title: Transfer of Anti-Rotavirus Antibodies during Pregnancy and in Milk Following Maternal Vaccination with a Herpes Simplex Virus Type-1 Amplicon Vector.
abstract: Rotaviruses (RVs) are important enteric pathogens of newborn humans and animals, causing diarrhea and in rare cases death, especially in very young individuals. Rotavirus vaccines presently used are modified live vaccines that lack complete biological safety. Previous work from our laboratory suggested that vaccines based on in situ produced, non-infectious rotavirus-like particles (RVLPs) are efficient while being entirely safe. However, using either vaccine, active mucosal immunization cannot induce protective immunity in newborns due to their immature immune system. We therefore hypothesized that offspring from vaccinated dams are passively immunized either by transfer of maternal antibodies during pregnancy or by taking up antibodies from milk. Using a codon optimized polycistronic gene expression cassette packaged into herpesvirus particles, the simultaneous expression of the RV capsid genes led to the intracellular formation of RVLPs in various cell lines. Vaccinated dams developed a strong RV specific IgG antibody response determined in sera and milk of both mother and pups. Moreover, sera of naïve pups nursed by vaccinated dams also had RV specific antibodies suggesting a lactogenic transfer of antibodies. Although full protection of pups was not achieved in this mouse model, our observations are important for the development of improved vaccines against RV in humans as well as in various animal species.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. anita.meier@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Anita F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Meier
authors.affiliation: Immunology Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. m.suter@vetadm.uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suter
authors.affiliation: Institutes of Veterinary Anatomy and Virology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. elisabeth.schraner@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Elisabeth M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Schraner
authors.affiliation: Electron Microscopy Facility, University of Lausanne, 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland. bruno.humbel@unil.ch.
authors.forename: Bruno M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Humbel
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. kurt.tobler@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tobler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. mathias.ackermann@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ackermann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Virology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland. andrea.laimbacher@uzh.ch.
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Laimbacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003062:Codon; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008892:Milk / Q000276:immunology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012401:Rotavirus / Q000276:immunology*; D012400:Rotavirus Infections / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D014161:Transduction, Genetic; D014611:Vaccination; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D014709:Vero Cells; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D003062:Codon; D022243:Rotavirus Vaccines; D058425:Vaccines, Virus-Like Particle; D015678:Viral Structural Proteins
keywords: HSV-1 amplicon vector; lactogenic antibody transfer; rotavirus-like particles