Recombinant Sendai virus induces T cell immunity against respiratory syncytial virus that is protective in the absence of antibodies.
Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe respiratory disease in infants and a vaccine is highly desirable. The fusion (F) protein of RSV is an important vaccine target, but the contribution of F-specific T cells to successful vaccination remains unclear. We studied the immune response to vaccination of mice with a recombinant Sendai virus expressing RSV F (rSeV F). rSeV F induced protective neutralizing antibody and RSV F-specific CTL responses. T cell immunity was stronger than that induced by recombinant vaccinia virus (rVV F), a well characterized reference vector. Vaccination of antibody-deficient mice showed that vaccine-induced RSV F-specific T cells were sufficient for protective immunity. rSeV F induced T cell immunity in the presence of neutralizing antibodies, which did not impair the vaccine response. Although the F protein only contains a subdominant CTL epitope, vaccination with rSeV F is sufficient to induce protective T cell immunity against RSV in mice.
Voges
Brigitte
B
Institut für Virologie, Stiftung Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Bünteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany.
Vallbracht
Simone
S
Zimmer
Gert
G
Bossow
Sascha
S
Neubert
Wolfgang J
WJ
Richter
Kirsten
K
Hobeika
Elias
E
Herrler
Georg
G
Ehl
Stephan
S
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses / Q000276:immunology*; D029082:Sendai virus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D012995:Solubility; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
D000906:Antibodies; D014760:Viral Fusion Proteins