of immunoglobulin G antibodies and protection in the lung compared with gamma-irradiated virus administered alone or CRBC. Immunoglobulin A antibodies were the predominant antibodies in nasal washings, and their presence did not correlate with protection as well as immunoglobulin G antibodies. Immunity was not specific for the immunizing virus subtype, as antibodies and enhanced lung clearance of virus were demonstrated with different virus subtypes. However, mice were not protected when challenged with live influenza B virus. The antibody response and the degree of protection were dependent on both the concentration of virus adsorbed to CRBC and number of CRBC adsorbed to virus. Virus-adsorbed CRBC given subcutaneously failed to induce antibodies or protection. Oral immunization with A/Qld/6/72 (H3N2) virus gave a high level of protection over 12 weeks, which could be demonstrated with different subtypes. Protection correlated with antibody levels in the lung determined by both enzyme-linked immunosorbent and hemagglutination inhibition assays, although the levels detected by the latter declined over time.     

Comparative Efficacy of Hemagglutinin,Nucleoprotein, and Matrix 2 Protein Gene-Based Vaccination against H5N1 Influenza in Mouse and Ferret

Efforts to develop a broadly protective vaccine against the highly pathogenic avian influenza A (HPAI) H5N1 virus have focused on highly conserved influenza gene products. The viral nucleoprotein (NP) and ion channel matrix protein (M2) are highly conserved among different strains and various influenza A subtypes. Here, we investigate the relative efficacy of NP and M2 compared to HA in protecting against HPAI H5N1 virus. In mice, previous studies have shown that vaccination with NP and M2 in recombinant DNA and/or adenovirus vectors or with adjuvants confers protection against lethal challenge in the absence of HA. However, we find that the protective efficacy of NP and M2 diminishes as the virulence and dose of the challenge virus are increased. To explore this question in a model relevant to human disease, ferrets were immunized with DNA/rAd5 vaccines encoding NP, M2, HA, NP+M2 or HA+NP+M2. Only HA or HA+NP+M2 vaccination conferred protection against a stringent virus challenge. Therefore, while gene-based vaccination with NP and M2 may provide moderate levels of protection against low challenge doses, it is insufficient to confer protective immunity against high challenge doses of H5N1 in ferrets. These immunogens may require combinatorial vaccination with HA, which confers protection even against very high doses of lethal viral challenge.     

Cold-adapted pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus live vaccine elicits cross-reactive immune responses against seasonal and H5 influenza A viruses

The rapid transmission of the pandemic 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (pH1N1) among humans has raised the concern of a potential emergence of reassortment between pH1N1 and highly pathogenic influenza strains, especially the avian H5N1 influenza virus. Here, we report that the cold-adapted pH1N1 live attenuated vaccine (CApH1N1) elicits cross-reactive immunity to seasonal and H5 influenza A viruses in the mouse model. Immunization with CApH1N1 induced both systemic and mucosal antibodies with broad reactivity to seasonal and H5 strains, including HAPI H5N1 and the avian H5N2 virus, providing complete protection against heterologous and heterosubtypic lethal challenges. Our results not only accentuate the merit of using live attenuated influenza virus vaccines in view of cross-reactivity but also represent the potential of CApH1N1 live vaccine for mitigating the clinical severity of infections that arise from reassortments between pH1N1 and highly pathogenic H5 subtype viruses.     

Cross Protection against Influenza A Virus by Yeast-Expressed Heterologous Tandem Repeat M2 Extracellular Proteins

The influenza M2 ectodomain (M2e) is well conserved across human influenza A subtypes, but there are few residue changes among avian and swine origin influenza A viruses. We expressed a tandem repeat construct of heterologous M2e sequences (M2e5x) derived from human, swine, and avian origin influenza A viruses using the yeast expression system. Intramuscular immunization of mice with AS04-adjuvanted M2e5x protein vaccines was effective in inducing M2e-specific antibodies reactive to M2e peptide and native M2 proteins on the infected cells with human, swine, or avian influenza virus, mucosal and systemic memory cellular immune responses, and cross-protection against H3N2 virus. Importantly, M2e5x immune sera were found to confer protection against different subtypes of H1N1 and H5N1 influenza A viruses in naïve mice. Also, M2e5x-immune complexes of virus-infected cells stimulated macrophages to secrete cytokines via Fc receptors, indicating a possible mechanism of protection. The present study provides evidence that M2e5x proteins produced in yeast cells could be developed as a potential universal influenza vaccine.     

Characterization of cross protection of Swine-Origin Influenza Virus (S-OIV) H1N1 and reassortant H5N1 influenza vaccine in BALB/c mice given a single-dose vaccination

Background

Influenza virus has antigen drift and antigen shift effect, vaccination with some influenza vaccine might not induce sufficient immunity for host to the threat of other influenza virus strains. S-OIV H1N1 and H5N1 influenza vaccines in single-dose immunization were evaluated in mice for cross protection to the challenge of A/California/7/2009 H1N1 or NIBRG-14 H5N1 virus.

Results

Both H1N1 and H5N1 induced significant homologous IgG, HAI, and microneutralization antibody responses in the mice, while only vaccines plus adjuvant produced significant heterogeneous IgG and HAI antibody responses. Both alum and MPLA adjuvants significantly reduced the S-OIV H1N1 vaccine dose required to elicit protective HAI antibody titers from 0.05 μg to 0.001 μg. Vaccines alone did not protect mice from challenge with heterogeneous influenza virus, while H5N1 vaccine plus alum and MPLA adjuvants did. Mouse body weight loss was also less significant in the presence of adjuvant than in the vaccine without adjuvant. Furthermore, both H1N1 and H5N1 lung viral titers of immunized mice were significantly reduced post challenge with homologous viruses.

Conclusion

Only in the presence of MPLA adjuvant could the H5N1 vaccine significantly reduce mouse lung viral titers post H1N1 virus challenge, and not vice versa. MPLA adjuvant induced cross protection with a single dose vaccination to the challenge of heterogeneous influenza virus in mice. Lung viral titer seemed to be a better indicator compared to IgG, neutralization antibody, and HAI titer to predict survival of mice infected with influenza virus.     

Broadly Protective Adenovirus-Based Multivalent Vaccines against Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Viruses for Pandemic Preparedness

Recurrent outbreaks of H5, H7 and H9 avian influenza viruses in domestic poultry accompanied by their occasional transmission to humans have highlighted the public health threat posed by these viruses. Newer vaccine approaches for pandemic preparedness against these viruses are needed, given the limitations of vaccines currently approved for H5N1 viruses in terms of their production timelines and the ability to induce protective immune responses in the absence of adjuvants. In this study, we evaluated the feasibility of an adenovirus (AdV)-based multivalent vaccine approach for pandemic preparedness against H5, H7 and H9 avian influenza viruses in a mouse model. Replication-defective AdV vectors expressing hemagglutinin (HA) from different subtypes and nucleoprotein (NP) from one subtype induced high levels of humoral and cellular immune responses and conferred protection against virus replication following challenge with H5, H7 and H9 avian influenza virus subtypes. Inclusion of HA from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus in the vaccine formulation further broadened the vaccine coverage. Significantly high levels of HA stalk-specific antibodies were observed following immunization with the multivalent vaccine. Inclusion of NP into the multivalent HA vaccine formulation resulted in the induction of CD8 T cell responses. These results suggest that a multivalent vaccine strategy may provide reasonable protection in the event of a pandemic caused by H5, H7, or H9 avian influenza virus before a strain-matched vaccine can be produced.