Characterization and immunogenicity of a candidate subunit vaccine against varicella-zoster virus

This study describes the properties of an inactivated subunit antigen preparation from varicella-zoster virus (VZV)-infected MRC-5 cells by treatment with detergent and formaldehyde, ultracentrifugation over sucrose and acetone precipitation. The method preserved the antigenicity of VZV proteins and several VZV-specific glycoproteins, while virus DNA was less than 20 pg/250 g protein — a putative vaccine dose. The vaccine was immunogenic in rabbits and stimulated antibodies to the major capsid protein as well as to glycoproteins; an immunoprecipitin was shared with a known immune human serum. The preparation contained no infectious VZV with no evidence of side effects in a rabbit or in five human vaccinees during a follow-up period of 6–10 years.     

含H5N1-HA基因重组腺病毒疫苗的构建及其诱导免疫应答的初步探讨

目的 构建包含H5N1-HA基因的重组腺病毒疫苗并探讨其免疫效果.方法 用Admax系统构建包含H5N1-HA基因的重组腺病毒疫苗,并用PCR、Western-Blot等方法对重组病毒疫苗进行鉴定;疫苗免疫小鼠后,通过HI实验和ELISPOT实验检测其体液免疫和细胞免疫反应,评价其免疫效果.结果 成功得到了含有H5N1-HA基因的重组腺病毒疫苗;基因表达鉴定表明,HA基因能够在细胞中进行表达;血凝抑制实验结果显示小鼠产生的针对HA抗体滴度在1:320和1:640之间;ELISPOT结果显示实验组和对照组(PBS)相比斑点数量差异有统计学意义(P<0.05),以上免疫结果表明重组腺病毒载体疫苗可以诱导小鼠产生良好的特异性体液和细胞免疫反应.结论 含H5NA-HA的重组腺病毒疫苗可以诱导小鼠产生良好的免疫反应,为研制人禽流感疫苗打下基础.     

Allelic polymorphism controls autoreactivity and vaccine elicitation of human broadly neutralizing antibodies against influenza virus

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Reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a surface-antigen-adsorbed influenza virus vaccine in children.

An influenza virus vaccine containing the purified surface haemagglutinin and neuraminidase antigens of A/Victoria/75 and B/Hong Kong/73 viruses adsorbed to an aluminium hydroxide gel was assessed for reactogenicity and immunogenicity in children aged 4 to 11 years, since there is no influenza virus vaccine available for this age group. Significant serum haemagglutination-inhibiting antibody responses to the A/Victoria/75 and B/Hong Kong/73 haemagglutinin antigens present in the vaccine were observed in 47% and 35%, respectively, of the children vaccinated, with a single dose. The vaccine induced no significant local or systemic reactions.     

Monoclonal antibodies against an immunodominant and neutralizing epitope on hepatitis A virus antigen

Summary Two monoclonal antibodies (813 and 10.09) were raised against hepatitis A virus (HAV). They recognize an immunodominant epitope and a neutralizing site on HAV.     

乙型肝炎病毒多表位抗原DNA疫苗的免疫原性

目的 :探讨HBV复合多表位DNA疫苗诱导体液及细胞免疫的可行性。方法 :将HBV多表位抗原基因BPT克隆到真核表达载体pcDNA3.1中 ,构建重组真核表达载体pcDNA3.1/BPT。将其通过肌肉注射免疫BALB/c小鼠 ,用间接免疫ELISA法、CTL杀伤功能检测和淋巴细胞增殖试验 ,检测特异性体液免疫和细胞免疫的水平 ,并观察其对免疫小鼠的毒副作用。结果 :用重组质粒pcDNA3.1/BPT免疫BALB/c小鼠后 ,在效靶比为 10 0∶1时 ,可诱导显著地特异性CTL应答 (P <0 .0 5 )。ELISA检测免疫小鼠血清特异性IgG的水平明显升高 (P <0 .0 5 )。在BPT基因原核表达蛋白的刺激下 ,免疫小鼠脾淋巴细胞增殖显著 (P <0 .0 5 )。RT PCR分析表明 ,IL 12mRNA的水平亦明显升高。结论 :HBV多表位基因疫苗可诱发特异性免疫应答 ,为预防、治疗性HBV疫苗的研制提供了一定的实验依据     

A dual purpose universal influenza vaccine candidate confers protective immunity against anthrax

