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Freyn AW, Atyeo C, Earl PL, Americo JL, Chuang GY, Natarajan H, Frey TR, Gall JG, Moliva JI, Hunegnaw R, Asthagiri Arunkumar G, Ogega CO, Nasir A, Santos G, Levin RH, Meni A, Jorquera PA, Bennett H, Johnson JA, Durney MA, Stewart-Jones G, Hooper JW, Colpitts TM, Alter G, Sullivan NJ, Carfi A, Moss B. An mpox virus mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine confers protection against lethal orthopoxviral challenge. Sci Transl Med 2023; 15:eadg3540. [PMID: 37792954 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.adg3540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Mpox virus (MPXV) caused a global outbreak in 2022. Although smallpox vaccines were rapidly deployed to curb spread and disease among those at highest risk, breakthrough disease was noted after complete immunization. Given the threat of additional zoonotic events and the virus's evolving ability to drive human-to-human transmission, there is an urgent need for an MPXV-specific vaccine that confers protection against evolving MPXV strains and related orthopoxviruses. Here, we demonstrate that an mRNA-lipid nanoparticle vaccine encoding a set of four highly conserved MPXV surface proteins involved in virus attachment, entry, and transmission can induce MPXV-specific immunity and heterologous protection against a lethal vaccinia virus (VACV) challenge. Compared with modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA), which forms the basis for the current MPXV vaccine, immunization with an mRNA-based MPXV vaccine generated superior neutralizing activity against MPXV and VACV and more efficiently inhibited spread between cells. We also observed greater Fc effector TH1-biased humoral immunity to the four MPXV antigens encoded by the vaccine, as well as to the four VACV homologs. Single MPXV antigen-encoding mRNA vaccines provided partial protection against VACV challenge, whereas multivalent vaccines combining mRNAs encoding two, three, or four MPXV antigens protected against disease-related weight loss and death equal or superior to MVA vaccination. These data demonstrate that an mRNA-based MPXV vaccine confers robust protection against VACV.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Patricia L Earl
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | - Jeffrey L Americo
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | | | | | | | - Jason G Gall
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | - Juan I Moliva
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | - Ruth Hunegnaw
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Jay W Hooper
- Virology Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, 21702 MD, USA
| | | | | | - Nancy J Sullivan
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
| | | | - Bernard Moss
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, 20892 MD, USA
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2
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Bellavite P, Ferraresi A, Isidoro C. Immune Response and Molecular Mechanisms of Cardiovascular Adverse Effects of Spike Proteins from SARS-CoV-2 and mRNA Vaccines. Biomedicines 2023; 11:451. [PMID: 36830987 PMCID: PMC9953067 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus responsible for the COVID-19 disease) uses the Spike proteins of its envelope for infecting target cells expressing on the membrane the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) enzyme that acts as a receptor. To control the pandemic, genetically engineered vaccines have been designed for inducing neutralizing antibodies against the Spike proteins. These vaccines do not act like traditional protein-based vaccines, as they deliver the message in the form of mRNA or DNA to host cells that then produce and expose the Spike protein on the membrane (from which it can be shed in soluble form) to alert the immune system. Mass vaccination has brought to light various adverse effects associated with these genetically based vaccines, mainly affecting the circulatory and cardiovascular system. ACE2 is present as membrane-bound on several cell types, including the mucosa of the upper respiratory and of the gastrointestinal tracts, the endothelium, the platelets, and in soluble form in the plasma. The ACE2 enzyme converts the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II into peptides with vasodilator properties. Here we review the pathways for immunization and the molecular mechanisms through which the Spike protein, either from SARS-CoV-2 or encoded by the mRNA-based vaccines, interferes with the Renin-Angiotensin-System governed by ACE2, thus altering the homeostasis of the circulation and of the cardiovascular system. Understanding the molecular interactions of the Spike protein with ACE2 and the consequent impact on cardiovascular system homeostasis will direct the diagnosis and therapy of the vaccine-related adverse effects and provide information for development of a personalized vaccination that considers pathophysiological conditions predisposing to such adverse events.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alessandra Ferraresi
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
| | - Ciro Isidoro
- Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Department of Health Sciences, Università del Piemonte Orientale, 28100 Novara, Italy
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3
