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Virus-like Particle Vaccine Expressing the Respiratory Syncytial Virus Pre-Fusion and G Proteins Confers Protection against RSV Challenge Infection. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15030782. [PMID: 36986643 PMCID: PMC10051362 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15030782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2023] [Revised: 02/23/2023] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe lower respiratory tract disease in children and the elderly. However, there are no effective antiviral drugs or licensed vaccines available for RSV infection. Here, RSV virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines expressing Pre-F, G, or Pre-F and G proteins on the surface of influenza virus matrix protein 1 (M1) were produced using the baculovirus expression system, and their protective efficacy was evaluated in mice. The morphology and successful assembly of VLPs were confirmed by transmission electron microscope (TEM) and Western blot. High levels of serum IgG antibody response were detected in VLP-immunized mice, and significantly higher levels of IgG2a and IgG2b were found in the Pre-F+G VLP immunization group compared to the unimmunized control. Serum-neutralizing activity was higher in the VLP immunization groups compared to the naïve group, with Pre-F+G VLPs demonstrating superior neutralizing activity to the single antigen-expressing VLP groups. Pulmonary IgA and IgG responses were generally comparable across the immunization groups, with VLPs expressing the Pre-F antigen eliciting higher IFN-γ in spleens. The frequencies of eosinophils and IL-4-producing CD4+ T cell populations were substantially lower in the lungs of VLP-immunized mice, with the PreF+G vaccine inducing a significant increase in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. VLP immunization significantly decreased the viral titer and inflammation in the lungs of mice, with Pre-F+G VLPs conferring the best protection. In conclusion, our present study suggests that the Pre-F+G VLPs could be a potential vaccine candidate against RSV infection.
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Alkayyal AA, Ajina R, Cacciabue M, Alkayyal AA, Saeedi NH, Hussain Alshehry T, Kaboha F, Alotaibi MA, Zaidan N, Shah K, Alroqi F, Bakur Mahmoud A. SARS-CoV-2 RBD protein enhances the oncolytic activity of the vesicular stomatitis virus. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1082191. [PMID: 36798114 PMCID: PMC9927213 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1082191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite recent advances in the research on oncolytic viruses (OVs), a better understanding of how to enhance their replication is key to improving their therapeutic index. Understanding viral replication is important to improve treatment outcomes based on enhanced viral spreading within the tumor milieu. The VSV-Δ51 oncolytic virus has been widely used as an anticancer agent with a high selectivity profile. In this study, we examined the role of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) in enhancing VSV-Δ51 viral production and oncolytic activity. To test this hypothesis, we first generated a novel VSV-Δ51 mutant that encoded the SARS-COV-2 RBD and compared viral spreading and viral yield between VSV-Δ51-RBD and VSV-Δ51 in vitro. Using the viral plaque assay, we demonstrated that the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD in the VSV-Δ51 genome is associated with a significantly larger viral plaque surface area and significantly higher virus titers. Subsequently, using an ATP release-based assay, we demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 RBD could enhance VSV-Δ51 oncolytic activity in vitro. This observation was further supported using the B16F10 tumor model. These findings highlighted a novel use of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD as an anticancer agent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Almohanad A Alkayyal
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.,Immunology Research Program, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Reham Ajina
- Immunology Research Program, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Marco Cacciabue
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología y Biología Molecular (IABIMO), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), De los Reseros y N. Repetto s/n, Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Nacional de Luján, Luján, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aaesha A Alkayyal
- College of Medicine, Taibah University, Almadinah Almunwarah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nizar H Saeedi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia
| | - Taofik Hussain Alshehry
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, King Saud University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Feras Kaboha
- King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, King Saud University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Mohammed A Alotaibi
- Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences, University of Tabuk, Tabuk, Saudi Arabia.,King Abdullah International Medical Research Centre, King Saud University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - Nada Zaidan
- King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology-Brigham and Women's Hospital (KACST-BWH) Centre of Excellence for Biomedicine, Joint Centers of Excellence Program, King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Khalid Shah
- Center for Stem Cell and Translational Immunotherapy (CSTI), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Department of Neurosurgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, United States.,Harvard Stem Cell Institute, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Fayhan Alroqi
- Immunology Research Program, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Department of Immunology, Ministry of the National Guard - Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.,Faculty of Medicine, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
| | - Ahmad Bakur Mahmoud
- College of Applied Medical Sciences, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.,Strategic Research and Innovation Laboratories, Taibah University, Madinah, Saudi Arabia.,Immunology Research Program, King Abdullah International Medical Research Center, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
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Brakel KA, Ma Y, Binjawadagi R, Harder O, Watts M, Li J, Binjawadagi B, Niewiesk S. Codon-optimization of the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) G protein expressed in a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vector improves immune responses in a cotton rat model. Virology 2022; 575:101-110. [PMID: 36096069 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2022.08.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Respiratory syncytial virus is an important cause of pneumonia in children, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. The attachment (G) protein of RSV generates neutralizing antibodies in natural RSV infection which correlate with protection against disease. The immune response to RSV is typically short-lived, which may be related to the heavy glycosylation of RSV-G. In order to improve its immunogenicity, we expressed G protein mutants in a vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) vector system and tested their ability to protect cotton rats from RSV challenge. We found that the most protective construct was codon-optimized RSV-G, followed by wild-type G and membrane-bound G. Constructs which expressed the G protein with reduced glycosylation or the secreted G protein provided either partial or no protection. Our results demonstrate that modifications to the G protein are not advantageous in a VSV vector system, and that an intact, codon-optimized G is a superior vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey A Brakel
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Yuanmei Ma
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Rashmi Binjawadagi
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Olivia Harder
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Mauria Watts
- Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Jianrong Li
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States
| | - Basavaraj Binjawadagi
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States; Ceva Sante Animale, Lenexa, KS, United States
| | - Stefan Niewiesk
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States.
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