Preventive influenza vaccines must be reformulated annually because of antigen shift and drift of circulating influenza viral strains. However, seasonal vaccines do not always match the circulating strains, and there is the ever‐present threat that avian influenza viruses may adapt to humans. Hence, a universal influenza vaccine is needed to provide protective immunity against a broad range of influenza viruses. We designed an influenza antigen consisting of three tandem M2e repeats plus HA2, in combination with a detoxified anthrax oedema toxin delivery system (EFn plus PA) to enhance immune responses. The EFn‐3×M2e‐HA2 plus PA vaccine formulation elicited robust, antigen‐specific, IgG responses; and was protective against heterologous influenza viral challenge when intranasally delivered to mice three times. Moreover, use of the detoxified anthrax toxin system as an adjuvant had the additional benefit of generating protective immunity against anthrax. Hence, this novel vaccine strategy could potentially address two major emerging public health and biodefence threats.     

Development of a plant-derived subunit vaccine candidate against hepatitis C virus

Summary.  Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a major cause of acute and chronic hepatitis with over 180 million cases worldwide. Vaccine development for HCV has been difficult. Presently, the virus cannot be grown in tissue culture and there is no vaccine or effective therapy against this virus. In this research, we describe the development of an experimental plant-derived subunit vaccine against HCV. A tobamoviral vector was engineered to encode a consensus sequence of hypervariable region 1 (HVR1), a potential neutralizing epitope of HCV, genetically fused to the C-terminal of the B subunit of cholera toxin (CTB). This epitope was selected from among the amino acid sequences of HVR1 “mimotopes” previously derived by phage display technology. The nucleotide sequence encoding this epitope was designed utilizing optimal plant codons. This mimotope is capable of inducing cross-neutralizing antibodies against different variants of the virus. Plants infected with recombinant tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) engineered to express the HVR1/CTB chimeric protein, contained intact TMV particles and produced the HVR1 consensus peptide fused to the functionally active, pentameric B subunit of cholera toxin. Plant-derived HVR1/CTB reacted with HVR1-specific monoclonal antibodies and immune sera from individuals infected with virus from four of the major genotypes of HCV. Intranasal immunization of mice with a crude plant extract containing the recombinant HVR1/CTB protein elicited both anti-CTB serum antibody and anti-HVR1 serum antibody which specifically bound to HCV virus-like particles. Using plant-virus transient expression to produce this unique chimeric antigen will facilitate the development and production of an experimental HCV vaccine. A plant-derived recombinant HCV vaccine can potentially reduce expenses normally associated with production and delivery of conventional vaccines. Accepted June 2, 2000 Received March 27, 2000     

戊型肝炎病毒新潜在中和性表位的发现

目的 探讨戊型肝炎病毒(HEV)衣壳蛋白是否存在除主要免疫优势中和表位aa459～606以外的其他中和表位.方法 通过对几株单克隆抗体及其表位的性质进行分析,对比位于主要免疫优势表位区aM59～606和位于该表位N端序列aa394～458区域的数个表位的中和活性.结果 发现位于aa423～437的表位对应的单抗具有潜在中和活性,不同于已知的HEV中和性表位(aa459～606),该表位是一个线性非免疫优势表位.结论 HEV ORF2 aa423～437为新的潜在的线性非免疫优势中和表位,该发现丰富了对HEV衣壳结构的认识,为HEV预防与治疗提供了新的针对靶点.     

Discovery of the neutralizing epitope common to influenza B virus victoria group isolates in Japan

Monoclonal antibody 9B2 possesses hemagglutination inhibition activity against all the 2002/2003 influenza B virus Victoria group isolates in Kobe, Japan, as well as representative strains isolated between 1987 and 1997. The 9B2 epitope localizes three-dimensionally in the vicinity of antigenic site A of the hemagglutinin molecule, and amino acid substitutions in this region affected the binding of 9B2.     

Variation of the conserved neutralizing epitope in influenza B virus victoria group isolates in Japan

For almost 20 years, the neutralizing-epitope site specific for influenza B virus Victoria group isolates was conserved at the "tip" of the hemagglutinin molecule; however, it was not detected in half of the isolates from the 2002-2003 epidemic in Japan. Amino acid substitutions (D164E or N165K) were observed at the "tip", and the epitope was altered. The viral antigenicities were affected, and human antibodies did not substantially inhibit the hemagglutination in the hemagglutination inhibition tests. It is suspected that such variants will be important in future epidemics.     