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Geronikolou SA, Takan I, Pavlopoulou A, Mantzourani M, Chrousos GP. Thrombocytopenia in COVID‑19 and vaccine‑induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia. Int J Mol Med 2022; 49:35. [PMID: 35059730 PMCID: PMC8815408 DOI: 10.3892/ijmm.2022.5090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The highly heterogeneous symptomatology and unpredictable progress of COVID-19 triggered unprecedented intensive biomedical research and a number of clinical research projects. Although the pathophysiology of the disease is being progressively clarified, its complexity remains vast. Moreover, some extremely infrequent cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenia following vaccination against SARS-CoV-2 infection have been observed. The present study aimed to map the signaling pathways of thrombocytopenia implicated in COVID-19, as well as in vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia (VITT). The biomedical literature database, MEDLINE/PubMed, was thoroughly searched using artificial intelligence techniques for the semantic relations among the top 50 similar words (>0.9) implicated in COVID-19-mediated human infection or VITT. Additionally, STRING, a database of primary and predicted associations among genes and proteins (collected from diverse resources, such as documented pathway knowledge, high-throughput experimental studies, cross-species extrapolated information, automated text mining results, computationally predicted interactions, etc.), was employed, with the confidence threshold set at 0.7. In addition, two interactomes were constructed: i) A network including 119 and 56 nodes relevant to COVID-19 and thrombocytopenia, respectively; and ii) a second network containing 60 nodes relevant to VITT. Although thrombocytopenia is a dominant morbidity in both entities, three nodes were observed that corresponded to genes (AURKA, CD46 and CD19) expressed only in VITT, whilst ADAM10, CDC20, SHC1 and STXBP2 are silenced in VITT, but are commonly expressed in both COVID-19 and thrombocytopenia. The calculated average node degree was immense (11.9 in COVID-19 and 6.43 in VITT), illustrating the complexity of COVID-19 and VITT pathologies and confirming the importance of cytokines, as well as of pathways activated following hypoxic events. In addition, PYCARD, NLP3 and P2RX7 are key potential therapeutic targets for all three morbid entities, meriting further research. This interactome was based on wild-type genes, revealing the predisposition of the body to hypoxia-induced thrombosis, leading to the acute COVID-19 phenotype, the 'long-COVID syndrome', and/or VITT. Thus, common nodes appear to be key players in illness prevention, progression and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Styliani A Geronikolou
- Clinical, Translational and Experimental Surgery Research Centre, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Işil Takan
- Izmir Biomedicine and Genome Center (IBG), 35340 Izmir, Turkey
| | | | - Marina Mantzourani
- First Department of Internal Medicine, Laiko Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George P Chrousos
- Clinical, Translational and Experimental Surgery Research Centre, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
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4
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Hou J, Wang S, Li D, Carpp LN, Zhang T, Liu Y, Jia M, Peng H, Liu C, Wu H, Huang Y, Shao Y. Early Pro-Inflammatory Signal and T-Cell Activation Associate With Vaccine-Induced Anti-Vaccinia Protective Neutralizing Antibodies. Front Immunol 2021; 12:737487. [PMID: 34707608 PMCID: PMC8542877 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.737487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Both vaccine “take” and neutralizing antibody (nAb) titer are historical correlates for vaccine-induced protection from smallpox. We analyzed a subset of samples from a phase 2a trial of three DNA/HIV-1 primes and a recombinant Tiantan vaccinia virus-vectored (rTV)/HIV-1 booster and found that a proportion of participants showed no anti-vaccinia nAb response to the rTV/HIV-1 booster, despite successful vaccine “take.” Using a rich transcriptomic and vaccinia-specific immunological dataset with fine kinetic sampling, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying nAb response. Blood transcription module analysis revealed the downregulation of the activator protein 1 (AP-1) pathway in responders, but not in non-responders, and the upregulation of T-cell activation in responders. Furthermore, transcriptional factor network reconstruction revealed the upregulation of AP-1 core genes at hour 4 and day 1 post-rTV/HIV-1 vaccination, followed by a downregulation from day 3 until day 28 in responders. In contrast, AP-1 core and pro-inflammatory genes were upregulated on day 7 in non-responders. We speculate that persistent pro-inflammatory signaling early post-rTV/HIV-1 vaccination inhibits the nAb response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jue Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Shuhui Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Dan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Lindsay N Carpp
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Tong Zhang
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Manxue Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Hong Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
| | - Hao Wu
- Center for Infectious Diseases, Beijing You'an Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yunda Huang
- Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Yiming Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Infectious Disease Prevention and Control, National Center for AIDS/STD Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing, China
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Kennedy RB, Haralambieva IH, Ovsyannikova IG, Voigt EA, Larrabee BR, Schaid DJ, Zimmermann MT, Oberg AL, Poland GA. Polymorphisms in STING Affect Human Innate Immune Responses to Poxviruses. Front Immunol 2020; 11:567348. [PMID: 33154747 PMCID: PMC7591719 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.567348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
We conducted a large genome-wide association study (GWAS) of the immune responses to primary smallpox vaccination in a combined cohort of 1,653 subjects. We did not observe any polymorphisms associated with standard vaccine response outcomes (e.g., neutralizing antibody, T cell ELISPOT response, or T cell cytokine production); however, we did identify a cluster of SNPs on chromosome 5 (5q31.2) that were significantly associated (p-value: 1.3 x 10-12 - 1.5x10-36) with IFNα response to in vitro poxvirus stimulation. Examination of these SNPs led to the functional testing of rs1131769, a non-synonymous SNP in TMEM173 causing an Arg-to-His change at position 232 in the STING protein-a major regulator of innate immune responses to viral infections. Our findings demonstrate differences in the ability of the two STING variants to phosphorylate the downstream intermediates TBK1 and IRF3 in response to multiple STING ligands. Further downstream in the STING pathway, we observed significantly reduced expression of type I IFNs (including IFNα) and IFN-response genes in cells carrying the H232 variant. Subsequent molecular modeling of both alleles predicted altered ligand binding characteristics between the two variants, providing a potential mechanism underlying differences in inter-individual responses to poxvirus infection. Our data indicate that possession of the H232 variant may impair STING-mediated innate immunity to poxviruses. These results clarify prior studies evaluating functional effects of genetic variants in TMEM173 and provide novel data regarding genetic control of poxvirus immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard B. Kennedy
