Cross-protection against influenza virus infection by intranasal administration of nucleoprotein-based vaccine with compound 48/80 adjuvant.

Abstract

The nucleoprotein (NP) of influenza viruses is highly conserved and therefore has become one of the major targets of current universal influenza vaccine (UIV) studies. In this study, the recombinant nucleoprotein (NP) of the A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) influenza virus strain was expressed using an Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression system and then purified as a candidate UIV. The NP protein was administered intranasally or intraperitoneally twice at 3-week intervals to female BALB/c mice in combination with C48/80 adjuvant. Then, the mice were challenged with homologous or heterologous influenza viruses at a lethal dose 3 weeks after the last immunization. The results showed that the serum IgG titers of all of the mice immunized with NP reached a higher level and the protection provided by NP vaccine against the homologous virus depended on the administered dosage and adjuvant. In addition, immunization with 100 μg NP in combination with C48/80 adjuvant could provide good cross-protection against heterologous H9N2 avian influenza viruses. This study indicated that NP as a candidate antigen of UIV immunized intranasally could effectively induce mucosal and cell-mediated immunity, with the potential to control epidemics caused by the appearance of new emerging influenza viruses.

• Authors: Mei Zheng, Fen Liu, Yiqing Shen, Shilei Wang, Wenting Xu, Fang Fang, Bing Sun, Zhenyuan Xie, Ze Chen
• Journal: Human vaccines & immunotherapeutics (Hum Vaccin Immunother) Vol. 11 Issue 2 Pg. 397-406 ( 2015) ISSN: 2164-554X [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 25607884 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Adjuvants, Immunologic
• Influenza Vaccines
• NP protein, Influenza A virus
• Nucleocapsid Proteins
• RNA-Binding Proteins
• Vaccines, Synthetic
• Viral Core Proteins
• p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine

Topics

• Adjuvants, Immunologic (administration & dosage)
• Administration, Intranasal
• Animals
• Cross Protection
• Disease Models, Animal
• Female
• Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype (immunology)
• Influenza A Virus, H9N2 Subtype (immunology)
• Influenza Vaccines (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Injections, Intraperitoneal
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Nucleocapsid Proteins
• Orthomyxoviridae Infections (prevention & control, virology)
• RNA-Binding Proteins (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Survival Analysis
• Vaccination (methods)
• Vaccines, Synthetic (administration & dosage, immunology)
• Viral Core Proteins (administration & dosage, immunology)
• p-Methoxy-N-methylphenethylamine (administration & dosage)