title: The chimeric protein domain III-capsid of dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN-2) successfully boosts neutralizing antibodies generated in monkeys upon infection with DEN-2.
abstract: Use of a heterologous prime-boost strategy based on a combination of nonreplicative immunogens and candidate attenuated virus vaccines against dengue virus in the same schedule is an attractive approach. These combinations may result in a condensed immunization regime for humans, thus reducing the number of doses with attenuated virus and the time spacing. The present work deals with the evaluation of the heterologous prime-boost strategy combining a novel chimeric protein (domain III-capsid) of dengue virus serotype 2 (DEN-2) and the infective homologous virus in the same immunization schedule in monkeys. Primed monkeys received one dose of infective DEN-2 and were then vaccinated with the recombinant protein. We found that animals developed a neutralizing antibody response after the infective dose and were notably boosted with a second dose of the chimeric protein 3 months later. The neutralizing antibodies induced were long lasting, and animals also showed the ability to induce a specific cellular response 6 months after the booster dose. As a conclusion, we can state that the domain III region, when it is properly presented as a fusion protein to the immune system, is able to recall the neutralizing antibody response elicited following homologous virus infection in monkeys. Further prime-boost approaches can be performed in a condensed regime combining the chimeric domain III-capsid protein and candidate live attenuated vaccines against DEN-2.
authors.affiliation: Vaccine Division, Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (CIGB), Avenue 31, P.O. Box 6162, Havana 6, 10 600, Cuba.
authors.forename: Iris
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Valdés
authors.forename: Lázaro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Yaremis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castro
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puente
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lazo
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.forename: María G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Guzmán
authors.forename: Gerardo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guillén
authors.forename: Lisset
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hermida
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D002213:Capsid / Q000276:immunology*; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D053059:Dengue Vaccines / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003716:Dengue Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D007117:Immunization, Secondary / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D053059:Dengue Vaccines; D014613:Vaccines, Attenuated; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic