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Optimized Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) E2 Glycoproteins and their Immunogenicity in Combination with MVA-HCV. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8030440. [PMID: 32764419 PMCID: PMC7563715 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8030440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 07/22/2020] [Accepted: 07/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) represents a major global health challenge and an efficient vaccine is urgently needed. Many HCV vaccination strategies employ recombinant versions of the viral E2 glycoprotein. However, recombinant E2 readily forms disulfide-bonded aggregates that might not be optimally suited for vaccines. Therefore, we have designed an E2 protein in which we strategically changed eight cysteines to alanines (E2.C8A). E2.C8A formed predominantly monomers and virtually no aggregates. Furthermore, E2.C8A also interacted more efficiently with broadly neutralizing antibodies than conventional E2. We used mice to evaluate different prime/boost immunization strategies involving a modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) expressing the nearly full-length genome of HCV (MVA-HCV) in combination with either the E2 aggregates or the E2.C8A monomers. The combined MVA-HCV/E2 aggregates prime/boost strategy markedly enhanced HCV-specific effector memory CD4+ T cell responses and antibody levels compared to MVA-HCV/MVA-HCV. Moreover, the aggregated form of E2 induced higher levels of anti-E2 antibodies in vaccinated mice than E2.C8A monomers. These antibodies were cross-reactive and mainly of the IgG1 isotype. Our findings revealed how two E2 viral proteins that differ in their capacity to form aggregates are able to enhance to different extent the HCV-specific cellular and humoral immune responses, either alone or in combination with MVA-HCV. These combined protocols of MVA-HCV/E2 could serve as a basis for the development of a more effective HCV vaccine.
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Broad Anti-Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) Antibody Responses Are Associated with Improved Clinical Disease Parameters in Chronic HCV Infection. J Virol 2016; 90:4530-4543. [PMID: 26912610 PMCID: PMC4836347 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02669-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2015] [Accepted: 02/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED During hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, broadly neutralizing antibody (bNAb) responses targeting E1E2 envelope glycoproteins are generated in many individuals. It is unclear if these antibodies play a protective or a pathogenic role during chronic infection. In this study, we investigated whether bNAb responses in individuals with chronic infection were associated with differences in clinical presentation. Patient-derived purified serum IgG was used to assess the breadth of HCV E1E2 binding and the neutralization activity of HCV pseudoparticles. The binding and neutralization activity results for two panels bearing viral envelope proteins representing either an intergenotype or an intragenotype 1 group were compared. We found that the HCV load was negatively associated with strong cross-genotypic E1E2 binding (P= 0.03). Overall, we observed only a modest correlation between total E1E2 binding and neutralization ability. The breadth of intergenotype neutralization did not correlate with any clinical parameters; however, analysis of individuals with genotype 1 (gt1) HCV infection (n= 20), using an intragenotype pseudoparticle panel, found a strong association between neutralization breadth and reduced liver fibrosis (P= 0.006). A broad bNAb response in our cohort with chronic infection was associated with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in theHLA-DQB1 gene (P= 0.038), as previously reported in a cohort with acute disease. Furthermore, the bNAbs in these individuals targeted more than one region of E2-neutralizing epitopes, as assessed through cross-competition of patient bNAbs with well-characterized E2 antibodies. We conclude that the bNAb responses in patients with chronic gt1 infection are associated with lower rates of fibrosis and host genetics may play a role in the ability to raise such responses. IMPORTANCE Globally, there are 130 million to 150 million people with chronic HCV infection. Typically, the disease is progressive and is a major cause of severe liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. While it is known that neutralizing antibodies have a role in spontaneous clearance during acute infection, little is known about their role in chronic infection. In the present work, we investigated the antibody response in a cohort of chronically infected individuals and found that a broadly neutralizing antibody response is protective and is associated with reduced levels of liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. We also found an association between SNPs in class II HLA genes and the presence of a broadly neutralizing response, indicating that antigen presentation may be important for the production of HCV-neutralizing antibodies.
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Jin S, Ji Y, Wang Q, Wang H, Shi X, Han X, Zhou T, Shang H, Zhang L. Spatiotemporal hierarchy in antibody recognition against transmitted HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein during natural infection. Retrovirology 2016; 13:12. [PMID: 26883323 PMCID: PMC4756523 DOI: 10.1186/s12977-016-0243-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Majority of HIV-1 infection is established by one transmitted/founder virus and understanding how the neutralizing antibodies develop against this virus is critical for our rational design an HIV-1 vaccine.
Results We report here antibody profiling of sequential plasma samples against transmitted/founder HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein in an epidemiologically linked transmission pair using our previously reported antigen library approach. We have decomposed the antibody recognition into three major subdomains on the envelope and showed their development in vivo followed a spatiotemporal hierarchy: starting with the ectodomain of gp41 at membrane proximal region, then the V3C3V4 and the V1V2 of gp120 at the membrane distal region. While antibodies to these subdomains appeared to undergo avidity maturation, the early anti-gp41 antibodies failed to translate into detectable autologous neutralization. Instead, it was the much delayed anti-V3C3V4 and anti-V1V2 antibodies constituted the major neutralizing activities. Conclusions Our results indicate that the initial antibody response was severely misguided by the transmitted/founder virus and future vaccine design would need to avoid the ectodomain of gp41 and focus on the neutralizing targets in the V3C3V4 and V1V2 subdomains of gp120. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12977-016-0243-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Jin
- Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Yangtao Ji
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Ministry of Health, Department of Laboratory Medicine, No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Qian Wang
- Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Xuanling Shi
- Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
| | - Xiaoxu Han
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Ministry of Health, Department of Laboratory Medicine, No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Tongqing Zhou
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA.
| | - Hong Shang
- Key Laboratory of AIDS Immunology of Ministry of Health, Department of Laboratory Medicine, No. 1 Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110001, China.
| | - Linqi Zhang
- Comprehensive AIDS Research Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences and School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
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Cashman SB, Marsden BD, Dustin LB. The Humoral Immune Response to HCV: Understanding is Key to Vaccine Development. Front Immunol 2014; 5:550. [PMID: 25426115 PMCID: PMC4226226 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2014.00550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/16/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) remains a global problem, despite advances in treatment. The low cost and high benefit of vaccines have made them the backbone of modern public health strategies, and the fight against HCV will not be won without an effective vaccine. Achievement of this goal will benefit from a robust understanding of virus-host interactions and protective immunity in HCV infection. In this review, we summarize recent findings on HCV-specific antibody responses associated with chronic and spontaneously resolving human infection. In addition, we discuss specific epitopes within HCV's envelope glycoproteins that are targeted by neutralizing antibodies. Understanding what prompts or prevents a successful immune response leading to viral clearance or persistence is essential to designing a successful vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siobhán B Cashman
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Brian D Marsden
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK ; Nuffield Department of Medicine, Structural Genomics Consortium, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Lynn B Dustin
- Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, and Musculoskeletal Sciences, Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
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