Recombinant hemagglutinin proteins formulated in a novel PELC/CpG adjuvant for H7N9 subunit vaccine development

Ting-Hsuan Chen; Ying-Yu Liu; Jia-Tsrong Jan; Ming-Hsi Huang; Maureen Spearman; Michael Butler; Suh-Chin Wu

doi:10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.09.014

Recombinant hemagglutinin proteins formulated in a novel PELC/CpG adjuvant for H7N9 subunit vaccine development

Antiviral Res. 2017 Oct:146:213-220. doi: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.09.014. Epub 2017 Sep 22.

Authors

Ting-Hsuan Chen¹, Ying-Yu Liu¹, Jia-Tsrong Jan², Ming-Hsi Huang³, Maureen Spearman⁴, Michael Butler⁴, Suh-Chin Wu⁵

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan.
² Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 11529, Taiwan.
³ National Institute of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, National Health Research Institutes, Zhunan, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
⁵ Institute of Biotechnology, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan; Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu, 30013, Taiwan. Electronic address: scwu@life.nthu.edu.tw.

PMID: 28947234
DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.09.014

Abstract

Humans infected with H7N9 avian influenza viruses can result in severe pneumonia and acute respiratory syndrome with an approximately 40% mortality rate, and there is an urgent need to develop an effective vaccine to reduce its pandemic potential. In this study, we used a novel PELC/CpG adjuvant for recombinant H7HA (rH7HA) subunit vaccine development. After immunizing BALB/c mice intramuscularly, rH7HA proteins formulated in this adjuvant instead of an alum adjuvant elicited higher IgG, hemagglutination-inhibition, and virus neutralizing antibodies in sera; induced higher numbers of H7HA-specific IFN-γ-secreting T cells and antibody secreting cells in spleen; and provided improved protection against live virus challenges. Our results indicate that rH7HA proteins formulated in PELC/CpG adjuvant can induce potent anti-H7N9 immunity that may provide useful information for H7N9 subunit vaccine development.

Keywords: Adjuvant; H7N9; PELC/CpG; Subunit vaccine.

MeSH terms

Adjuvants, Immunologic
Animals
Antibodies, Viral / blood
Antibodies, Viral / immunology
Hemagglutination Inhibition Tests
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / genetics
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / immunology*
Immunoglobulin G / blood
Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / genetics
Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / immunology*
Influenza Vaccines / administration & dosage
Influenza Vaccines / genetics*
Influenza Vaccines / immunology*
Interferon-gamma / metabolism
Mice
Mice, Inbred BALB C
Neutralization Tests
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / administration & dosage
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / immunology*
Orthomyxoviridae Infections / prevention & control
Recombinant Proteins / immunology
Spleen / immunology
T-Lymphocytes / immunology
Vaccination
Vaccines, Subunit / administration & dosage
Vaccines, Subunit / genetics
Vaccines, Subunit / immunology

Substances

Adjuvants, Immunologic
Antibodies, Viral
Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus
Immunoglobulin G
Influenza Vaccines
Oligodeoxyribonucleotides
Recombinant Proteins
Vaccines, Subunit
Interferon-gamma