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Abstract
Although West Nile virus (WNV) has been a prominent mosquito-transmitted infection in North America for twenty years, no human vaccine has been licensed. With a cumulative number of 24,714 neurological disease cases and 2314 deaths in the U.S. since 1999, plus a large outbreak in Europe in 2018 involving over 2000 human cases in 15 countries, a vaccine is essential to prevent continued morbidity, mortality, and economic burden. Currently, four veterinary vaccines are licensed, and six vaccines have progressed into clinical trials in humans. All four veterinary vaccines require multiple primary doses and annual boosters, but for a human vaccine to be protective and cost effective in the most vulnerable older age population, it is ideal that the vaccine be strongly immunogenic with only a single dose and without subsequent annual boosters. Of six human vaccine candidates, the two live, attenuated vaccines were the only ones that elicited strong immunity after a single dose. As none of these candidates have yet progressed beyond phase II clinical trials, development of new candidate vaccines and improvement of vaccination strategies remains an important area of research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaclyn A Kaiser
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA
| | - Alan D T Barrett
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA.
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Tinker JK, Yan J, Knippel RJ, Panayiotou P, Cornell KA. Immunogenicity of a West Nile virus DIII-cholera toxin A2/B chimera after intranasal delivery. Toxins (Basel) 2014; 6:1397-418. [PMID: 24759174 PMCID: PMC4014742 DOI: 10.3390/toxins6041397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2014] [Accepted: 04/09/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) causes potentially fatal neuroinvasive disease and persists at endemic levels in many parts of the world. Despite advances in our understanding of WNV pathogenesis, there remains a significant need for a human vaccine. The domain III (DIII) region of the WNV envelope protein contains epitopes that are the target of neutralizing antibodies. We have constructed a chimeric fusion of the non-toxic cholera toxin (CT) CTA2/B domains to DIII for investigation as a novel mucosally-delivered WNV vaccine. Purification and assembly of the chimera, as well as receptor-binding and antigen delivery, were verified by western blot, GM1 ELISA and confocal microscopy. Groups of BALB/c mice were immunized intranasally with DIII-CTA2/B, DIII, DIII mixed with CTA2/B, or CTA2/B control, and boosted at 10 days. Analysis of serum IgG after 14 and 45 days revealed that mucosal immunization with DIII-CTA2/B induced significant DIII-specific humoral immunity and drove isotype switching to IgG2a. The DIII-CTA2/B chimera also induced antigen-specific IgM and IgA responses. Bactericidal assays indicate that the DIII-CTA2/B immunized mice produced DIII-specific antibodies that can trigger complement-mediated killing. A dose escalation resulted in increased DIII-specific serum IgG titers on day 45. DIII antigen alone, in the absence of adjuvant, also induced significant systemic responses after intranasal delivery. Our results indicate that the DIII-CTA2/B chimera is immunogenic after intranasal delivery and merits further investigation as a novel WNV vaccine candidate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliette K Tinker
- Department of Biological Sciences, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
| | - Jie Yan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
| | - Reece J Knippel
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
| | - Panos Panayiotou
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
| | - Kenneth A Cornell
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Boise State University, Boise, ID 83725, USA.
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3
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Dayan GH, Pugachev K, Bevilacqua J, Lang J, Monath TP. Preclinical and clinical development of a YFV 17 D-based chimeric vaccine against West Nile virus. Viruses 2013; 5:3048-70. [PMID: 24351795 PMCID: PMC3967160 DOI: 10.3390/v5123048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2013] [Revised: 11/11/2013] [Accepted: 11/18/2013] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial success has been achieved in the development and implementation of West Nile (WN) vaccines for horses; however, no human WN vaccines are approved. This review focuses on the construction, pre-clinical and clinical characterization of ChimeriVax-WN02 for humans, a live chimeric vaccine composed of a yellow fever (YF) 17D virus in which the prM-E envelope protein genes are replaced with the corresponding genes of the WN NY99 virus. Pre-clinical studies demonstrated that ChimeriVax-WN02 was significantly less neurovirulent than YF 17D in mice and rhesus and cynomolgus monkeys. The vaccine elicited neutralizing antibody titers after inoculation in hamsters and monkeys and protected immunized animals from lethal challenge including intracerebral inoculation of high dose of WN NY99 virus. Safety, viremia and immunogenicity of ChimeriVax-WN02 were assessed in one phase I study and in two phase II clinical trials. No safety signals were detected in the three clinical trials with no remarkable differences in incidence of adverse events (AEs) between vaccine and placebo recipients. Viremia was transient and the mean viremia levels were low. The vaccine elicited strong and durable neutralizing antibody and cytotoxic T cell responses. WN epidemiology impedes a classical licensure pathway; therefore, innovative licensure strategies should be explored.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Antibodies, Neutralizing/blood
- Antibodies, Viral/blood
- Clinical Trials as Topic
- Cricetinae
- Disease Models, Animal
- Drug Carriers
- Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
