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Costafreda MI, Massot-Cladera M, Chavarria-Miró G, Arrebola A, Franch-Masferrer À, Rodríguez-Lagunas MJ, Martínez-Velázquez A, Blanco A, Bosch A, Guix S, Castell M, Pintó RM. Immunogenic Properties of a Novel Hepatitis A Vaccine Candidate Based on a Fast-Growing Viral Strain. Vaccines (Basel) 2025; 13:446. [PMID: 40432058 PMCID: PMC12115964 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines13050446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2025] [Revised: 04/17/2025] [Accepted: 04/22/2025] [Indexed: 05/29/2025] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Hepatitis A virus (HAV) yearly causes over 150 million new infections and around 40,000 deaths. Current vaccines are based on strains that grow poorly in cell culture, leading to high production costs and limited availability. This study aimed to compare the immunogenic properties of a novel HAV vaccine candidate based on the fast-growing HM175-HP strain with those of the parental slow-growing HM175-L0 strain, which derives from the cytopathic HM175 strain, like the prototype strain used in certain existing vaccines. METHODS The humoral and cellular immune response elicited by either HM175-HP or HM175-L0 vaccines was assessed in female BALB/c mice. RESULTS Both HM175-HP and HM175-L0 vaccines induced comparable levels of anti-HAV IgG, as well as similar numbers of antibody-secreting cells and cellular proliferation rates in immunized mice. Importantly, anti-HAV antibodies developed by HM175-HP-immunized mice were able to neutralize the HM175-L0 strain. In addition, both vaccines induced anti-HAV IgG1 antibodies, which are associated with Th2 immune response, but the HM175-HP vaccine showed a tendency to produce a greater IgG2a response, suggesting that it might elicit a higher Th1 response, which is of utmost importance for host defense against viruses. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicated that the fast-growing HM175-HP strain has similar immunogenic properties to the vaccine prototype-like HM175-L0, making it a promising candidate to reduce the elevated costs and time-consuming procedures of producing the current HAV vaccines. The novel HM175-HP-based vaccine would therefore facilitate mass vaccination programs and prevent vaccine shortages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Isabel Costafreda
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Malén Massot-Cladera
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Autoimmunity, Immunonutrition and Tolerance Group, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gemma Chavarria-Miró
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Alba Arrebola
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Àngels Franch-Masferrer
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Autoimmunity, Immunonutrition and Tolerance Group, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria J. Rodríguez-Lagunas
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Autoimmunity, Immunonutrition and Tolerance Group, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Adán Martínez-Velázquez
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Albert Blanco
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Albert Bosch
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Susana Guix
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
| | - Margarida Castell
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Autoimmunity, Immunonutrition and Tolerance Group, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Faculty of Pharmacy and Food Science, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
| | - Rosa Maria Pintó
- Enteric Virus Laboratory, Department of Genetics, Microbiology and Statistics, School of Biology, University of Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain; (G.C.-M.); (A.A.); (A.M.-V.); (A.B.); (A.B.); (S.G.); (R.M.P.)
- Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety (INSA), University of Barcelona, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, 08921 Barcelona, Spain; (M.M.-C.); (À.F.-M.); (M.J.R.-L.); (M.C.)
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (CIBERehd), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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