Coated protein nanoclusters from influenza H7N9 HA are highly immunogenic and induce robust protective immunity.
Recurring influenza viruses pose an annual threat to public health. A time-saving, cost-effective and egg-independent influenza vaccine approach is important particularly when responding to an emerging pandemic. We fabricated coated, two-layer protein nanoclusters from recombinant trimeric hemagglutinin from an avian-origin H7N9 influenza A virus as an approach for vaccine development in response to an emerging pandemic. Assessment of the virus-specific immune responses and protective efficacy in mice immunized with the nanoclusters demonstrated that the vaccine candidates were highly immunogenic, able to induce protective immunity and long-lasting humoral antibody responses to this virus without the use of adjuvants. Because the advantages of the highly immunogenic coated nanoclusters also include rapid productions in an egg-independent system, this approach has great potential for influenza vaccine production not only in response to an emerging pandemic, but also as a replacement for conventional seasonal influenza vaccines.
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: lwang40@emory.edu.
Li
L
Wang
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: tzchang@gatech.edu.
Timothy Z
TZ
Chang
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: yuan.he3@emory.edu.
Yuan
Y
He
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: jongrok.kim@emory.edu.
Jong R
JR
Kim
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: swang59@emory.edu.
Shelly
S
Wang
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: mohan.teena@emory.edu.
Teena
T
Mohan
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: zack.berman@emory.edu.
Zachary
Z
Berman
Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address: smt@uga.edu.
S Mark
SM
Tompkins
Department of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA. Electronic address: ratripp@uga.edu.
Ralph A
RA
Tripp
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: rcompan@emory.edu.
Richard W
RW
Compans
Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: julie.champion@chbe.gatech.edu.
Julie A
JA
Champion
Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA; Center for Inflammation, Immunity & Infection, Georgia State University Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA. Electronic address: bwang23@gsu.edu.
Bao-Zhong
BZ
Wang
D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000276:immunology*; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000276:immunology
D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C483468:hemagglutinin, human influenza A virus
Influenza vaccine; Pandemic influenza; Protein nanoclusters