Protection against influenza virus infection by intranasal vaccine with surf clam microparticles (SMP) as an adjuvant

A safe and effective adjuvant is necessary to enhance mucosal immune responses for the development of an inactivated intranasal influenza vaccine. The present study demonstrated the effectiveness of surf clam microparticles (SMP) derived from natural surf clams as an adjuvant for an intranasal influenza vaccine. The adjuvant effect of SMP was examined when co-administered intranasally with inactivated A/PR8 (H1N1) influenza virus hemagglutinin vaccine in BALB/c mice. Administration of the vaccine with SMP induced a high anti-PR8 haemagglutinin (HA)-specific immunoglobulin A (IgA) response in the nasal wash and immunoglobulin G (IgG) response in the serum, resulting in protection against both nasal-restricted infection and lethal lung infection by A/PR8 virus. In addition, administration of SMP with A/Yamagata (H1N1), A/Beijing (H1N1), or A/Guizhou (H3N2) vaccine conferred complete protection against A/PR8 virus challenge in the nasal infection model, suggesting that SMP adjuvanted vaccine can confer cross-protection against variant influenza viruses. The use of SMP is suggested as a new safe and effective mucosal adjuvant for nasal vaccination against influenza virus infection.