Sindbis virus vectors elicit hemagglutinin-specific humoral and cellular immune responses and offer a dose-sparing strategy for vaccination.
We report here on the use of a Sindbis virus-based DNA-launch RNA replicon vector (pSIN-HA) that expresses influenza hemagglutinin (HA) as an immunogen. Immunization of mice with pSIN-HA generated anti-HA antibody and CTL responses and resulted in lower lung viral titers after influenza challenge when compared to controls. Importantly, immunization with a low dose of pSIN-HA mediated significantly reduced lung viral titers following challenge at 43 weeks after the final immunization. In contrast, immunization with a non-replicon DNA vector expressing HA failed to mediate reduced lung viral titer at the same dose. This demonstrated the dose-sparing capacity of the SIN vector system and its ability to stimulate long-term memory responses, properties that are highly desirable in any vaccine formulation.
Miller
Annett
A
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, Australia.
Center
Rob J
RJ
Stambas
John
J
Deliyannis
Georgia
G
Doherty
Peter C
PC
Howard
Jane L
JL
Turner
Stephen J
SJ
Purcell
Damian F J
DF