- Genetic Vectors
- Humans
- Macaca fascicularis
- Mice
- Survival Analysis
- T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic/immunology
- Vaccines, Attenuated/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Attenuated/adverse effects
- Vaccines, Attenuated/genetics
- Vaccines, Attenuated/immunology
- Vaccines, Synthetic/administration & dosage
- Vaccines, Synthetic/adverse effects
- Vaccines, Synthetic/genetics
- Vaccines, Synthetic/immunology
- West Nile Virus Vaccines/administration & dosage
- West Nile Virus Vaccines/adverse effects
- West Nile Virus Vaccines/genetics
- West Nile Virus Vaccines/immunology
- West Nile virus/genetics
- West Nile virus/immunology
- Yellow fever virus/genetics
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Joan Bevilacqua
- Sanofi Pasteur, 1755 Steeles Ave West, Toronto, ON M2R 3T4, Canada; E-Mail:
| | - Jean Lang
- Sanofi Pasteur, 1541 Avenue, Marcel Mérieux, Marcy-l'Étoile 69280, France; E-Mail:
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Zlatkovic J, Stiasny K, Heinz FX. Immunodominance and functional activities of antibody responses to inactivated West Nile virus and recombinant subunit vaccines in mice. J Virol 2011; 85:1994-2003. [PMID: 21147919 PMCID: PMC3067796 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01886-10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/01/2010] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Factors controlling the dominance of antibody responses to specific sites in viruses and/or protein antigens are ill defined but can be of great importance for the induction of potent immune responses to vaccines. West Nile virus and other related important human-pathogenic flaviviruses display the major target of neutralizing antibodies, the E protein, in an icosahedral shell at the virion surface. Potent neutralizing antibodies were shown to react with the upper surface of domain III (DIII) of this protein. Using the West Nile virus system, we conducted a study on the immunodominance and functional quality of E-specific antibody responses after immunization of mice with soluble protein E (sE) and isolated DIII in comparison to those after immunization with inactivated whole virions. With both virion and sE, the neutralizing response was dominated by DIII-specific antibodies, but the functionality of these antibodies was almost four times higher after virion immunization. Antibodies induced by the isolated DIII had an at least 15-fold lower specific neutralizing activity than those induced by the virion, and only 50% of these antibodies were able to bind to virus particles. Our results suggest that immunization with the tightly packed E in virions focuses the DIII antibody response to the externally exposed sites of this domain which are the primary targets for virus neutralization, different from sE and isolated DIII, which also display protein surfaces that are cryptic in the virion. Despite its low potency for priming, DIII was an excellent boosting antigen, suggesting novel vaccination strategies that strengthen and focus the antibody response to critical neutralizing sites in DIII.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juergen Zlatkovic
- Department of Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna A-1095, Austria
| | - Karin Stiasny
- Department of Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna A-1095, Austria
| | - Franz X. Heinz
- Department of Virology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna A-1095, Austria
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Prow TW, Chen X, Prow NA, Fernando GJP, Tan CSE, Raphael AP, Chang D, Ruutu MP, Jenkins DWK, Pyke A, Crichton ML, Raphaelli K, Goh LYH, Frazer IH, Roberts MS, Gardner J, Khromykh AA, Suhrbier A, Hall RA, Kendall MAF. Nanopatch-targeted skin vaccination against West Nile Virus and Chikungunya virus in mice. Small 2010; 6:1776-1784. [PMID: 20665754 DOI: 10.1002/smll.201000331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 116] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
The 'Nanopatch' (NP) comprises arrays of densely packed projections with a defined geometry and distribution designed to physically target vaccines directly to thousands of epidermal and dermal antigen presenting cells (APCs). These miniaturized arrays are two orders of magnitude smaller than standard needles-which deliver most vaccines-and are also much smaller than current microneedle arrays. The NP is dry-coated with antigen, adjuvant, and/or DNA payloads. After the NP was pressed onto mouse skin, a protein payload co-localized with 91.4 + or - 4.1 APC mm(-2) (or 2925 in total) representing 52% of the delivery sites within the NP contact area, agreeing well with a probability-based model used to guide the device design; it then substantially increases as the antigen diffuses in the skin to many more cells. APC co-localizing with protein payloads rapidly disappears from the application area, suggesting APC migration. The NP also delivers DNA payloads leading to cutaneous expression of encoded proteins within 24 h. The efficiency of NP immunization is demonstrated using an inactivated whole chikungunya virus vaccine and a DNA-delivered attenuated West Nile virus vaccine. The NP thus offers a needle-free, versatile, highly effective vaccine delivery system that is potentially inexpensive and simple to use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tarl W Prow
- The University of Queensland, Delivery of Drugs and Genes Group (D2G2), Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, St. Lucia, Queensland 4072, Australia
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Guy B, Guirakhoo F, Barban V, Higgs S, Monath TP, Lang J. Preclinical and clinical development of YFV 17D-based chimeric vaccines against dengue, West Nile and Japanese encephalitis viruses. Vaccine 2009; 28:632-49. [PMID: 19808029 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2009.09.098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 220] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2009] [Revised: 08/28/2009] [Accepted: 09/23/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Dengue viruses (DENV), West Nile virus (WNV) and Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) are major global health and growing medical problems. While a live-attenuated vaccine exists since decades against the prototype flavivirus, yellow fever virus (YFV), there is an urgent need for vaccines against dengue or West Nile diseases, and for improved vaccines against Japanese encephalitis. Live-attenuated chimeric viruses were constructed by replacing the genes coding for Premembrane (prM) and Envelope (E) proteins from YFV 17D vaccine strain with those of heterologous flaviviruses (ChimeriVax technology). This technology has been used to produce vaccine candidates for humans, for construction of a horse vaccine for West Nile fever, and as diagnostic reagents for dengue, Japanese encephalitis, West Nile and St. Louis encephalitis infections. This review focuses on human vaccines and their characterization from the early stages of research through to clinical development. Phenotypic and genetic properties and stability were examined, preclinical evaluation through in vitro or animal models, and clinical testing were carried out. Theoretical environmental concerns linked to the live and genetically modified nature of these vaccines have been carefully addressed. Results of the extensive characterizations are in accordance with the immunogenicity and excellent safety profile of the ChimeriVax-based vaccine candidates, and support their development towards large-scale efficacy trials and registration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Guy
- Sanofi Pasteur, Research and Development, 1541 Av Marcel Merieux, 69280 Marcy l'Etoile, France.
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Coutant F, Frenkiel MP, Despres P, Charneau P. Protective antiviral immunity conferred by a nonintegrative lentiviral vector-based vaccine. PLoS One 2008; 3:e3973. [PMID: 19096527 PMCID: PMC2600612 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0003973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2008] [Accepted: 11/19/2008] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Lentiviral vectors are under intense scrutiny as unique candidate viral vector vaccines against tumor and aggressive pathogens because of their ability to initiate potent and durable specific immune responses. Strategies that alleviate safety concerns will facilitate the clinical developments involving lentiviral vectors. In this respect, the development of integration deficient lentiviral vectors circumvents the safety concerns relative to insertional mutagenesis and might pave the way for clinical applications in which gene transfer is targeted to non-dividing cells. We thus evaluated the potential use of nonintegrative lentiviral vectors as vaccination tools since the main targeted cell in vaccination procedures is the non-dividing dendritic cell (DC). In this study, we demonstrated that a single administration of nonintegrative vectors encoding a secreted form of the envelope of a virulent strain of West Nile Virus (WNV) induces a robust B cell response. Remarkably, nonintegrative lentiviral vectors fully protected mice from a challenge with a lethal dose of WNV and a single immunization was sufficient to induce early and long-lasting protective immunity. Thus, nonintegrative lentiviral vectors might represent a safe and efficacious vaccination platform for the development of prophylactic vaccines against infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frédéric Coutant
- Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire et Vectorologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | | | - Philippe Despres
- Unité des Interactions Moléculaires Flavivirus-Hôtes, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
| | - Pierre Charneau
- Laboratoire de Virologie Moléculaire et Vectorologie, Institut Pasteur, Paris, France
- * E-mail:
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9
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Pugachev KV, Schwaiger J, Brown N, Zhang ZX, Catalan J, Mitchell FS, Ocran SW, Rumyantsev AA, Khromykh AA, Monath TP, Guirakhoo F. Construction and biological characterization of artificial recombinants between a wild type flavivirus (Kunjin) and a live chimeric flavivirus vaccine (ChimeriVax-JE). Vaccine 2007; 25:6661-71. [PMID: 17693000 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2007.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2007] [Revised: 06/01/2007] [Accepted: 07/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Although the theoretical concern of genetic recombination has been raised related to the use of live attenuated flavivirus vaccines [Seligman, Gould, Lancet 2004;363:2073-5], it has little foundation [e.g., Monath TP, Kanesa-Thasan N, Guirakhoo F, Pugachev K, Almond J, Lang J, et al. Vaccine 2005;23:2956-8]. To investigate biological effects of recombination between a chimeric yellow fever (YF) 17D/Japanese encephalitis (JE) vaccine virus (ChimeriVax-JE) and a wild-type flavivirus Kunjin (KUN-cDNA), the prM-E envelope protein genes were swapped between the two viruses, resulting in new YF 17D/KUN(prM-E) and KUN/JE(prM-E) chimeras. The prM-E genes are easily exchangeable between flavivirues, and thus the exchange was expected to yield the most replication-competent chimeras, while other rationally designed recombinants would be more likely to be crippled or non-viable. The new chimeras proved highly attenuated in comparison with the KUN-cDNA parent, as judged by plaque size and growth kinetics in cell culture, low viremia in hamsters, and reduced neurovirulence/neuroinvasiveness in mice. These data provide strong experimental evidence that the potential of recombinants, should they ever emerge, to cause disease or spread (compete in nature with wild-type flaviviruses) would be indeed extremely low.
