title: Influenza H7N9 LAH-HBc virus-like particle vaccine with adjuvant protects mice against homologous and heterologous influenza viruses.
abstract: The long alpha-helix (LAH) region located in influenza virus hemagglutinin (HA) shows conservation among different influenza A strains, which could be used as a candidate target of influenza vaccines. Moreover, the hepatitis B virus core protein (HBc) is a carrier for heterologous epitopes in eliciting effective immune responses. We inserted the LAH region of H7N9 influenza virus into the HBc and prepared the LAH-HBc protein, which were capable of self-assembly into virus-like particles (VLP), by using E. coli expression system. Intranasal immunization of the LAH-HBc VLP in combination with chitosan adjuvant or CTB∗adjuvant in mice could induce both humoral and cellular immune responses effectively and provide complete protection against lethal challenge of homologous H7N9 virus or heterologous H3N2 virus, as well as partial protection against lethal challenge of heterologous H1N1 virus. These results provide a proof of concept for LAH-HBc VLP vaccine that would be fast and easy to be produced and might be an ideal candidate as a rapid-response tool against a future influenza pandemic.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, Shanghai 200052, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, Shanghai 200052, China.
authors.forename: Shaoheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Biosafety Level-3 Laboratory, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Virology, Wuhan Institute of Virology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430071, China.
authors.forename: Jianjun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Xiangya School of Medicine, Central South University, Changsha 410078, China.
authors.forename: Fuyan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China.
authors.forename: Ran
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Institute of Biological Products, Shanghai 200052, China; Medical College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha 410013, China. Electronic address: chenze2005@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ze
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000281:Administration, Intranasal; D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D048271:Chitosan / Q000008:administration & dosage; D056738:Cross Protection; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004337:Drug Carriers; D000939:Epitopes / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens / Q000235:genetics; D053122:Influenza A Virus, H3N2 Subtype / Q000276:immunology; D064766:Influenza A Virus, H7N9 Subtype / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009976:Orthomyxoviridae Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D004337:Drug Carriers; D000939:Epitopes; D019267:Hemagglutinin Glycoproteins, Influenza Virus; D006512:Hepatitis B Core Antigens; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014614:Vaccines, Synthetic; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; D048271:Chitosan
keywords: Adjuvant; H7N9; Influenza; LAH-HBc VLP