PLoS ONE (Jan 2015)

Immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a Vero cell culture-derived whole-virus H7N9 vaccine in mice and guinea pigs.

  • Walter Wodal,
  • Michael G Schwendinger,
  • Helga Savidis-Dacho,
  • Brian A Crowe,
  • Christine Hohenadl,
  • Richard Fritz,
  • Peter Brühl,
  • Daniel Portsmouth,
  • Anita Karner-Pichl,
  • Dalida Balta,
  • Leopold Grillberger,
  • Otfried Kistner,
  • P Noel Barrett,
  • M Keith Howard

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0113963
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 10, no. 2
p. e0113963

Abstract

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BackgroundA novel avian H7N9 virus with a high case fatality rate in humans emerged in China in 2013. We evaluated the immunogenicity and protective efficacy of a candidate Vero cell culture-derived whole-virus H7N9 vaccine in small animal models.MethodsAntibody responses induced in immunized DBA/2J mice and guinea pigs were evaluated by hemagglutination inhibition (HI), microneutralization (MN), and neuraminidase inhibition (NAi) assays. T-helper cell responses and IgG subclass responses in mice were analyzed by ELISPOT and ELISA, respectively. Vaccine efficacy against lethal challenge with wild-type H7N9 virus was evaluated in immunized mice. H7N9-specific antibody responses induced in mice and guinea pigs were compared to those induced by a licensed whole-virus pandemic H1N1 (H1N1pdm09) vaccine.ResultsThe whole-virus H7N9 vaccine induced dose-dependent H7N9-specific HI, MN and NAi antibodies in mice and guinea pigs. Evaluation of T-helper cell responses and IgG subclasses indicated the induction of a balanced Th1/Th2 response. Immunized mice were protected against lethal H7N9 challenge in a dose-dependent manner. H7N9 and H1N1pdm09 vaccines were similarly immunogenic.ConclusionsThe induction of H7N9-specific antibody and T cell responses and protection against lethal challenge suggest that the Vero cell culture-derived whole-virus vaccine would provide an effective intervention against the H7N9 virus.