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Schepp-Berglind J, Luo M, Wang D, Wicker JA, Raja NU, Hoel BD, Holman DH, Barrett ADT, Dong JY. Complex adenovirus-mediated expression of West Nile virus C, PreM, E, and NS1 proteins induces both humoral and cellular immune responses. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2007; 14:1117-26. [PMID: 17634508 PMCID: PMC2043313 DOI: 10.1128/cvi.00070-07] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
West Nile Virus (WNV), a member of the family Flaviviridae, was first identified in Africa in 1937. In recent years, it has spread into Europe and North America. The clinical manifestations of WNV infection range from mild febrile symptoms to fatal encephalitis. Two genetic lineages (lineages I and II) are recognized; lineage II is associated with mild disease, while lineage I has been associated with severe disease, including encephalitis. WNV has now spread across North America, significantly affecting both public and veterinary health. In the efforts to develop an effective vaccine against all genetic variants of WNV, we have studied the feasibility of inducing both neutralizing and cellular immune responses by de novo synthesis of WNV antigens using a complex adenoviral vaccine (CAdVax) vector. By expressing multiple WNV proteins from a single vaccine vector, we were able to induce both humoral and cellular immune responses in vaccinated mice. Neutralization assays demonstrated that the antibodies were broadly neutralizing against both lineages of WNV, with a significant preference for the homologous lineage II virus. The results from this study show that multiple antigens synthesized de novo from a CAdVax vector are capable of inducing both humoral and cellular immune responses against WNV and that a multiantigen approach may provide broad protection against multiple genetic variants of WNV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Schepp-Berglind
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical University of South Carolina, 173 Ashley Avenue, Charleston, SC 29403, USA
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Chang GJJ, Davis BS, Stringfield C, Lutz C. Prospective immunization of the endangered California condors (Gymnogyps californianus) protects this species from lethal West Nile virus infection. Vaccine 2007; 25:2325-30. [PMID: 17224209 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2006.11.056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2006] [Revised: 11/22/2006] [Accepted: 11/28/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) has caused significant morbidity and mortality in humans, mammals, and both native and exotic birds in North America since its emergence in New York City in 1999 and its subsequent spread westward. Prior to the arrival of WNV to the western United States, prospective vaccination was conducted for the entire population of endangered California condors, both in captivity and in the wild. Here we show that this vaccine is safe for condors, stimulates protective immunity in adults, nestlings, and newly hatched chicks. Most importantly, we demonstrate protection of captive birds exposed to naturally circulating WNV during the 2004 transmission season. The prospective vaccination of the entire population of California condors before the arrival of WNV has thus potentially saved this endangered species from subsequent lethal WNV encephalitis, and possible extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwong-Jen J Chang
- Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, National Center for Infectious Disease, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA.
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Chu JHJ, Chiang CCS, Ng ML. Immunization of Flavivirus West Nile Recombinant Envelope Domain III Protein Induced Specific Immune Response and Protection against West Nile Virus Infection. J Immunol 2007; 178:2699-705. [PMID: 17312111 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.178.5.2699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
The domain III of the West Nile virus (WNV) envelope glycoprotein (E) was shown to serve as virus attachment domain to the cellular receptor, and neutralizing Abs have been mapped to this specific domain. In this study, domain III of the WNV E protein (WNV E DIII) was expressed as a recombinant protein and its potential as a subunit vaccine candidate was evaluated in BALB/C mice. Immunization of WNV E DIII protein with oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-DNA) adjuvant by i.p. injection was conducted over a period of 3 wk. The immunized mice generated high titer of WNV-neutralizing Abs. Murine Ab against WNV E DIII protein was also capable of neutralizing Japanese encephalitis virus. The IgG isotypes generated were predominantly IgG2a in the murine sera against the recombinant protein. Splenocyte cultures from the mice coadministrated with WNV E DIII protein and CpG secreted large amounts of IFN-gamma and IL-2 and showed proliferation of T cells in the presence of WNV E DIII protein. Overall, this study highlighted that recombinant WNV E DIII protein delivered in combination with CpG adjuvant to mice generated a Th1 immune response type against WNV and can serve as a potential vaccine to prevent WNV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jang-Hann J Chu
- Flavivirology Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, 5 Science Drive 2, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117597
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