Ross TM, et al. A computationally designed H5 antigen shows immunological breadth of coverage and protects against drifting avian strains. Vaccine. 2019 Mar 21.
Since the first identification of the H5N1 Goose/Guangdong lineage in 1996, this highly pathogenic avian influenza virus has spread worldwide, becoming endemic in domestic poultry. Sporadic transmission to humans has raised concerns of a potential pandemic and underscores the need for a broad cross-protective influenza vaccine. Here, we tested our previously described methodology, termed Computationally Optimized Broadly Reactive Antigen (COBRA), to generate a novel hemagglutinin (HA) gene, termed COBRA-2, that was based on H5 HA sequences from 2005 to 2006. The COBRA-2 HA virus-like particle (VLP) vaccines were used to vaccinate chickens and the immune responses were compared to responses elicited by VLP´s expressing HA from A/whooper swan/Mongolia/244/2005 (WS/05), a representative 2005 vaccine virus from clade 2.2. To support this evaluation a hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) breadth panel was developed consisting of phylogenetically and antigenically diverse H5 strains in circulation from 2005 to 2006, as well as recent drift variants (2008 - 2014). We found that the COBRA-2 VLP vaccines elicited robust HAI titers against this entire breadth panel, whereas the VLP vaccine based upon the recommended WS/05 HA only elicited HAI responses against a subset of strains. Furthermore, while all vaccines protected chickens against challenge with the WS/05 virus, only the human COBRA-2 VLP vaccinated birds were protected (80%) against a recent drifted clade 2.3.2.1B, A/duck/Vietnam/NCVD-672/2011 (VN/11) virus. This is the first report to demonstrate seroprotective antibody responses against genetically diverse clades and sub-clades of H5 viruses and protective efficacy against a recent drifted variant using a globular head based design strategy.
See Also:
Latest articles in those days:
- The evolution, complexity, and diversity of swine influenza viruses in China: A hidden public health threat 13 hours ago
- MHC class II proteins mediate sialic acid independent entry of human and avian H2N2 influenza A viruses 13 hours ago
- Histopathologic Features and Viral Antigen Distribution of H5N1 Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus Clade 2.3.4.4b from the 2022–2023 Outbreak in Iowa Wild Birds 13 hours ago
- Detection and characterization of H5N1 HPAIV in environmental samples from a dairy farm 17 hours ago
- Genomic Characterization of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza A H5N1 Virus Newly Emerged in Dairy Cattle 17 hours ago
[Go Top] [Close Window]