A DNA vaccine candidate expressing dengue-3 virus prM and E proteins elicits neutralizing antibodies and protects mice against lethal challenge

In an effort to develop a suitable DNA vaccine candidate for dengue, using dengue-3 virus (DENV-3) as a prototype, the genes coding for premembrane (prM) and envelope proteins (E) were inserted into an expression plasmid. After selecting recombinant clones containing prM/E genes, protein expression in the cell monolayer was detected by indirect immunofluorescence and immunoprecipitation assays. After selecting three vaccine candidates (pVAC1DEN3, pVAC2DEN3 and pVAC3DEN3), they were analyzed in vivo to determine their ability to induce a DENV-3-specific immune response. After three immunizations, the spleens of the immunized animals were isolated, and the cells were cultivated to measure cytokine levels by ELISA and used for lymphoproliferation assays. All of the animals inoculated with the recombinant clones induced neutralizing antibodies against DENV-3 and produced a T cell proliferation response after specific stimuli. Immunized and control mice were challenged with a lethal dose of DENV-3 and observed in order to assess their survival capability. The groups that presented the best survival rate after the challenge were the animals vaccinated with the pVAC3DEN3 clones, with an 80% survival rate. Thus, these data show that we have manufactured a vaccine candidate for DENV-3 that is able to induce a specific immune response and protects mice against a lethal challenge.     

In vivo electroporation enhances immunogenicity and protection against influenza A virus challenge of an M2e-HSP70c DNA vaccine

There is a growing concern regarding continuous risk of emerging a new influenza pandemic. It is highlighted the need for novel vaccination techniques that quickly and effectively employed to respond to such threats. Although, DNA vaccine is a simple and effective approach to induce antigen specific immune responses, their potency requires further improvement. DNA vaccine encoding conserved antigen of influenza virus could provide protection in various animal models. Therefore, we constructed a plasmid vector encoding M2e-HSP70c sequences, pcDNA/MHc, as a candidate for universal influenza vaccine. The expression of newly constructed vectors was verified by transient transfection of mammalian cells (HEK293T cell line) and western blot analysis using commercial antibodies. Mice were injected subcutaneously (s.c.) by the help of electroporation (IEP) in the footpad area and boosted without IEP with 100 μg of constructed vector. Furthermore, the potency of this construct to provoke humoral immune responses and its protectivity against lethal dose of viral challenge were evaluated. Based on our study, the fusion construct was immunogenic in mice and was able to confer both protection against lethal challenge of H1N1 virus and reduce viral load in lung homogenates of the infected mice.     

Induction of high levels of antibodies recognizing the neutralizing epitope ELDKWA and the D- or K-position-mutated epitopes by candidate epitope vaccines against HIV-1

Monoclonal antibody 2F5 recognizing the ELDKWA epitope on HIV-1 gp41 has a significant neutralization potency against 90% of the investigated viruses of African, Asian, American, and European strains, but the antibody responses to the epitope 2F5 in HIV-1-infected individuals were very low. We attempted to induce high levels of epitope-specific antibodies to ELDKWA and its three mutated epitopes by candidate epitope vaccines. The four candidate epitope vaccines all induced strong antibody responses at dilutions from about 1:6,400 to 1:25,600. We tested the cross-reactions between these antisera and four epitope peptides. The ELDKWA-specific antisera showed strong cross-reactivity with three neutralizing-resistant mutated epitopes which contain changes in the D or K positions of the epitope sequence. Virus variants containing these changes could escape neutralization by monoclonal antibody 2F5. In immunoblotting analysis, the ELDKWA, ELDEWA, and ELEKWA epitope specific antibodies all recognized rsgp41 which confirms that the antibodies against both mutated epitopes, ELDEWA and ELEKWA, could cross-react with the native epitope on rsgp41. Although it is not clear whether the polyclonal antibodies induced by the ELDKWA epitope vaccine could neutralize the mutated viruses containing these mutated epitopes, it is conceivable that epitope vaccines based on mutated epitopes could induce strong antibody responses with predefined epitope specificity to neutralize mutated viruse containing the mutated epitope. An epitope vaccine, using different epitopes including mutated epitopes, could provide a new concept for developing a new vaccine against HIV-1.     

