An Optimized FI-RSV Vaccine Effectively Protects Cotton Rats and BALB/c Mice without Causing Enhanced Respiratory Disease

Min Lin; Wei Zhang; Yi-Fan Yin; Jun-Yu Si; Lu-Jing Zhang; Li Chen; Xue Lin; Ying-Bin Wang; Jun Zhang; Zi-Zheng Zheng; Ning-Shao Xia

doi:10.3390/v14102085

Viruses (Sep 2022)

An Optimized FI-RSV Vaccine Effectively Protects Cotton Rats and BALB/c Mice without Causing Enhanced Respiratory Disease

Min Lin,
Wei Zhang,
Yi-Fan Yin,
Jun-Yu Si,
Lu-Jing Zhang,
Li Chen,
Xue Lin,
Ying-Bin Wang,
Jun Zhang,
Zi-Zheng Zheng,
Ning-Shao Xia

Affiliations

Min Lin: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Wei Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Yi-Fan Yin: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Jun-Yu Si: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Lu-Jing Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Li Chen: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Xue Lin: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Ying-Bin Wang: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Jun Zhang: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Zi-Zheng Zheng: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China
Ning-Shao Xia: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Vaccinology and Molecular Diagnostics, National Institute of Diagnostics and Vaccine Development in Infectious Diseases, School of Public Health, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361002, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/v14102085
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 14, no. 10
p. 2085

Abstract

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Background: Despite considerable efforts toward vaccine development in past decades, no effective vaccines against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are available. Recently, we showed that an optimized formalin concentration can preserve prefusion protein (pre-F) on RSV-infected cells and protect mice against RSV infection without causing enhanced respiratory disease (ERD). Here, we sought to further stabilize pre-F on RSV virions by optimizing the production of FI-RSV. Methods: Freshly produced RSV virions were treated with formalin under different concentrations to obtained an opti-FI-RSV vaccine with high pre-F level. Immunogenicity and safety of opti-FI-RSV were evaluated in Balb/c mice and cotton rats. Results: Using 0.0156–0.1778% formalin, we successfully preserved pre-F on virions. This opti-FI-RSV exhibited improved immunogenicity and efficacy without causing ERD. Surprisingly, opti-FI-RSV, with a pre-F-dominant immunogen, still caused ERD after immunization with a suboptimal dose or when the neutralizing antibody titers declined. ERD was avoided by coadministering opti-FI-RSV with CpG + MPLA adjuvant, which subsequently induced a Th1-biasing immune response and, more importantly, significantly improved antibody avidity. Conclusions: Our study provides a new method to obtain a novel FI-RSV vaccine with a high pre-F level and may provide a reference for developing other inactivated vaccines. Our findings also emphasize that appropriate adjuvants are critical for nonreplicating vaccines.

Published in Viruses

ISSN: 1999-4915 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Microbiology
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/viruses

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