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Wollner CJ, Richner M, Hassert MA, Pinto AK, Brien JD, Richner JM. A Dengue Virus Serotype 1 mRNA-LNP Vaccine Elicits Protective Immune Responses. J Virol 2021; 95:e02482-20. [PMID: 33762420 PMCID: PMC8315947 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02482-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) is the most common vector-borne viral disease, with nearly 400 million worldwide infections each year concentrated in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Severe dengue complications are often associated with a secondary heterotypic infection of one of the four circulating serotypes. In this scenario, humoral immune responses targeting cross-reactive, poorly neutralizing epitopes can lead to increased infectivity of susceptible cells via antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). In this way, antibodies produced in response to infection or vaccination are capable of contributing to enhanced disease in subsequent infections. Currently, there are no available therapeutics to combat DENV disease, and there is an urgent need for a safe and efficacious vaccine. Here, we developed a nucleotide-modified mRNA vaccine encoding the membrane and envelope structural proteins from DENV serotype 1 encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (prM/E mRNA-LNP). Vaccination of mice elicited robust antiviral immune responses comparable to viral infection, with high levels of neutralizing antibody titers and antiviral CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Immunocompromised AG129 mice vaccinated with the prM/E mRNA-LNP vaccine were protected from a lethal DENV challenge. Vaccination with either a wild-type vaccine or a vaccine with mutations in the immunodominant fusion loop epitope elicited equivalent humoral and cell-mediated immune responses. Neutralizing antibodies elicited by the vaccine were sufficient to protect against a lethal challenge. Both vaccine constructs demonstrated serotype-specific immunity with minimal serum cross-reactivity and reduced ADE in comparison to a live DENV1 viral infection.IMPORTANCE With 400 million worldwide infections each year, dengue is the most common vector-borne viral disease. Forty percent of the world's population is at risk, with dengue experiencing consistent geographic spread over the years. With no therapeutics available and vaccines performing suboptimally, the need for an effective dengue vaccine is urgent. Here, we develop and characterize a novel mRNA vaccine encoding the dengue serotype 1 envelope and premembrane structural proteins that is delivered via a lipid nanoparticle. Our DENV1 prM/E mRNA-LNP vaccine induces neutralizing antibody and cellular immune responses in immunocompetent mice and protects an immunocompromised mouse from a lethal DENV challenge. Existing antibodies against dengue can enhance subsequent infections via antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). Importantly our vaccine induced only serotype-specific immune responses and did not induce ADE.
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MESH Headings
- Adaptive Immunity
- Animals
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/immunology
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/immunology
- Antibody-Dependent Enhancement
- Cell Line
- Cross Reactions
- Dengue/immunology
- Dengue/prevention & control
- Dengue Vaccines/administration & dosage
- Dengue Vaccines/immunology
- Dengue Virus/classification
- Dengue Virus/genetics
- Dengue Virus/immunology
- Immunity, Humoral
- Immunization Schedule
- Liposomes
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Nanoparticles
- RNA, Messenger/genetics
- RNA, Viral/genetics
- Serogroup
- T-Lymphocytes/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
- Viral Envelope Proteins/genetics
- Viral Envelope Proteins/immunology
- Viral Proteins/genetics
- Viral Proteins/immunology
- mRNA Vaccines
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Affiliation(s)
- Clayton J Wollner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Michelle Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Mariah A Hassert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, St. Louis University College of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Amelia K Pinto
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, St. Louis University College of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - James D Brien
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, St. Louis University College of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Justin M Richner
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Shanmugam RK, Ramasamy V, Shukla R, Arora U, Swaminathan S, Khanna N. Pichia pastoris-expressed Zika virus envelope domain III on a virus-like particle platform: design, production and immunological evaluation. Pathog Dis 2019; 77:5480462. [DOI: 10.1093/femspd/ftz026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2019] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Zika virus (ZIKV) is an arbovirus which shares antigenic similarity and the mosquito vector with dengue viruses (DENVs). ZIKV is a neurotropic virus capable of causing congenital neurodevelopmental birth defects. As ZIKV antibodies (Abs) can potentially enhance infection by DENVs, a preventive ZIKV vaccine must be designed to eliminate antibody dependent enhancement of infection. We developed a Zika Subunit Vaccine (ZSV) consisting of two proteins, ZS and S, in a genetically pre-determined ratio of 1:4, using the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. ZS is an in-frame fusion of ZIKV envelope domain III with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen, and S is the un-fused HBV surface antigen. Using specific monoclonal Abs we showed the presence of ZS and S in the co-purified material which were found to co-assemble into virus-like particles (VLPs), based on dynamic light scattering and electron microscopic analyses. These VLPs were immunogenic in BALB/c mice, eliciting Abs capable of neutralizing ZIKV reporter virus particles. Further, the VLP-induced Abs did not enhance a sub-lethal DENV-2 challenge in AG129 mice. This important safety feature, coupled to the well-documented advantage of P. pastoris expression system, warrants further exploration of ZSV VLP as a possible vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajgokul K Shanmugam
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
| | - Viswanathan Ramasamy
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
| | - Rahul Shukla
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
| | - Upasana Arora
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
| | - Sathyamangalam Swaminathan
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
| | - Navin Khanna
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, New Delhi -110067, India
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad-Gurgaon Expressway, Faridabad-121001, India
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3
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Zahid M, Rinas U. Guidelines for Small-Scale Production and Purification of Hepatitis B Surface Antigen Virus-Like Particles from Recombinant Pichia pastoris. Methods Mol Biol 2019; 1923:309-322. [PMID: 30737747 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9024-5_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/21/2023]
Abstract
Virus-like particle (VLP)-based vaccines have been in the market since decades for preventing viral infection and have proven their usefulness also in other areas of biotechnology. Here, we describe in detail simple small-scale production and purification procedures for the generation of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) VLPs using Pichia pastoris as expression host. This protocol may also be applicable with variations to other HBsAg-based VLPs additionally carrying antigens of other pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Zahid
- Technical Chemistry-Life Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany.,Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Ursula Rinas
- Technical Chemistry-Life Science, Leibniz University of Hannover, Hannover, Germany. .,Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany.
