title: A neutralization assay for chikungunya virus infections in a multiplex format.
abstract: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted Alphavirus that causes chikungunya fever and has infected millions of people mainly in developing countries. The associated disease is characterized by rash, high fever and severe arthritis that can persist for years. Since the epidemic on La Réunion in 2006, CHIKV has adapted to Aedes albopictus, which also inhabits temperate regions of the eastern and western hemispheres, including Europe and the United States. A. albopictus might continue migrating north with continuing climate change and CHIKV would then no longer be confined to the developing nations. No treatment or licensed CHIKV vaccine exists. A CHIKV neutralization assay in a 384-well format by using CHIKV-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors was established. This assay system can be used for entry inhibitor screening under a reduced safety level (S2). Production of CHIKV-pseudotyped lentiviral vectors and the reaction volume are optimized. A dose dependent, specific neutralization of CHIKV-pseudotyped vectors with sera of CHIKV-infected individuals could be measured in a 384-well format. A safe and simple multiplex assay for the analysis of CHIKV neutralizing activities was developed and will be able to improve drug and vaccine development as well as it would improve the understanding of CHIKV epidemics regarding antibody responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.affiliation: Research Group "Host-Pathogen Interactions", Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany; Infectious & Inflammatory Disease Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA. Electronic address: Renate.Koenig@pei.de.
authors.forename: Renate
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: König
authors.affiliation: Robert Koch Institute, Berlin, Germany. Electronic address: NiedrigM@rki.de.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niedrig
authors.affiliation: Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine, Department Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Emmerich
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology, Paul-Ehrlich-Institut, 63225 Langen, Germany. Electronic address: schba@pei.de.
authors.forename: Barbara S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Schnierle
mesh_terms: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing / Q000097:blood*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood*; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D002460:Cell Line; D002646:Chikungunya virus / Q000276:immunology*; D055808:Drug Discovery / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D016086:Lentivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D009500:Neutralization Tests / Q000379:methods*; D014765:Viral Vaccines / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D057134:Antibodies, Neutralizing; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D014765:Viral Vaccines
keywords: Chikungunya virus; Lentiviral vectors; Neutralization