title: Venezuelan and western equine encephalitis virus E1 liposome antigen nucleic acid complexes protect mice from lethal challenge with multiple alphaviruses.
abstract: Eastern, Venezuelan and western equine encephalitis viruses (EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV) are mosquito-borne viruses that cause substantial disease in humans and other vertebrates. Vaccines are limited and current treatment options have not proven successful. In this report, we vaccinated outbred mice with lipid-antigen-nucleic acid-complexes (LANACs) containing VEEV E1+WEEV E1 antigen and characterized protective efficacy against lethal EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV challenge. Vaccination resulted in complete protection against EEEV, VEEV, and WEEV in CD-1 mice. Measurements of bioluminescence and plaque reduction neutralization tests (PRNTs) indicate that LANAC VEEV E1+WEEV E1 vaccination is sterilizing against VEEV and WEEV challenge; whereas immunity to EEEV is not sterilizing. Passive transfer of rabbit VEEV E1+WEEV E1 immune serum to naive mice extended the mean time to death (MTD) of EEEV challenged mice and provided significant protection from lethal VEEV and WEEV challenge.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA. Electronic address: amber.rico@colostate.edu.
authors.forename: Amber B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Aaron T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Tony
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schountz
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
authors.forename: Donald L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Jarvis
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental & Radiological Health Sciences, CSU, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Ronald B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Tjalkens
authors.affiliation: Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Ann M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Ken E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Olson
mesh_terms: D000524:Alphavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D018354:Alphavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000821:virology; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000276:immunology; D000956:Antigens, Viral / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D003429:Cross Reactions / Q000276:immunology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004666:Encephalitis Virus, Venezuelan Equine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D004667:Encephalitis Virus, Western Equine / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D056724:Immunity, Humoral; D007114:Immunization; D008081:Liposomes; D051379:Mice; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D014774:Virulence / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D000956:Antigens, Viral; D008081:Liposomes; D009696:Nucleic Acids; D014764:Viral Proteins
keywords: Alphavirus; Bioluminescence; Eastern equine encephalitis virus; In vivo imaging; Subunit vaccine; Togaviridae; Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus; Western equine encephalitis virus