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | | | | | - Emily A. Voigt
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Beth R. Larrabee
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Science Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Daniel J. Schaid
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Science Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Michael T. Zimmermann
- Bioinformatics Research and Development Laboratory, Genomics Sciences and Precision Medicine Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI, United States
| | - Ann L. Oberg
- Division of Biomedical Statistics and Informatics, Department of Health Science Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - Gregory A. Poland
- Mayo Clinic Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States
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6
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Mohamed H, Esposito RA, Kutzler MA, Wigdahl B, Krebs FC, Miller V. Nonthermal plasma as part of a novel strategy for vaccination. PLASMA PROCESSES AND POLYMERS (PRINT) 2020; 17:2000051. [PMID: 32837491 PMCID: PMC7404442 DOI: 10.1002/ppap.202000051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/28/2020] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Vaccination has been one of the most effective health intervention mechanisms to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with infectious diseases. Vaccines stimulate the body's protective immune responses through controlled exposure to modified versions of pathogens that establish immunological memory. However, only a few diseases have effective vaccines. The biological effects of nonthermal plasma on cells suggest that plasma could play an important role in improving efficacy of existing vaccines and overcoming some of the limitations and challenges with current vaccination strategies. This review summarizes the opportunities for nonthermal plasma for immunization and therapeutic purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hager Mohamed
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Rita A. Esposito
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Michele A. Kutzler
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Brian Wigdahl
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Fred C. Krebs
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
| | - Vandana Miller
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Institute for Molecular Medicine and Infectious DiseaseDrexel University College of MedicinePhiladelphiaPennsylvania
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Kunasekaran MP, Chen X, Costantino V, Chughtai AA, MacIntyre CR. Evidence for Residual Immunity to Smallpox After Vaccination and Implications for Re-emergence. Mil Med 2020; 184:e668-e679. [PMID: 31369103 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usz181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Smallpox has been eradicated but advances in synthetic biology have increased the risk of its re-emergence. Residual immunity in individuals who were previously vaccinated may mitigate the impact of an outbreak, but there is a high degree of uncertainty about the duration and degree of residual immunity. Both cell-mediated and humoral immunity are thought to be important but the exact mechanisms of protection are unclear. Guidelines usually suggest vaccine-induced immunity wanes to zero after 3-10 years post vaccination, whereas other estimates show long term immunity over decades. MATERIALS AND METHODS A systematic review of the literature was conducted to quantify the duration and extent of residual immunity to smallpox after vaccination. RESULTS Twenty-nine papers related to quantifying residual immunity to smallpox after vaccination were identified: neutralizing antibody levels were used as immune correlates of protection in 11/16 retrospective cross-sectional studies, 2/3 epidemiological studies, 6/7 prospective vaccine trials and 0/3 modeling studies. Duration of protection of >20 years was consistently shown in the 16 retrospective cross-sectional studies, while the lowest estimated duration of protection was 11.7 years among the modeling studies. Childhood vaccination conferred longer duration of protection than vaccination in adulthood, and multiple vaccinations did not appear to improve immunity. CONCLUSIONS Most studies suggest a longer duration of residual immunity (at least 20 years) than assumed in smallpox guidelines. Estimates from modeling studies were less but still greater than the 3-10 years suggested by the WHO Committee on International Quarantine or US CDC guidelines. These recommendations were probably based on observations and studies conducted while smallpox was endemic. The cut-off values for pre-existing antibody levels of >1:20 and >1:32 reported during the period of endemic smallpox circulation may not be relevant to the contemporary population, but have been used as a threshold for identifying people with residual immunity in post-eradication era studies. Of the total antibodies produced in response to smallpox vaccination, neutralizing antibodies have shown to contribute significantly to immunological memory. Although the mechanism of immunological memory and boosting is unclear, revaccination is likely to result in a more robust response. There is a need to improve the evidence base for estimates on residual immunity to better inform planning and preparedness for re-emergent smallpox.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Xin Chen
- Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | | | - Abrar Ahmad Chughtai
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia
| | - Chandini Raina MacIntyre
- Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Australia.,College of Public Service and Community Solutions, Arizona State University, AZ
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Costantino V, Trent MJ, Sullivan JS, Kunasekaran MP, Gray R, MacIntyre R. Serological Immunity to Smallpox in New South Wales, Australia. Viruses 2020; 12:v12050554. [PMID: 32443405 PMCID: PMC7291091 DOI: 10.3390/v12050554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The re-emergence of smallpox is an increasing and legitimate concern due to advances in synthetic biology. Vaccination programs against smallpox using the vaccinia virus vaccine ceased with the eradication of smallpox and, unlike many other countries, Australia did not use mass vaccinations. However, vaccinated migrants contribute to population immunity. Testing for vaccinia antibodies is not routinely performed in Australia, and few opportunities exist to estimate the level of residual population immunity against smallpox. Serological data on population immunity in Australia could inform management plans against a smallpox outbreak. Vaccinia antibodies were measured in 2003 in regular plasmapheresis donors at the Australian Red Cross Blood Service from New South Wales (NSW). The data were analysed to estimate the proportion of Australians in NSW with detectable serological immunity to vaccinia. The primary object of this study was to measure neutralising antibody titres against vaccinia virus. Titre levels in donor samples were determined by plaque reduction assay. To estimate current levels of immunity to smallpox infection, the decline in geometric mean titres (GMT) over time was projected using two values for the antibody levels estimated on the basis of different times since vaccination. The results of this study suggest that there is minimal residual immunity to the vaccinia virus in the Australian population. Although humoral immunity is protective against orthopoxvirus infections, cell-mediated immunity and immunological memory likely also play roles, which are not quantified by antibody levels. These data provide an immunological snapshot of the NSW population, which could inform emergency preparedness planning and outbreak control, especially concerning the stockpiling of vaccinia vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Costantino
- Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.J.T.); (M.P.K.); (R.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Mallory J. Trent
- Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.J.T.); (M.P.K.); (R.M.)
| | - John S. Sullivan
- Central Clinical School, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
- School of Medical Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia
| | - Mohana P. Kunasekaran
- Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.J.T.); (M.P.K.); (R.M.)
| | - Richard Gray
- Surveillance Evaluation and Research Program, Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia;
| | - Raina MacIntyre
- Biosecurity Program, Kirby Institute, Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia; (M.J.T.); (M.P.K.); (R.M.)
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9
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Rodrigues Garcia D, Rodrigues de Souza F, Paula Guimarães A, Castro Ramalho T, Palermo de Aguiar A, Celmar Costa França T. Design of inhibitors of thymidylate kinase from Variola virus as new selective drugs against smallpox: part II. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2019; 37:4569-4579. [PMID: 30488769 PMCID: PMC9491145 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2018.1554510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2018] [Revised: 11/26/2018] [Accepted: 11/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Acknowledging the importance of studies toward the development of measures against terrorism and bioterrorism, this study aims to contribute to the design of new prototypes of potential drugs against smallpox. Based on a former study, nine synthetic feasible prototypes of selective inhibitors for thymidylate kinase from Variola virus (VarTMPK) were designed and submitted to molecular docking, molecular dynamics simulations and binding energy calculations. The compounds are simplifications of two more complex scaffolds, with a guanine connected to an amide or alcohol through a spacer containing ether and/or amide groups, formerly suggested as promising for the design of selective inhibitors of VarTMPK. Our study showed that, despite the structural simplifications, the compounds presented effective energy values in interactions with VarTMPK and HssTMPK and that the guanine could be replaced by a simpler imidazole ring linked to a -NH2 group, without compromising the affinity for VarTMPK. It was also observed that a positive charge in the imidazole ring is important for the selectivity toward VarTMPK and that an amide group in the spacer does not contribute to selectivity. Finally, prototype 3 was pointed as the most promising to be synthesized and experimentally evaluated. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle Rodrigues Garcia
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Applied to Chemical and Biological Defense, Military Institute of Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Felipe Rodrigues de Souza
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Applied to Chemical and Biological Defense, Military Institute of Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | - Teodorico Castro Ramalho
- Laboratory of Computational Chemistry, Department of Chemistry, UFLA, Lavras, MG, Brazil
- Faculty of Informatics and Management, Center for Basic and Applied Research, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králove, Czech Republic
| | | | - Tanos Celmar Costa França
- Laboratory of Molecular Modeling Applied to Chemical and Biological Defense, Military Institute of Engineering, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
- Faculty of Informatics and Management, Center for Basic and Applied Research, University of Hradec Králové, Hradec Králove, Czech Republic
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