title: Insect cell-expressed hemagglutinin with CpG oligodeoxynucleotides plus alum as an adjuvant is a potential pandemic influenza vaccine candidate.
abstract: Vaccination is the most effective method used to reduce the morbidity and mortality of influenza infections. However, as exemplified in the current swine-origin influenza virus (S-OIV) pandemic, the global manufacturing capacity of influenza vaccines is severely limited. In the present proof-of-concept study, we combined cell substrate selection and antigen engineering with adjuvant development to design a potential pandemic influenza vaccine candidate, in which CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG-ODN) plus alum was used as a composite adjuvant to enhance the immunogenicity of insect cell-expressed recombinant hemagglutinin (rHA). Our candidate vaccine was found to be effective in inducing protective humoral as well as cellular immunity in mice and able to protect the immunized mice from related influenza virus challenge. If this candidate vaccine is validated in humans, vaccine development can be started immediately after the release of the first HA sequence of any pandemic influenza virus. Moreover, given the potential of large-scale manufacturing capacity of the recombinant antigen, in combination with the antigen-sparing effect of the composite adjuvant, this technology could be an invaluable asset in the fight against pandemic influenza.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, National Vaccine and Serum Institute, Beijing 100024, China.
authors.forename: Minqing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Chunting
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Guangyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Yonghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yusen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Honglin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000534:Alum Compounds / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D002460:Cell Line; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007313:Insecta; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000534:Alum Compounds; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; C408982:CPG-oligonucleotide; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D009838:Oligodeoxyribonucleotides; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; C041524:aluminum sulfate