Influenza virus vaccine expressing fusion and attachment protein epitopes of respiratory syncytial virus induces protective antibodies in BALB/c mice

• Published in: Antiviral research Vol. 104; pp. 110 - 117
• Main Authors: Bian, Chengrong, Liu, Shuzhen, Liu, Na, Zhang, Guangzhou, Xing, Li, Song, Yingwei, Duan, Yueqiang, Gu, Hongjing, Zhou, Ya, Zhang, Peirui, Li, Zhiwei, Zhang, Keming, Wang, Zhaohai, Zhang, Shaogeng, Wang, Xiliang, Yang, Penghui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier B.V 01.04.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents; Antibodies, Viral - immunology; Antiviral agents; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Cercopithecus aethiops; Disease Models, Animal; Dogs; Epitopes - chemistry; Epitopes - immunology; Female; Fusion and attachment protein epitopes; Gene Order; Genetic Vectors - genetics; Human viral diseases; Immunity, Mucosal; Immunization; Infectious diseases; Influenza Vaccines - genetics; Influenza Vaccines - immunology; Influenza virus; Liver - immunology; Liver - virology; Lung - immunology; Lung - pathology; Lung - virology; Medical sciences; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - immunology; Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections - prevention & control; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - genetics; Respiratory Syncytial Viruses - immunology; RSV; Th1 Cells - immunology; Viral diseases; Viral diseases of the respiratory system and ent viral diseases; Viral Fusion Proteins - genetics; Viral Fusion Proteins - immunology; Viral vector; Fusion and attachment protein epitopes; RSV; Viral vector; Influenza virus; Human respiratory syncytial virus; Antigenic determinant; Orthomyxoviridae; Paramyxoviridae; Prevention; Respiratory tract; Pneumovirus; Fusion protein; Vector; Pneumovirinae; Antibody; Rodentia; Vaccine; Influenzavirus; Virus; Immunoprophylaxis; Mononegavirales; Vertebrata; Mammalia; Mouse; Animal
• ISSN: 0166-3542; 1872-9096; 1872-9096
• DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.01.022

•A recombinant influenza virus rFlu/RSV/F+G containing RSV F and G protein epitopes was generated.•rFlu/RSV/F+G showed specific antibody response against influenza virus and RSV in mice.•rFlu/RSV/F+G might elicit Th1-type cellular immune response against RSV.•rFlu/RSV/F+G could induce immune protective effect against influenza virus and RSV. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is an important viral pathogen that causes life-threatening respiratory infections in both infants and the elderly; no vaccines are at present available. In this report, we examined the use of influenza virus as a vehicle for production of an experimental RSV vaccine. We used reverse genetics to generate a recombinant influenza A virus with epitopes from the RSV fusion (F) and attachment (G) proteins (rFlu/RSV/F+G) in the influenza virus nonstructural (NS1) protein gene. Expression of RSV F+G epitope proteins was confirmed by Western blotting, and no changes in viral morphology were evident following examination by electron microscopy. BALB/c mice immunized intranasally with rFlu/RSV/F+G showed viral-specific antibody responses against both influenza and RSV. Total IgG, IgG1, IgG2a and IgA were measured in mice immunized with rFlu/RSV/F+G, revealing robust cellular and mucosal immune responses. Furthermore, we found that rFlu/RSV/F+G conferred protection against subsequent influenza and RSV challenges, showing significant decreases in viral replication and obvious attenuation of histopathological changes associated with viral infections. These findings suggest that rFlu/RSV/F+G is a promising vaccine candidate, which should be further assessed using cotton rat and primate models.