Bivalent rotavirus VP4∗ stimulates protective antibodies against common genotypes of human rotaviruses
Guoxing Luo,
Yuanjun Zeng,
Han Yang,
Yijian Li,
Lianwei Yang,
Cao Li,
Feibo Song,
Shiyin Zhang,
Tingdong Li,
Shengxiang Ge,
Jun Zhang,
Ningshao Xia
Affiliations
Guoxing Luo
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Yuanjun Zeng
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Han Yang
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Yijian Li
College of Life Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Lianwei Yang
R&D Department of Xiamen Innodx Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Xiamen 361000, China
Cao Li
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Feibo Song
National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Shiyin Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Tingdong Li
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Corresponding author
Shengxiang Ge
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; Corresponding author
Jun Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Ningshao Xia
State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China; National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361102, China
Summary: Non-replicating rotavirus vaccines are an alternative strategy to improve the efficacy and safety of rotavirus vaccines. The spike protein VP4, which could be enzymatically cleaved into VP8∗ and VP5∗, is an ideal target for the development of recombinant rotavirus vaccine. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that the truncated VP4 (aa26-476, VP4∗) could be a more viable vaccine candidate compared to VP8∗ and VP5∗. Here, to develop a human rotavirus vaccine, the VP4∗ proteins of P[4], P[6], and P[8] genotype rotaviruses were expressed. All VP4∗ proteins can stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies in both guinea pigs and rabbits when formulated in aluminum adjuvant. Furthermore, bivalent VP4∗-based vaccine (P[8] + P[6]-VP4∗) can stimulate high levels of neutralizing antibodies against various genotypes of rotavirus with no significant difference as compared to the trivalent vaccines. Therefore, bivalent VP4∗ has the potential to be a viable rotavirus vaccine candidate for further development.
