Adenovirus vector produced Zika virus-like particles induce a long-lived neutralising antibody response in mice

Julio Carrera; Turgut E Aktepe; Linda Earnest; Dale Christiansen; Adam K Wheatley; Hyon-Xhi Tan; Amy W Chung; Simon Collett; Kirsty McPherson; Joseph Torresi; Jason M Mackenzie; Cameron P Simmons

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.068

Adenovirus vector produced Zika virus-like particles induce a long-lived neutralising antibody response in mice

Vaccine. 2023 Jul 25;41(33):4888-4898. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.068. Epub 2023 Jun 28.

Affiliations

¹ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia; Institute of Vector-Borne Diseases, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia.
² Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia.
³ School of Science, College of Science, Engineering and Health, RMIT University, Melbourne, VIC 3000, Australia.
⁴ Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, at the Peter Doherty for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia. Electronic address: jason.mackenzie@unimelb.edu.au.
⁵ Institute of Vector-Borne Diseases, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia. Electronic address: cameron.simmons@worldmosquito.org.

PMID: 37391311
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2023.06.068

Abstract

Countermeasures against Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemics are urgently needed. In this study we generated a ZIKV virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccine candidate and assessed the immunogenicity of these particles in mice. The ZIKV-VLPs were morphologically similar to ZIKV by electron microscopy and were recognized by anti-Flavivirus neutralising antibodies. We observed that a single dose of unadjuvanted ZIKV-VLPs, or inactivated ZIKV, generated an immune response that lasted over 6 months, but did not neutralize ZIKV infection of cells in vitro. However, when we co-administered the ZIKV VLPs with either Aluminium hydroxide (Alhydrogel®; Alum), AddaVax or Pam₂Cys we observed that Alum was the most effective in a single dose regime, since it not only produced antibodies that neutralized the virus, but also generated a greater number of antigen-specific memory B cells. We additionally observed that the generation of the neutralising antibodies persisted for up to 6 months. Our results suggest that a single dose ZIKV VLPs could be a suitable single dose vaccine candidate for use in outbreak settings.

Keywords: Neutralising antibodies; Vaccine; Virus-like particle; Zika virus.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adenoviridae
Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
Mice
Viral Vaccines*
Zika Virus Infection*
Zika Virus*

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing
aluminum sulfate
Antibodies, Viral
Viral Vaccines