Combined prime-boost vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) using a recombinant vaccinia virus and a bacterial plasmid both expressing TBE virus non-structural NS1 protein.
BACKGROUND
Heterologous prime-boost immunization protocols using different gene expression systems have proven to be successful tools in protecting against various diseases in experimental animal models. The main reason for using this approach is to exploit the ability of expression cassettes to prime or boost the immune system in different ways during vaccination procedures. The purpose of the project was to study the ability of recombinant vaccinia virus (VV) and bacterial plasmid, both carrying the NS1 gene from tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) virus under the control of different promoters, to protect mice against lethal challenge using a heterologous prime-boost vaccination protocol.


RESULTS
The heterologous prime-boost vaccination protocol, using a VV recombinant and bacterial plasmid, both containing the NS1 TBE virus protein gene under the control of different promoters, achieved a high level of protection in mice against lethal challenge with a highly pathogenic TBE virus strain. No signs of pronounced TBE infection were detected in the surviving animals.


CONCLUSIONS
Heterologous prime-boost vaccination protocols using recombinant VV and bacterial plasmids could be used for the development of flavivirus vaccines.
Aleshin
S E
SE
Chumakov Institute of Poliomyelitis and Viral Encephalitis RAMS, Moscow Region, Russia. aleshins@gmail.com
Timofeev
A V
AV
Khoretonenko
M V
MV
Zakharova
L G
LG
Pashvykina
G V
GV
Stephenson
J R
JR
Shneider
A M
AM
Altstein
A D
AD
D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000276:immunology; D004669:Encephalitis Viruses, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology*; D004675:Encephalitis, Tick-Borne / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010957:Plasmids; D019444:Vaccines, DNA / Q000633:toxicity; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000276:immunology*; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000633:toxicity; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000633:toxicity
C100315:NS1 protein, Flavivirus; D019444:Vaccines, DNA; D017361:Viral Nonstructural Proteins; D014765:Viral Vaccines