Characterization of antibody responses against a neutralizing epitope on the glycoprotein E2 of classical swine fever virus

The sequence TAVSPTTLR is a conserved and linear neutralizing epitope on the glycoprotein E2 of classical swine fever virus. In this study, TAVSPTTLR-directed antibodies, induced either by virions or by an epitope-focused immunogen, were characterized. The results revealed that despite the same epitope specificity, the antibodies induced by different immunogens varied significantly both in the neutralizing test and in binding inhibition assays. This suggests that the protective immunity induced by this epitope is due to more than simply the epitope specificity and that this epitope might need essential contributions from its flanking context to induce functional epitope-specific antibodies.     

Preparation and immunogenicity of an influenza virus hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunit vaccine.

Vaccines containing hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits were prepared from the A/Port Chalmers/1/73 (H3N2) strain of influenza virus. The virus particles were disrupted with ammonium deoxycholate and the matrix protein, which was insoluble in this detergent, was removed by centrifugation. Following removal of deoxycholate, the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits aggregated by their hydrophobic ends, forming mixed clusters. These were then freed from nucleocapsids by electrophoresis. The separated nucleocapsid protein and the matrix protein were thus obtained as byproducts in a highly purified form suitable for the production of antisera and for structural studies. The hemagglutinin and neuraminidase subunits were as effective as intact inactivated virus (at equivalent concentration) in eliciting a late primary antibody response when injected in saline into rabbits. In hamsters, the subunits failed to induce antibody when injected in saline (in contrast to intact virus), but the immune response to the subunits could be potentiated by the simultaneous injection of an intact heterologous influenza A or B virus.     

A DNA vaccine expressing PB1 protein of influenza A virus protects mice against virus infection

Although influenza DNA vaccine research has focused mainly on viral hemagglutinin and has led to promising results, other virion proteins have also shown some protective potential. In this work, we explored the potential of a DNA vaccine based on the PB1 protein to protect BALB/c mice against lethal influenza A virus infection. The DNA vaccine consisted of pTriEx4 plasmid expressing PB1. As a positive control, a pTriEx4 plasmid expressing influenza A virus HA was used. Two weeks after three subcutaneous doses of DNA vaccine, the mice were challenged intranasally with 1 LD₅₀ of A/Puerto Rico/8/34 (H1N1) virus, and PB1- and HA-specific antibodies, survival rate, body weight change, viral mRNA load, infectious virus titer in the lungs, cytokines IL-2, IL-4 and IL-10, and granzyme-B were measured. The results showed that (i) the PB1-expressing DNA vaccine provided a fair protective immunity in the mouse model and (ii) viral structural proteins such as PB1 represent promising antigens for DNA vaccination against influenza A.     

Localization of a new neutralizing epitope on the mumps virus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein

Four protein fragments which span the entire hemagglutinin-neuraminidase protein (HN) of mumps virus were expressed in HeLa cells and cell extracts were tested for their capability to induce neutralizing antibodies in mice. Fragment HN3 (aa 213-372) was able to induce the production of hemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralizing antibodies. When a subfragment of HN3, the synthetic peptide NSTLGVKSAREF (aa 329-340 of HN) was used for immunization, hemagglutination-inhibiting and neutralizing antibodies against mumps wild type virus but not against the Urabe Am9 vaccine virus were raised. The peptide could, therefore, contain a new epitope, which may be critical for protective host humoral immune response.     

Evaluation of a virus derived from MDCK cells infected persistently with influenza A virus as a potential live-attenuated vaccine candidate in the mouse model

A temperature-sensitive mutant virus unable to replicate at 38 degrees C was recovered from passage 189 (IVpi-189) of Madin-Darby canine kidney cells infected persistently with influenza A. Immunofluorescent staining of the IVpi-189 virus-infected cells revealed disrupted transport of the matrix (M) 1 protein into the nucleus at non-permissive temperatures, resulting in retention of the nucleoprotein (NP) in the nucleus. Upon comparison with the parental influenza A E61-24-P15 strain used to establish persistent infection, amino acid exchanges were found in the M1 protein of IVpi-189 virus; arginine to glutamine at position 72 and threonine to alanine at position 139. When mice were inoculated intranasally with IVpi-189 virus, virus growth in the lungs was restrained and terminated rapidly. Prior intranasal inoculation with only a small dose of IVpi-189 virus induced humoral and cellular immune responses and protected mice against subsequent virulent virus challenge. These results indicate that IVpi-189 virus, an avirulent temperature-sensitive mutant, is a promising candidate for use as a live-attenuated vaccine.