A recombinant envelope protein vaccine against West Nile virus.
- Journal Article
- Research Support
- N.I.H.
- Extramural
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- P.H.S.
Summary
The research investigates a vaccine against West Nile Virus, developed from a recombinant envelope protein of the virus, which when combined with aluminum hydroxide shows strong antibody responses in mice and horses and offers protection against lethal doses of the virus.
Objective of the Research
The study aims at developing a vaccine against West Nile Virus using a recombinant version of the West Nile Virus envelope protein, expressed in Drosophila S2 cells. The objective is to prove the efficacy of the vaccine in producing high-titer antibodies and providing resistance against lethal doses of the virus.
Methods and Procedure of Research
- The researchers express a truncated form of WN virus envelope (E) protein in Drosophila S2 cells to create a soluble, recombinant E protein.
- An initial analysis indicates that this recombinant protein contains native epitopes, as it is recognized by antibodies from naturally infected horses.
- The researchers then proceed to immunize mice and horses with recombinant E protein combined with aluminum hydroxide to determine if this would stimulate the production of high-titer antibodies.
- The immunized mice are subjected to a lethal dose of the WN virus to determine if the vaccine confers resistance.
- Furthermore, sera derived from the immunized horses were administered to naive mice to test if this could confer resistance against a lethal WN viral challenge.
Results of Research
- The results started to confirm that mice and horses immunized with the vaccine produced high-titer antibodies, proving the vaccine effective in stimulating an immune response.
- Immunized mice demonstrated resistance when challenged with a lethal dose of the virus, implying the vaccine’s potential in preventing infection.
- Similarly, the sera from immunized horses conferred resistance to naive mice exposed to lethal doses of the WN virus, thus evidencing the protective capabilities of vaccine-induced antibodies.
- The sera from immunized horses also demonstrated the capability to neutralize the virus in vitro.
Conclusion
The research concludes that the recombinant E protein, combined with aluminum hydroxide, can be an effective vaccine against the West Nile Virus for horses and potentially humans. This vaccine creates a strong immune response and can protect against lethal exposures to the virus, hence becoming a promising candidate for countering WN virus infections.
Cite This Article
Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- L2 Diagnostics, LLC, 300 George Street, New Haven, CT 06511, USA. michel.ledizet@L2dx.com
MeSH Terms
- Adjuvants, Immunologic
- Aluminum Hydroxide / pharmacology
- Animals
- Cells, Cultured
- Drosophila
- Female
- Horses
- Immunization, Passive
- Immunoglobulin G / biosynthesis
- Immunoglobulin G / genetics
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Protein Conformation
- Vaccines, Synthetic / immunology
- Viral Envelope Proteins / genetics
- Viral Envelope Proteins / immunology
- Viral Plaque Assay
- Viral Vaccines / immunology
- West Nile Fever / prevention & control
- West Nile virus / immunology
Grant Funding
- AI49646 / NIAID NIH HHS
Citations
This article has been cited 34 times.- Mertinková P, Mochnáčová E, Bhide K, Kulkarni A, Tkáčová Z, Hruškovicová J, Bhide M. Development of peptides targeting receptor binding site of the envelope glycoprotein to contain the West Nile virus infection.. Sci Rep 2021 Oct 11;11(1):20131.
- Araujo SC, Pereira LR, Alves RPS, Andreata-Santos R, Kanno AI, Ferreira LCS, Gonçalves VM. Anti-Flavivirus Vaccines: Review of the Present Situation and Perspectives of Subunit Vaccines Produced in Escherichia coli.. Vaccines (Basel) 2020 Aug 31;8(3).
- Mertinková P, Kulkarni A, Káňová E, Bhide K, Tkáčová Z, Bhide M. A simple and rapid pipeline for identification of receptor-binding sites on the surface proteins of pathogens.. Sci Rep 2020 Jan 24;10(1):1163.
- Acharya D, Bai F. An Overview of Current Approaches Toward the Treatment and Prevention of West Nile Virus Infection.. Methods Mol Biol 2016;1435:249-91.
- Van Hoeven N, Joshi SW, Nana GI, Bosco-Lauth A, Fox C, Bowen RA, Clements DE, Martyak T, Parks DE, Baldwin S, Reed SG, Coler RN. A Novel Synthetic TLR-4 Agonist Adjuvant Increases the Protective Response to a Clinical-Stage West Nile Virus Vaccine Antigen in Multiple Formulations.. PLoS One 2016;11(2):e0149610.
- 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 Apr 22;6(4):1397-418.
