An Inactivated West Nile Virus Vaccine Candidate Based on the Lineage 2 Strain
Mikhail F. Vorovitch,
Ksenia K. Tuchynskaya,
Yuriy A. Kruglov,
Nikita S. Peunkov,
Guzal F. Mostipanova,
Ivan S. Kholodilov,
Alla L. Ivanova,
Maria P. Fedina,
Larissa V. Gmyl,
Evgeny S. Morozkin,
German V. Roev,
Lyudmila S. Karan,
Galina G. Karganova
Affiliations
Mikhail F. Vorovitch
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Ksenia K. Tuchynskaya
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Yuriy A. Kruglov
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Nikita S. Peunkov
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Guzal F. Mostipanova
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Ivan S. Kholodilov
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Alla L. Ivanova
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Maria P. Fedina
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Larissa V. Gmyl
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Evgeny S. Morozkin
Federal Budget Institute of Science «Central Research Institute of Epidemiology» of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Moscow 111123, Russia
German V. Roev
Federal Budget Institute of Science «Central Research Institute of Epidemiology» of the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, Moscow 111123, Russia
Lyudmila S. Karan
Research Center of Neurology, Moscow 125367, Russia
Galina G. Karganova
Chumakov Federal Scientific Center for Research and Development of Immune-and-Biological Products of Russian Academy of Sciences (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia
Background: West Nile virus (WNV) is a rapidly growing problem worldwide. The lack of emergency treatment and a safe licensed vaccine against WNV allows the virus to cause sporadic outbreaks of human disease, including fatal cases. Formalin-inactivated vaccines have been used for a long time and have been shown to be very safe and effective, especially in susceptible populations. Methods: By adapting tick-borne encephalitis vaccine production technology, we produced a laboratory-inactivated vaccine against WNV based on the strain SHUA, isolated from humans with a lethal WNV infection in the year 2021. Results: The potential vaccine was tested for safety in vitro and in vivo in outbred SHK mice of different ages, including PCR analysis of the brains of these mice to test for the absence of viral RNA after intracerebral injection. Conclusions: The inactivated whole-virion laboratory vaccine showed 100% seroconversion and immunogenicity against WNV strain SHUA-1, isolated from a lethal human case, and provided the mice with 100% protection from disease and death.
