Characterization of immune responses to experimental polyvalent subunit vaccines assembled in iscoms.
Immune responses to experimental polyvalent subunit vaccines assembled in a particulate adjuvant/delivery system, iscoms, are described. The fusion protein ZZ-M5 comprises structures of staphylococcal protein A (ZZ) and the Plasmodium falciparum malaria antigen Pf155/RESA (M5). MHC congenic mice were immunized with ZZ-M5 conjugated to iscoms containing human influenza virus antigen (flu ag, M5-flu-isc) or to iscom matrix (iscom particles without flu ag, M5-isc). Comparison of antibody and T-cell responses to M5-isc and M5-flu-isc demonstrated that the flu ag in M5-flu-isc exhibits carrier-related helper functions and that the assembly of immunogens in M5-flu-isc did not result in any apparent antigenic competition. In addition, assembly of ZZ-M5 and flu ag in iscoms induced an alteration of the IgG subclass profile of the antibody response to M5. The results suggest that assembly of immunogens in iscoms may be a useful approach to the design of subunit vaccines but that both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the immunogenic properties of such constructs should be scrutinized.
Sjölander
A
A
Department of Veterinary Virology, National Veterinary Institute, Biomedicum, Uppsala, Sweden.
Ahlborg
N
N
Ståhl
S
S
Andersson
R
R
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000953:Antigens, Protozoan / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016882:ISCOMs / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000235:genetics; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000145:classification; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D010963:Plasmodium falciparum / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D015800:Protozoan Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D012091:Repetitive Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
D000953:Antigens, Protozoan; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D016882:ISCOMs; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D015800:Protozoan Proteins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A; C050256:ring-infected erythrocyte surface antigen (RESA), Plasmodium falciparum