- Amanna IJ, Slifka MK. Current trends in West Nile virus vaccine development.. Expert Rev Vaccines 2014 May;13(5):589-608.
- Nzonza A, Lecollinet S, Chat S, Lowenski S, Mérour E, Biacchesi S, Brémont M. A recombinant novirhabdovirus presenting at the surface the E Glycoprotein from West Nile Virus (WNV) is immunogenic and provides partial protection against lethal WNV challenge in BALB/c mice.. PLoS One 2014;9(3):e91766.
- Austin SK, Dowd KA. B cell response and mechanisms of antibody protection to West Nile virus.. Viruses 2014 Mar 3;6(3):1015-36.
- Marka A, Diamantidis A, Papa A, Valiakos G, Chaintoutis SC, Doukas D, Tserkezou P, Giannakopoulos A, Papaspyropoulos K, Patsoula E, Badieritakis E, Baka A, Tseroni M, Pervanidou D, Papadopoulos NT, Koliopoulos G, Tontis D, Dovas CI, Billinis C, Tsakris A, Kremastinou J, Hadjichristodoulou C, Vakalis N, Vassalou E, Zarzani S, Zounos A, Komata K, Balatsos G, Beleri S, Mpimpa A, Papavasilopoulos V, Rodis I, Spanakos G, Tegos N, Spyrou V, Dalabiras Z, Birtsas P, Athanasiou L, Papanastassopoulou M, Ioannou C, Athanasiou C, Gerofotis C, Papadopoulou E, Testa T, Tsakalidou O, Rachiotis G, Bitsolas N, Mamouris Z, Moutou K, Sarafidou T, Stamatis K, Sarri K, Tsiodras S, Georgakopoulou T, Detsis M, Mavrouli M, Stavropoulou A, Politi L, Mageira G, Christopoulou V, Diamantopoulou G, Spanakis N, Vrioni G, Piperaki ET, Mitsopoulou K, Kioulos I, Michaelakis A, Stathis I, Tselentis I, Psaroulaki A, Keramarou M, Chochlakis D, Photis Y, Konstantinou M, Manetos P, Tsobanoglou S, Mourelatos S, Antalis V, Pergantas P, Eleftheriou G. West Nile virus state of the art report of MALWEST Project.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Dec 2;10(12):6534-610.
- Brandler S, Tangy F. Vaccines in development against West Nile virus.. Viruses 2013 Sep 30;5(10):2384-409.
- Iyer AV, Kousoulas KG. A review of vaccine approaches for West Nile virus.. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2013 Sep 10;10(9):4200-23.
- Xie G, Welte T, Wang J, Whiteman MC, Wicker JA, Saxena V, Cong Y, Barrett AD, Wang T. A West Nile virus NS4B-P38G mutant strain induces adaptive immunity via TLR7-MyD88-dependent and independent signaling pathways.. Vaccine 2013 Aug 28;31(38):4143-51.
- Namekar M, Kumar M, O'Connell M, Nerurkar VR. Effect of serum heat-inactivation and dilution on detection of anti-WNV antibodies in mice by West Nile virus E-protein microsphere immunoassay.. PLoS One 2012;7(9):e45851.
- Biswas S, Chang H, Sarkis PT, Fikrig E, Zhu Q, Marasco WA. Humoral immune responses in humanized BLT mice immunized with West Nile virus and HIV-1 envelope proteins are largely mediated via human CD5+ B cells.. Immunology 2011 Dec;134(4):419-33.
- Biedenbender R, Bevilacqua J, Gregg AM, Watson M, Dayan G. Phase II, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter study to investigate the immunogenicity and safety of a West Nile virus vaccine in healthy adults.. J Infect Dis 2011 Jan 1;203(1):75-84.
- Lawson CL, Baker ML, Best C, Bi C, Dougherty M, Feng P, van Ginkel G, Devkota B, Lagerstedt I, Ludtke SJ, Newman RH, Oldfield TJ, Rees I, Sahni G, Sala R, Velankar S, Warren J, Westbrook JD, Henrick K, Kleywegt GJ, Berman HM, Chiu W. EMDataBank.org: unified data resource for CryoEM.. Nucleic Acids Res 2011 Jan;39(Database issue):D456-64.
- Lawson CL. Unified data resource for cryo-EM.. Methods Enzymol 2010;483:73-90.
- Kuwahara M, Konishi E. Evaluation of extracellular subviral particles of dengue virus type 2 and Japanese encephalitis virus produced by Spodoptera frugiperda cells for use as vaccine and diagnostic antigens.. Clin Vaccine Immunol 2010 Oct;17(10):1560-6.