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Shukla R, Ramasamy V, Rajpoot RK, Arora U, Poddar A, Ahuja R, Beesetti H, Swaminathan S, Khanna N. Next generation designer virus-like particle vaccines for dengue. Expert Rev Vaccines 2019; 18:105-117. [PMID: 30587054 DOI: 10.1080/14760584.2019.1562909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION A safe and efficacious vaccine for dengue continues to be an unmet public health need. The recent licensing of a dengue vaccine (Dengvaxia) developed by Sanofi has brought to the fore the safety issue of vaccine-induced infection enhancement. AREAS COVERED This article focuses on two new yeast-produced tetravalent dengue envelope domain III-displaying virus-like particulate vaccine candidates reported in early 2018 and reviews the rationale underlying their design, and pre-clinical data which suggest that these may offer promising alternate options. EXPERT COMMENTARY These are the only vaccine candidates so far to have demonstrated the induction of primarily serotype-specific neutralizing antibodies to all dengue virus serotypes in experimental animals. Interestingly, these antibodies lack infection-enhancing potential when evaluated using the AG129 mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rahul Shukla
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Viswanathan Ramasamy
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Ravi Kant Rajpoot
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Upasana Arora
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Ankur Poddar
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Richa Ahuja
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Hemalatha Beesetti
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Sathyamangalam Swaminathan
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India
| | - Navin Khanna
- a Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division , International Centre for Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology , New Delhi , India.,b NCR Biotech Science Cluster , Translational Health Science & Technology Institute , Faridabad , India
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Rey FA, Stiasny K, Vaney MC, Dellarole M, Heinz FX. The bright and the dark side of human antibody responses to flaviviruses: lessons for vaccine design. EMBO Rep 2018; 19:206-224. [PMID: 29282215 PMCID: PMC5797954 DOI: 10.15252/embr.201745302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 160] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 11/23/2017] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika and dengue viruses belong to the Flavivirus genus, a close group of antigenically related viruses that cause significant arthropod-transmitted diseases throughout the globe. Although infection by a given flavivirus is thought to confer lifelong protection, some of the patient's antibodies cross-react with other flaviviruses without cross-neutralizing. The original antigenic sin phenomenon may amplify such antibodies upon subsequent heterologous flavivirus infection, potentially aggravating disease by antibody-dependent enhancement (ADE). The most striking example is provided by the four different dengue viruses, where infection by one serotype appears to predispose to more severe disease upon infection by a second one. A similar effect was postulated for sequential infections with Zika and dengue viruses. In this review, we analyze the molecular determinants of the dual antibody response to flavivirus infection or vaccination in humans. We highlight the role of conserved partially cryptic epitopes giving rise to cross-reacting and poorly neutralizing, ADE-prone antibodies. We end by proposing a strategy for developing an epitope-focused vaccine approach to avoid eliciting undesirable antibodies while focusing the immune system on producing protective antibodies only.
