title: Induction of sterilizing immunity against West Nile Virus (WNV), by immunization with WNV-like particles produced in insect cells.
abstract: No specific vaccine for West Nile virus (WNV) is currently available for human use. In the present study, we describe the generation of WNV-like particles (WNV-LPs) in insect cells by use of recombinant baculoviruses expressing the WNV structural proteins prME or CprME. BALB/c mice immunized with purified WNV-LPs developed WNV-specific antibodies that had potent neutralizing activities. Mice immunized with prME-like particles (prME-LPs) showed no morbidity or mortality after challenge with WNV. Immunization with prME-LPs can induce sterilizing immunity without producing any evidence of viremia or viral RNA in the spleen or brain. These results suggest that WNV-LPs hold promise as a vaccine candidate for WNV infection.
authors.affiliation: Liver Diseases Section, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892-1800, USA.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qiao
authors.forename: Mundrigi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ashok
authors.forename: Kristen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palacios
authors.forename: Z Hong
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: W Ian
authors.initials: WI
authors.lastname: Lipkin
authors.forename: T Jake
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Liang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016367:Baculoviridae; D001921:Brain / Q000821:virology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D007313:Insecta / Q000166:cytology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013154:Spleen / Q000821:virology; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000276:immunology; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D014766:Viremia; D014901:West Nile Fever / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D014902:West Nile virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D012367:RNA, Viral; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines