Vaccinomics: A scoping review

Matthew Z Dudley; Jennifer E Gerber; Haley Budigan Ni; Madeleine Blunt; Taylor A Holroyd; Bruce C Carleton; Gregory A Poland; Daniel A Salmon

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.009

Vaccinomics: A scoping review

Vaccine. 2023 Mar 31;41(14):2357-2367. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.02.009. Epub 2023 Feb 18.

Authors

Matthew Z Dudley¹, Jennifer E Gerber², Haley Budigan Ni³, Madeleine Blunt⁴, Taylor A Holroyd⁵, Bruce C Carleton⁶, Gregory A Poland⁷, Daniel A Salmon⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Vaccine Safety, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: mattdudley@jhu.edu.
² Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Survey Research Division, RTI International, Washington, DC, USA.
³ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Office of Health Equity, California Department of Public Health, Richmond, CA, USA.
⁴ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁵ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; International Vaccine Access Center, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
⁶ Division of Translational Therapeutics, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Pharmaceutical Outcomes Programme, BC Children's Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada; BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
⁷ Division of General Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Mayo Vaccine Research Group, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁸ Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Institute for Vaccine Safety, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA; Department of Health, Behavior & Society, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.

Abstract

Background: This scoping review summarizes a key aspect of vaccinomics by collating known associations between heterogeneity in human genetics and vaccine immunogenicity and safety.

Methods: We searched PubMed for articles in English using terms covering vaccines routinely recommended to the general US population, their effects, and genetics/genomics. Included studies were controlled and demonstrated statistically significant associations with vaccine immunogenicity or safety. Studies of Pandemrix®, an influenza vaccine previously used in Europe, were also included, due to its widely publicized genetically mediated association with narcolepsy.

Findings: Of the 2,300 articles manually screened, 214 were included for data extraction. Six included articles examined genetic influences on vaccine safety; the rest examined vaccine immunogenicity. Hepatitis B vaccine immunogenicity was reported in 92 articles and associated with 277 genetic determinants across 117 genes. Thirty-three articles identified 291 genetic determinants across 118 genes associated with measles vaccine immunogenicity, 22 articles identified 311 genetic determinants across 110 genes associated with rubella vaccine immunogenicity, and 25 articles identified 48 genetic determinants across 34 genes associated with influenza vaccine immunogenicity. Other vaccines had fewer than 10 studies each identifying genetic determinants of their immunogenicity. Genetic associations were reported with 4 adverse events following influenza vaccination (narcolepsy, GBS, GCA/PMR, high temperature) and 2 adverse events following measles vaccination (fever, febrile seizure).

Conclusion: This scoping review identified numerous genetic associations with vaccine immunogenicity and several genetic associations with vaccine safety. Most associations were only reported in one study. This illustrates both the potential of and need for investment in vaccinomics. Current research in this field is focused on systems and genetic-based studies designed to identify risk signatures for serious vaccine reactions or diminished vaccine immunogenicity. Such research could bolster our ability to develop safer and more effective vaccines.

Keywords: Genes; Genetics; Genomics; Vaccine immunogenicity; Vaccine safety; Vaccinomics.

Publication types

Review
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Antibodies, Viral
Fever / chemically induced
Humans
Immunogenicity, Vaccine
Influenza, Human* / prevention & control
Measles* / prevention & control
Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
Rubella* / prevention & control

Substances

Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine
Antibodies, Viral

Grants and funding

RM1 HG009038/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/United States