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Affiliation(s)
- Félix A Rey
- Structural Virology Unit, Virology Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Karin Stiasny
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Marie-Christine Vaney
- Structural Virology Unit, Virology Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Mariano Dellarole
- Structural Virology Unit, Virology Department, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- CNRS UMR 3569, Paris, France
| | - Franz X Heinz
- Center for Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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Ramasamy V, Arora U, Shukla R, Poddar A, Shanmugam RK, White LJ, Mattocks MM, Raut R, Perween A, Tyagi P, de Silva AM, Bhaumik SK, Kaja MK, Villinger F, Ahmed R, Johnston RE, Swaminathan S, Khanna N. A tetravalent virus-like particle vaccine designed to display domain III of dengue envelope proteins induces multi-serotype neutralizing antibodies in mice and macaques which confer protection against antibody dependent enhancement in AG129 mice. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2018; 12:e0006191. [PMID: 29309412 PMCID: PMC5774828 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0006191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 01/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Dengue is one of the fastest spreading vector-borne diseases, caused by four antigenically distinct dengue viruses (DENVs). Antibodies against DENVs are responsible for both protection as well as pathogenesis. A vaccine that is safe for and efficacious in all people irrespective of their age and domicile is still an unmet need. It is becoming increasingly apparent that vaccine design must eliminate epitopes implicated in the induction of infection-enhancing antibodies. Methodology/principal findings We report a Pichia pastoris-expressed dengue immunogen, DSV4, based on DENV envelope protein domain III (EDIII), which contains well-characterized serotype-specific and cross-reactive epitopes. In natural infection, <10% of the total neutralizing antibody response is EDIII-directed. Yet, this is a functionally relevant domain which interacts with the host cell surface receptor. DSV4 was designed by in-frame fusion of EDIII of all four DENV serotypes and hepatitis B surface (S) antigen and co-expressed with unfused S antigen to form mosaic virus-like particles (VLPs). These VLPs displayed EDIIIs of all four DENV serotypes based on probing with a battery of serotype-specific anti-EDIII monoclonal antibodies. The DSV4 VLPs were highly immunogenic, inducing potent and durable neutralizing antibodies against all four DENV serotypes encompassing multiple genotypes, in mice and macaques. DSV4-induced murine antibodies suppressed viremia in AG129 mice and conferred protection against lethal DENV-4 virus challenge. Further, neither murine nor macaque anti-DSV4 antibodies promoted mortality or inflammatory cytokine production when passively transferred and tested in an in vivo dengue disease enhancement model of AG129 mice. Conclusions/significance Directing the immune response to a non-immunodominant but functionally relevant serotype-specific dengue epitope of the four DENV serotypes, displayed on a VLP platform, can help minimize the risk of inducing disease-enhancing antibodies while eliciting effective tetravalent seroconversion. DSV4 has a significant potential to emerge as a safe, efficacious and inexpensive subunit dengue vaccine candidate. Dengue is mosquito-borne viral disease which is currently a global public health problem. It is caused by four different types of dengue viruses. Nearly a 100 million people a year suffer from overt sickness, which may range from mild fever to potentially fatal disease. A virus-based dengue vaccine was launched for the first time in late 2015. Unexpectedly, this vaccine mimics the dengue viruses in that it appears to elicit disease-enhancing antibodies. To reduce such risk, safer vaccines that eliminate viral proteins responsible for undesirable antibodies are needed. We focused our attention on a small domain of the dengue virus surface protein known as envelope domain III (EDIII). Humans make only a small amount of antibodies against EDIII, but these antibodies are effective in blocking dengue virus from entering cells. We used a yeast expression system to display EDIIIs of all four types of dengue viruses on the surface of non-infectious virus-like particles (VLPs). These VLPs elicited antibodies, in mice and monkeys, which blocked all four dengue virus types and their variants from entering cells in culture. Importantly, these antibodies did not enhance dengue infection in a mouse model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viswanathan Ramasamy
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Upasana Arora
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rahul Shukla
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Ankur Poddar
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Rajgokul K. Shanmugam
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Laura J. White
- Global Vaccines Inc., 801 Capitola Dr., Ste. 11, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Melissa M. Mattocks
- Global Vaccines Inc., 801 Capitola Dr., Ste. 11, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Rajendra Raut
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Ashiya Perween
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Poornima Tyagi
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
| | - Aravinda M. de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Siddhartha K. Bhaumik
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Murali Krishna Kaja
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- ICGEB-Emory Vaccine Center, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - François Villinger
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Rafi Ahmed
- Emory Vaccine Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
| | - Robert E. Johnston
- Global Vaccines Inc., 801 Capitola Dr., Ste. 11, Durham, NC, United States of America
| | - Sathyamangalam Swaminathan
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (SS); , (NK)
| | - Navin Khanna
- Recombinant Gene Products Group, Molecular Medicine Division, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, India
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States of America
- Translational Health Science & Technology Institute, NCR Biotech Science Cluster, Faridabad, INDIA
- * E-mail: (SS); , (NK)
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Vannice KS, Roehrig JT, Hombach J. Next generation dengue vaccines: A review of the preclinical development pipeline. Vaccine 2015; 33:7091-9. [PMID: 26424602 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2015.09.053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Dengue represents a significant and growing public health problem across the globe, with approximately half of the world's population at risk. The increasing and expanding burden of dengue has highlighted the need for new tools to prevent dengue, including development of dengue vaccines. Recently, the first dengue vaccine candidate was evaluated in Phase 3 clinical trials, and other vaccine candidates are under clinical evaluation. There are also a number of candidates in preclinical development, based on diverse technologies, with promising results in animal models and likely to move into clinical trials and could eventually be next-generation dengue vaccines. This review provides an overview of the various technological approaches to dengue vaccine development with specific focus on candidates in preclinical development and with evaluation in non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten S Vannice
- Initiative for Vaccine Research, Department of Immunizations, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - John T Roehrig
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Joachim Hombach
- Initiative for Vaccine Research, Department of Immunizations, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
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