- Demento SL, Bonafé N, Cui W, Kaech SM, Caplan MJ, Fikrig E, Ledizet M, Fahmy TM. TLR9-targeted biodegradable nanoparticles as immunization vectors protect against West Nile encephalitis.. J Immunol 2010 Sep 1;185(5):2989-97.
- Spohn G, Jennings GT, Martina BE, Keller I, Beck M, Pumpens P, Osterhaus AD, Bachmann MF. A VLP-based vaccine targeting domain III of the West Nile virus E protein protects from lethal infection in mice.. Virol J 2010 Jul 6;7:146.
- Rossi SL, Ross TM, Evans JD. West Nile virus.. Clin Lab Med 2010 Mar;30(1):47-65.
- Demento SL, Eisenbarth SC, Foellmer HG, Platt C, Caplan MJ, Mark Saltzman W, Mellman I, Ledizet M, Fikrig E, Flavell RA, Fahmy TM. Inflammasome-activating nanoparticles as modular systems for optimizing vaccine efficacy.. Vaccine 2009 May 18;27(23):3013-21.
- Guo X, Booth CJ, Paley MA, Wang X, DePonte K, Fikrig E, Narasimhan S, Montgomery RR. Inhibition of neutrophil function by two tick salivary proteins.. Infect Immun 2009 Jun;77(6):2320-9.
- Bonafé N, Rininger JA, Chubet RG, Foellmer HG, Fader S, Anderson JF, Bushmich SL, Anthony K, Ledizet M, Fikrig E, Koski RA, Kaplan P. A recombinant West Nile virus envelope protein vaccine candidate produced in Spodoptera frugiperda expresSF+ cells.. Vaccine 2009 Jan 7;27(2):213-22.
- Magnarelli LA, Bushmich SL, Anderson JF, Ledizet M, Koski RA. Serum antibodies to West Nile virus in naturally exposed and vaccinated horses.. J Med Microbiol 2008 Sep;57(Pt 9):1087-1093.
- Kong KF, Delroux K, Wang X, Qian F, Arjona A, Malawista SE, Fikrig E, Montgomery RR. Dysregulation of TLR3 impairs the innate immune response to West Nile virus in the elderly.. J Virol 2008 Aug;82(15):7613-23.
- Goncalvez AP, Chien CH, Tubthong K, Gorshkova I, Roll C, Donau O, Schuck P, Yoksan S, Wang SD, Purcell RH, Lai CJ. Humanized monoclonal antibodies derived from chimpanzee Fabs protect against Japanese encephalitis virus in vitro and in vivo.. J Virol 2008 Jul;82(14):7009-21.
- Oliphant T, Nybakken GE, Austin SK, Xu Q, Bramson J, Loeb M, Throsby M, Fremont DH, Pierson TC, Diamond MS. Induction of epitope-specific neutralizing antibodies against West Nile virus.. J Virol 2007 Nov;81(21):11828-39.
- Schepp-Berglind J, Luo M, Wang D, Wicker JA, Raja NU, Hoel BD, Holman DH, Barrett AD, 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 Sep;14(9):1117-26.
- Bai F, Town T, Pradhan D, Cox J, Ashish, Ledizet M, Anderson JF, Flavell RA, Krueger JK, Koski RA, Fikrig E. Antiviral peptides targeting the west nile virus envelope protein.. J Virol 2007 Feb;81(4):2047-55.
- Lieberman MM, Clements DE, Ogata S, Wang G, Corpuz G, Wong T, Martyak T, Gilson L, Coller BA, Leung J, Watts DM, Tesh RB, Siirin M, Travassos da Rosa A, Humphreys T, Weeks-Levy C. Preparation and immunogenic properties of a recombinant West Nile subunit vaccine.. Vaccine 2007 Jan 5;25(3):414-23.
- Samuel MA, Diamond MS. Pathogenesis of West Nile Virus infection: a balance between virulence, innate and adaptive immunity, and viral evasion.. J Virol 2006 Oct;80(19):9349-60.
- Gould LH, Sui J, Foellmer H, Oliphant T, Wang T, Ledizet M, Murakami A, Noonan K, Lambeth C, Kar K, Anderson JF, de Silva AM, Diamond MS, Koski RA, Marasco WA, Fikrig E. Protective and therapeutic capacity of human single-chain Fv-Fc fusion proteins against West Nile virus.. J Virol 2005 Dec;79(23):14606-13.